Second Margrave War 1552-1554



Duke Albrecht Alcibiades of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (he ruled over the Counties of Ansbach and Bayreuth-Kulmbach) was an opportunist. When France resumed war against Emperor Charles V., Margrave Albrecht Alcibiades, in an attempt to restore the Duchy of Franconia, raided the Princebishoprics of Bamberg, Würzburg and Mainz, even invading the Princebishopric of Trier to establish contact with King Henri II of France. Emperor Charles V. went so far to recognize some of Albrecht Alcibiades' annexions (at the expense of the Princebishoprics of Bamberg and Würzburg), in order to keep focussed on the French enemy.
However, Albrecht Alcibiades continued to raid the ecclesiastic territories. The Heidelberg League of Princes appealed to him not to continue his raids; when he disregarded their plea, a League force commanded by Duke-Elector Maurice of Saxony defeated him at Sievershausen July 9th 1553. At Sievershausen, Duke Maurice was assassinated.
In August 1553, Leaguist forces commanded by King Ferdinand occupied the Counties of Ansbach and Bayreuth; the city of Kulmbach was destroyed Nov. 22nd 1553. In November 1553, the Imperial ban was declared against Albrecht Alcibiades. When his main stronghold, the Plassenburg, fell, on June 22nd 1554, he left his principality. In July 1554 he was defeated at Kitzingen; the war was over. Duke Albrecht Alcibiades died in 1557 in exile in Baden-Durlach.




EXTERNAL
FILES 		Markgräflerkriege, from cpw, in German
Moritz von Sachsen (Maurice of Saxony), from BBKL, in German
Der Zweite Markgrafenkrieg, from Wandern und Geschichte, in German
Plassenburg, from Burgenwelt, in German
Aus der Geschichte der Stadt Kulmbach, from Landschaftsmuseum Kulmbach, in German
Konraditag 1553, by M.J.K. Ostendorf, on the siege and destruction of Kulmbach 1553
DOCUMENTS Die Heeren über Kulmbach und der Plassenburg, posted by Jochen Seidel
REFERENCE



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted on February 23rd 2004, last revised on November 17th 2004

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