Matthias Gallas

Matthias Gallas (1588 1647), imperial Lieutenant-General during the Thirty Years War, was appointed by the Archduke Ferdinand, later Emperor Ferdinand III, to take command of the imperial army immediately after the assassination of the "Generalissimus" Albrecht von Wallenstein, although he had been involved in the preparation of the murder. He was to regain the position of supreme commander of the imperial forces on two further occasions, despite the fact that he had been discharged from the army more than once. Hence it appears initially surprising that despite numerous publications on the history of the Thirty Years War this general, who was neither particularly successful in military matters nor welcome in court circles, appears in biographical works of reference, whereas he remains a marginal figure in the relevant specialist publications. Born in the prince-bishopric of Trent, Gallas advanced in the social hierarchy, when he received the title of an imperial baron (Reichsfreiherr) in 1627 and that of imperial count (Reichsgraf) five years later. Nevertheless he remains a shadowy figure and a modern, detailed and critical study of his person and his achievements is non-existent. The aim of the project "Matthias Gallas" is to remedy this defect by means of extensive archival research in Austria and in foreign collections, and through a detailed analysis of the printed sources and relevant specialist literature. The study of this extremely controversial and unpopular imperial general will be based on a solid scholarly foundation, giving due consideration to the social and biographical background as well as to the interaction of his person and the major decision-makers of his day. The social-biographical interpretative approach will not be permitted to obscure the view for the political and military-strategic activities of the era: On the contrary it shall help to illuminate the surroundings and the personal involvement of Ferdinand III, which still represent a serious deficit in the present state of research. Of particular interest are the consequences of Count Gallas` strategy (conduct) of war for the imperial army, for the forces of the Catholic League, and for the effects on environment and politics of the strategies of a general, who often appeared overtaxed by the demands made on him, and was therefore described as the "destroyer" of the army. In the course of this project editions of the relevant sources, scholarly articles on the person, the period and the background of the imperial general in historical journals, and finally a comprehensive biography of Matthias Gallas are planned.