Age of Iron: To Love and Die in the Thirty Years' War
6 Episodes
Age of Iron: this is what the survivors called the Thirty Years War, which raged in Europe from 1618 to 1648.
For the people at the time, the war was a huge catastrophic event. It was a war about religion and about power in Europe. What began as a regional conflict between Bohemian rebels and the Habsburg emperor gradually became a conflagration of huge proportions. Millions of people lost their lives. Entire regions were depopulated by destruction, disease and famine. But by the end of this war, the idea of a new Europe had emerged.
This documentary drama series tells the story of the Thirty Years War from the perspective of the people who experienced it: like the soldier Peter Hagendorf, the “Winter Queen” Elisabeth Stuart, the famous artist Peter Paul Rubens and the “Grey Eminence” Father Joseph. Their gripping accounts, letters and diary entries are condensed into a fascinating and emotive portrait of the time.
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51:03Episode 1Age of Iron - Episode 1: Chaos
Episode 1
Episode 1 of 6. After the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, the young elector Frederick V of the Palatinate and his wife Elisabeth Stuart are crowned King and Queen of Bohemia - an affront to the Habsburg emperor. More and more European powers are drawn into the conflict, and the inexperienced ro...
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52:24Episode 2Age of Iron - Episode 2: God
Episode 2
Episode 2 of 6. The Catholic armies are attacked by an immense empire from the north: Denmark. At the same time, the Catholic Spanish Netherlands are fighting the separatist Dutch Protestants. Peter Paul Rubens, now a spy for Isabella of Spain, travels to Paris to meet with Father Joseph, Cardina...
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52:10Episode 3Age of Iron - Episode 3: Might
Episode 3
Episode 3 of 6. The Holy Roman Emperor intends to re-Catholicise his lands - by consent or by force.
Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor intends to re-Catholicise numerous possessions - by consent or by force. Peter Hagendorf, fighting in the Imperial army, is injured during the Sack of Magdebu...
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51:19Episode 4Age of Iron - Episode 4: Devastation
Episode 4
Sweden's intervention fundamentally changes the situation. King Gustavus Adolphus is more than a match for the Imperial forces led by General Wallenstein. City by city, territory is snatched from the emperor. Henrik Holck is now fighting on Wallenstein's side in Lützen. In a time of famine and pe...
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53:12Episode 5Age of Iron - Episode 5: Revenge
Episode 5
Episode 5 of 6. The Holy Roman Empire lies in ruins and mercenaries pick over the spoils.
The Holy Roman Empire lies in ruins. Thousands of Scottish, Italian, English, and Swiss mercenaries come to pick over the spoils. Father Joseph and Cardinal Richelieu has recruited 40,000 new soldiers for F...
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51:07Episode 6Age of Iron - Episode 6: Peace
Episode 6
Episode 6 of 6. The desire for peace grows and the war is brought to an end.
The tide of the war changes constantly. In 1643, the French defeat the Spanish. In the same year, an entire French army is taken prisoner. The desire for peace is growing. At the end of the war, Peter Hagendorf has jour...