Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/150

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112
THE THIRTY YEARS’ WAR

by sending auxiliary troops, already joined the Bohemian movement, but the alliance was not yet so intimate as was desirable, and the Silesians had not appeared on the field in the ratio of their strength. Just at this juncture an embassy from Breslau had arrived in Prague, sent to take part in the interposition at Eger, and this offered an opportunity to negotiate a closer alliance, which led to the desired result. The envoys promised that Silesia would join the movement with all its forces, if but assured that their country would be allowed the same rights in the alliance of the Bohemian crown as were enjoyed by Bohemia itself. Their first demands related to the right of electing the King. If the throne was to be filled again, this should not be done by the Bohemians alone, but the adjacent lands should also be summoned. Further, they desired that the Bohemian chancery should be divided into two parts, having equal rights; in short, there should be erected two interior departments. On the side of Bohemia the demands could not be contested, for it was clear that the insurrection could succeed only with the aid of the other provinces, and so the Directors promised to represent in the Bohemian Diet the wishes of Silesia, and obtain their sanction. In consequence of this, the Silesians rejected Ferdinand's demand for the assumption of the government in the land, on the pretext that this could not take place until after he had assumed the government of Bohemia.

The Directors effected also a union with Lusatia, by which the latter was bound to furnish a contingent of troops which should serve on the side of Bohemia, through the war with Ferdinand.

Of greater importance to the success of the insurrection was the accession of Moravia, for which the Bohe-