The Assassination of Wallenstein: A Pivotal Moment in the Thirty Years’ War

The Thirty Years War, ostensibly beginning as a religious one, engaged nearly every European country in one way or another. The major forces involved were Sweden (supported by France), and the Hapsburg Empire, and the brunt was borne mainly by the German provinces and the Czech lands.

Wallenstein had been a successful, if difficult to control, commander of the Austrian army for a number of years, gaining several significant military victories, but by December 1633 he was tiring of war and looking out to his own advantage. Vienna soon convinced itself of his intending treachery, and the Emperor sent out orders to have him taken, dead or alive. Wallenstein, on becoming aware of the danger, took a company of some hundred men with him to Eger/Cheb, hoping to link up with the Swedes under Prince Bernhard. However, Colonel Walter Butler (who commanded a regiment of (mainly Irish) dragoons) remained loyal to his Emperor and together with Scots colonels Walter Leslie and John Gordan resolved to carry out the royal command. Wallenstein’s trusted officers, Christian Illov, Adam Trezka, Vilém Kinský and Henry Neumann were invited to a feast at Eger Castle, which Gordon commanded. Wallenstein himself decided to retire early. At the feast, after much drunken carousing, a clash of toasts gave the signal to fall upon the enemy. Butler’s cousin, Captain Walter Devereux,was sent to disturb the slumber of the traitorous Generalissimo.

That very room remains in the building which is now the Cheb museum! Butler died the following year and Devereux succeeded him as Colonel of the regiment. He had been rewarded for his service with a confiscated estate and remained in the Czech lands. His brother had inherited the Devereux family castle at Balmagyr in Wexford and there was nothing to return to there at the time. Walter’s son, or grandson, wisely changed the family name to Ryzec, which is a red coloured Czech mushroom, suggesting that Walter himself was red-haired. He was reputedly buried in the Irish Franciscan church in Prague to which he had contributed generously.

The long war which had devastated Europe, killing millions through violence, famine or disease finally concluded with peace conferences in Westphalia in 1648 which united Europe for the very first time in a treaty of peace. A harbinger, it might be said, of the European Union.

The religious differences however were to remain for much longer, and influenced markedly historians of the period. Walter Devereux was condemned by some as a mercenary murderer, rather than an officer loyal to his Emperor and to his religion. The ending of the war resulted in the Austrian Empire continuing to dominate the Czechs for hundreds of years, whereas Wallenstein’s reward, had he succeeded in his treachery, would have been to become king of the Czech lands.

The Wild Geese Society had proposed the making of a documentary (‘You the Jury’) involving history students of several universities in Ireland, Austria, Germany and Sweden and which would, in courtroom fashion examine the facts of the case to determine whether Schiller’s (and other central European historians)  dismissal of Devereux as a murderous mercenary was a fair assessment (obviously we would argue it was not!), but the Covid lock-down intervened and the project had to be put on hold. We would hope to resurrect it.