30YearsWar #73: The Pen and the Sword [1644] (Patreon)

[PATRONS]

Yes, I do still exist! 

In this episode we examine how the French coped with the sudden absence of Sweden, which had turned its attention to the Danes. France had to contend with several fronts, particularly along the Rhine, in the Netherlands, and in Catalonia, but Swedish diplomacy had worked to ensure that Cardinal Mazarin would not have to fight alone, as a familiar face re-entered the chat. Assessing his deteriorating odds, we find King Philip IV of Spain increasingly despondent, as his ability to project his power into Germany declines, with disastrous consequences for the Habsburg dynasty...