Editing Frederick V of the Palatinate (section)

==Fall of Frederick's ancestral lands, 1621–22==
[[Image:PeterErnstIIofMansfield02.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Ernst von Mansfeld]] (1580–1626), soldier who held on to Frederick's Palatine inheritance until 1622]]
In summer 1621, [[John II, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken]], Frederick's former guardian who had served as regent of the Electoral Palatinate when Frederick left for Prague, resigned. Frederick was also at this time placed under the [[Imperial ban]], which permitted the forfeiture of his territories and effectively rendered him an outlaw.

However, [[Ernst von Mansfeld]] continued to occupy a portion of the [[Upper Palatinate]] and had successfully resisted efforts by [[Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly]] to dislodge him. Mansfeld crossed into the [[Palatinate region|Rhenish Palatinate]] in early 1622, and on 21 April 1622, Frederick joined Mansfeld there. Frederick attempted to convince other Protestant princes to reconstitute the Protestant Union, but met with limited success. Frederick's cause was boosted by a 27 April 1622 victory over Tilly's forces at the [[Battle of Mingolsheim|Battle of Wiesloch]], but this boost was short lived. Frederick's forces under the command of [[Georg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach]] were defeated at the [[Battle of Wimpfen]] on 6 May 1622; and then forces under [[Christian the Younger of Brunswick]] were soundly defeated at the [[Battle of Höchst]] on 20 June 1622.

Frederick was increasingly under Mansfeld's influence at this time, and was growing disillusioned with the Protestant cause. With Frederick's knowledge, Mansfeld raided [[Darmstadt]] and captured [[Louis V, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt]] and his son [[Johann Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt|Johann]] as hostages. This was clearly a violation of Imperial law, and cost Frederick whatever remaining sympathy he still had in Europe. During his retreat into [[Alsace]], Mansfeld burned a city and thirty villages.
[[Image:Heidelberg während des 30jährigen Krieges 1622.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Heidelberg]] is taken by the forces of [[Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly]] (1559–1632) on 19 September 1622.]]
Frederick dismissed Mansfeld after he became convinced he would be unable to reconquer his hereditary lands. Frederick then spent the summer with his uncle, [[Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon]], in [[Sedan, Ardennes|Sedan]].

Shortly thereafter, troops under Tilly and [[Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba (1585–1645)|Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba]] completed the Spanish conquest of the Electoral Palatinate. After an [[Siege of Heidelberg (1622)|eleven-week siege]], [[Heidelberg]] fell on 19 September 1622; [[Mannheim]] similarly fell on 5 November 1622. Only the British garrison in [[Frankenthal]] now held out. After the conquest of Heidelberg, the Protestant churches were closed, the university was closed, and at the request of Maximilian, the great library, the famous ''[[Bibliotheca Palatina]]'' (3500 manuscripts), was presented as a gift of thanks to [[Pope Gregory XV]] in appreciation of the 620,000 guilders he had provided for financing the campaigns of the Catholic League.
[[Image:Reichsacht gegen Friedrich V..jpg|thumb|left|150px|1623 edict by [[Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor]] (1578–1637) awarding Frederick's lands and titles to [[Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria]] (1573–1651)]]
On 23 February 1623, Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor awarded Frederick's electoral title to Maximilian of Bavaria, who now became [[Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria]]. Maximilian was also awarded the conquered territory of Upper Palatinate as a [[fief]]. Other territories of the Electoral Palatinate ([[Parkstein]], [[Weiden in der Oberpfalz]], and [[Peilstein im Mühlviertel]]) were awarded to [[Wolfgang William, Count Palatine of Neuburg]].