Editing Frederick V of the Palatinate (section)

====Battle of White Mountain, 8 November 1620====
With the signing of the Treaty of Ulm [[Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases]], began raising Imperial troops in the [[Spanish Netherlands]] and in the [[Alsace]] region.

In early August 1620, 25,000 troops, under the command of Spinola, marched into Bohemia. In the third week of August, they shifted their focus and marched into the nearly unarmed Electoral Palatinate, occupying [[Mainz]]. The Electoral Palatinate was defended by only 2,000 English volunteers and the country was easily taken. Imperial troops set up camp in [[Frankenthal]] and [[Mannheim]]. Spinola crossed the [[Rhine]] on 5 September 1620 and proceeded to capture [[Bad Kreuznach]] on 10 September and [[Oppenheim]] on 14 September. From Bohemia, Frederick was powerless to stop the occupation of his ancestral homeland.
[[Image:Schlacht am Weißen Berg C-K 063.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Depiction of the [[Battle of White Mountain]] by [[Peter Snayers]] (1592–1667), 1620]]
After capturing [[Linz]], [[Upper Austria]], [[Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria|Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria]] crossed the Bohemian border on 26 September 1620. At [[Rokycany]], Maximilian's forces first met with the 15,000 ragtag, poorly paid and poorly equipped troops that Frederick had managed to raise. Frederick visited his army on 28 September 1620, but, lacking a military background, left the conduct of the war to his generals. Frederick focused his attention on organizing supplies and preparing fortifications.

After a series of skirmishes, on 5 November 1620, Frederick drew his forces back towards Prague and Imperial troops followed them. On 7 November, Bohemian forces determined to make a stand at [[Battle of White Mountain|White Mountain]], just outside Prague. The day before, King Frederick had ridden down the lines and exhorted the soldiers. He then rushed to Prague to implore the Bohemian Estates to raise money for his troops and to receive the envoys of the English king. However, it was too late. When, on 8 November 1620, Frederick wanted to ride back to the troops, he was met at the gates of Prague by fleeing soldiers of his army and his chancellor, Anhalt, who informed him of the disaster: the Bohemian army had received a crushing defeat that morning in the [[Battle of White Mountain]].