Regensburg Convention of Electors 1636/1637 and Brandenburg's Struggle for Imperial Peace

Abstract

The subject of this article is the policy of the Electorate of Brandenburg, aimed at concluding peace with the warring powers of the anti-Habsburg coalition during the Regensburg Convention. According to the ruling emperor, the purpose of the convention was to elect a Roman king – the future Emperor Ferdinand III. However, the Brandenburg Elector Georg Wilhelm set as his task the conclusion of peace, which should be preceded by an amnesty for the classes that did not sign the Prague Peace. During the preparation for the convention and the convention itself, it became clear that the Saxon Elector Johann Georg was pursuing an anti-Brandenburg policy. On his initiative, Brandenburg found itself drawn into a war with Sweden, then Johann Georg invited his colleague Georg Wilhelm to make concessions: to transfer Pomerania to Sweden in the name of peace in the Empire. During the convention, Brandenburg proposed to begin negotiations using the mediation of the Polish king. This was rejected by the majority of the Electors. Then a proposal was made to begin negotiations together with the emperor on concluding peace with Sweden and France. As a result, negotiations with Sweden failed. On the issue of amnesty for the Duchy of Württemberg, the Brandenburg delegation failed. As a result, under the influence of the leader of the delegation and a supporter of the Emperor Schwarzenberg, Brandenburg agreed to the election of the Roman king. As a result, Brandenburg's peace policy failed.