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Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand

Type Figure Region Spanish Netherlands Time 1609–1641 Also known as Ferdinand of Habsburg

Son of Philip III of Spain and brother of Philip IV, holding both the titles of cardinal and infante.…

Timeline

  1. 1609–1633Madrid · MadridYoungest son of Philip III, he received the title of cardinal in childhood but never formally took holy orders. He grew up at the Spanish court, receiving military and diplomatic training, and was regarded as a potential commander for the royal house on the Netherlands and German battlefields.
  2. 1633–1640Brussels · BrusselsHe assumed the governorship in 1633, reforming the military administration of Flanders, stabilizing finances, and cooperating with Imperial forces in the Thirty Years' War. In September 1634 he led the army to victory at the Second Battle of Nördlingen, reaching the peak of his prestige.
  3. 1634–1641Brussels · BrusselsIn 1634 he led Spanish and Imperial forces to defeat the Swedish-Weimar alliance at Nördlingen, greatly enhancing his reputation; thereafter, as governor, he directed the wars against France and the Dutch. He died of illness in Brussels on November 9, 1641; Spain lost an important military commander, and the situation in the Netherlands subsequently deteriorated.

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