His Eminence Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Portico
Portrait by Anthony van Dyck, 1634
Church	Catholic Church
Installed	29 July 1619
Term ended	9 November 1641
Predecessor	Ferdinando Gonzaga
Successor	Virginio Orsini
Other post(s)	Apostolic Administrator of Toledo Governor of the Spanish Netherlands Governor of the Duchy of Milan
Orders
Created cardinal	29 July 1619 by Paul V
Rank	Cardinal-Deacon
Personal details
Born	(1609-05-16)16 May 1609 San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Kingdom of Spain
Died	9 November 1641(1641-11-09) (aged 32) Brussels, Duchy of Brabant Spanish Netherlands
Buried	El Escorial
Denomination	Catholic
Parents	Philip III of Spain Margaret of Austria
Governmental posts Governor of the Spanish Netherlands In office 1 December 1630 – 9 November 1641 Monarch Philip IV Preceded by Isabella Clara Eugenia Succeeded by Francisco de Melo as acting governor Governor of the Duchy of Milan In office 1633 – July 1634 Monarch Philip IV Preceded by Gómez Suárez de Figueroa Succeeded by Cardinal Gil de Albornoz

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (also known as Don Fernando de Austria, Cardenal-Infante Fernando de España and as Ferdinand von Österreich; 16 May 1609 – 9 November 1641) was a Spanish and Portuguese prince (Infante of Spain, Infante of Portugal (until 1640)), Governor of the Spanish Netherlands, Cardinal of the Holy Catholic Church, Archduke of Austria, Archbishop of Toledo (1619–41), and a general during the Thirty Years' War, the Eighty Years' War, and the Franco-Spanish War. He is commonly considered the last great commander and strategist of the Spanish Empire, whose premature death in a critical moment helped bring about the end of Spanish hegemony in Europe.^{[1][page needed]} He is, as well, one of few generals undefeated on the battlefield.^{[citation needed]}

House of Habsburg Spanish line
Emperor Charles V (King Charles I)
Children Philip II of Spain Maria, Holy Roman Empress Joan, Princess of Portugal Don John (illegitimate) Margaret of Parma (illegitimate)
Philip II
Children include Carlos, Prince of Asturias Isabella, Lady of the Netherlands Catherine Michaela, Duchess of Savoy Philip III of Spain Maria of Spain
Philip III
Children include Anne, Queen of France Philip IV of Spain Maria Anna, Holy Roman Empress Infante Carlos Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand
Philip IV
Children include Balthasar Charles, Prince of Asturias Maria Theresa, Queen of France Margaret, Holy Roman Empress Philip Prospero, Prince of Asturias Charles II of Spain
Charles II
v t e

Born at the El Escorial near Madrid, Spain in 1609^a, he was the son of the King of Spain and Portugal, Philip III and II and Margaret of Austria, sister of Emperor Ferdinand II.^[2] His older siblings were King Philip IV and III and the French queen Anne of Austria.

As his father wished that he pursue an ecclesiastical career, Ferdinand was elevated to the Primacy of Spain in 1619, becoming Archbishop of Toledo.^[3] Shortly afterwards he was created Cardinal. The style Cardinal-Infante was a combination of his dignity as Cardinal and his station as a royal Prince (Infante in Spanish) of Spain.

In 1630 the Cardinal Infante's aunt Isabella Clara Eugenia planned to make him her successor as governor of the Spanish Netherlands. To move to the Netherlands in a style befitting a governor, a strong army had to accompany him. Travel by ship from Spain was not an option as it would expose him to risk of battle with the Dutch navy in the then ongoing Eighty Years' War, so in 1633, he went to Genoa, having quit his governorship of Catalonia where he had been trained. He met with an army from Milan for a planned march through the famous Spanish Way across Lombardy, Tyrol, and Swabia, and then following the Rhine to the Netherlands. Ferdinand also planned to secure this supply route with a string of garrisons, and to support the army of King Ferdinand III of Hungary, his brother-in-law the emperor's son and heir, who was leading the Imperial army facing the Swedes in the Thirty Years' War.

Since disease delayed his travels, he sent half of his army ahead under the command of the Duke of Feria. However, this army was severely depleted during fighting with the Swedish army of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and Gustaf Horn. The Spanish requested 4000 cavalry from the Imperial general Albrecht von Wallenstein, but this being denied, the Spanish had to fund the troops on their own. The Cardinal-Infante was able to continue his travels in 1634, collecting in Bavaria the remains of the army of Feria, who had died in January 1634.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand of Hungary was able to defeat the Swedish army at Regensburg in July 1634. Ferdinand and his cousin the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand then raced to merge their armies. The Swedish forces of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and Gustaf Horn desperately tried to prevent this merger, but were unable to catch up with Ferdinand of Hungary. The Cardinal-Infante crossed the Danube in August 1634. In September both armies were able to merge, and camped south of Nördlingen in Swabia. At that time Nördlingen was protected by a small Swedish garrison. Shortly thereafter, the armies of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and Gustaf Horn also reached Nördlingen, preparing the events for the decisive Battle of Nördlingen. Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand and his cousin Ferdinand then prepared for battle, ignoring the advice of the more experienced generals, such as the Imperial general Matthias Gallas. Bernhard and Horn also prepared for battle, but they were by now rivals and in disagreement with each other. They also underestimated the numerically superior enemy forces, due to incorrect reports that did not realize the Spanish Army of the late Duke of Feria had joined the Cardinal-Infante and believed that the enemy forces numbered only 7,000, not 21,000 infantry, compared to 16,000 Swedish infantry. During the battle, almost anything that could go wrong went wrong for the Swedish forces, in large part due to the efforts of the Spanish Infantry, so that the two Ferdinands achieved a great victory. The Swedish army that fled to Heilbronn was only a shadow of its former self.

The King of Hungary tried to convince his cousin to stay and to strengthen their hold on Germany, but the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand moved his troops almost immediately after the battle to continue to Brussels. At the end of 1634 he entered Brussels with all the glory befitting a Governor-General. Due to the unpopularity of the clergy in Brussels, he downplayed his religious status and instead emphasized his worldly ranks. Ferdinand was a skilled politician and diplomat, and quickly reformed the government and the military. He especially managed to win the support of the Flemings against France. However, his powers were secretly limited, and the leader of his army was instructed to follow Spanish orders instead of Ferdinand's orders if necessary.

In 1635, the French attacked Namur, planning to merge with the Dutch near Maastricht but were held off by well prepared defenses. At the siege of Leuven, the invading Franco-Dutch forces, suffering badly from supply problems and greatly depleted by disease and desertion, were forced to withdraw when a Spanish relief force arrived. This allowed Spanish forces under Ferdinand to go on the offensive. The Dutch were driven back and the French retreated. Ferdinand subsequently was able to capture Diest, Goch, Gennep, Limbourg, and Schenkenschanz.

"France declared war on me (on me, not on my brother Philip) and I've since then had to fight against their armies and the intrigues of our brother-in-law Louis and his relentless minister Richelieu." – Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand^[4]

In 1636, Ferdinand disempowered the last Protestant priests in the Spanish Netherlands, and continued his military counter-offensive by capturing Hirson, Le Catelet, and La Capelle, and securing Luxembourg using the usual mixed nationalities typical of the early modern age that included Croatian troops, and reaching as far a stronghold in France as Corbie during the Crossing of the Somme, threatening Paris.

In 1637, with Spanish forces concentrated in the fight with the French, a relatively lightly defended Breda, that had been under Spanish control for twelve years, was recaptured by the Dutch after a 3-month siege by the Prince of Orange. The loss of Breda was a blow to Spanish prestige but was of much less strategic significance than the gains made by Ferdinand that year in taking the Dutch towns of Venlo and Roermond in the Meuse valley, effectively cutting Maastricht from the Dutch Republic and, thus, preventing further Dutch attacks on the Spanish Netherlands from the east.^[5][6] In the southern front Ferdinand lost the towns of La Capelle, Landrecies, and Damvillers to the French, but then he forced them to retreat south of Maubeuge.^[7]

In 1638, Ferdinand's army successfully defended Antwerp, Saint-Omer and Geldern from the Dutch and French armies.^[8] Ferdinand achieved a great victory over the Dutch at the Battle of Kallo. In a letter to his brother the King of Spain shortly afterwards, Ferdinand described the battle as "the greatest victory which your Majesty's arms have achieved since the war in the Low Countries began".^[9]

In 1639, Ferdinand managed again to thwart Franco-Dutch plans. The Dutch navy destroyed an important Spanish fleet in the Battle of the Downs, off the English coast, but it failed to prevent most of the army it was carrying, some 7,000 to 10,500 infantry, from landing at Dunkirk.^[10] While Ferdinand frustrated the Prince of Orange's move against Hulst, an Imperial-Spanish army under Count Piccolomini destroyed the main French army in the south at the Battle of Thionville.^[10]

In 1640, Dutch attacks on Hulst and Bruges were repelled by the local Spanish garrisons under the Cardinal-Infante.^[11] In the south, after a failed attack on the Spanish fortress of Charlemont in Givet, the French army launched a great offensive upon Arras, the capital of the County of Artois. Ferdinand took the command of the army and attempted unsuccessfully to break the French lines.^{[citation needed]} The city finally surrendered on 9 August. Its capture was the first victory of importance for the French in the war after five years of fighting.^[12]

More dangerous than his military enemies, however, were his enemies at the Spanish court. Numerous rumours and lies floated about, and it was claimed that Ferdinand was planning to become an independent ruler of the Spanish Netherlands with the help of the French King, an enemy of Spain. This rumour was enhanced by another rumour that the French court was planning to marry Ferdinand to Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, the (eldest) daughter of Gaston, Duke of Orléans, the French king's brother. The former claim was untrue however his sister Anne of Austria did suggest a marriage between Ferdinand and Anne Marie Louise, the greatest heiress in Europe. Making matters worse, the Spanish empire was under intense pressure militarily and financially; the Cardinal-Infante was even given conflicting orders to send troops to Spain to aid against the 1640 Portuguese uprising.

From a young age, the Cardinal-Infante was ever longing for a life as a soldier. He had never shown vocation in religion, rather, as a child, he was interested in guns, horses, and war.^[13] He lacked friends growing up, and felt his interests were thrown aside in favor of political movements conducted by his father, Philip III, and the Duke of Lerma.^[13] Ferdinand was given the religious role out of his two brothers as he was the youngest, and according to royal tradition, pertained to ecclesiastical responsibilities.^[14] It was only after his governorship over Catalonia that he would finally be able to achieve the military glory he had long been wanting during his short yet highly intensive military career. He was resoundingly successful and considered by many, including his own brother Philip IV, as the best general of the time, as well as the best of his generation.^[15][16] Many contemporary sources consider him as the last great general of the Spanish Empire.^[15] Provided below is the list of battles recorded on Wikipedia in which the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand has held command:

Date	Battle	Allied commanders	Opposing commanders	Result
6 September 1634	Battle of Nördlingen	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Count Leganés Ferdinand of Hungary Matthias Gallas Ottavio Piccolomini	Gustav Horn  (POW) Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar Johann von Scharffenstein  (POW)	Imperial-Spanish victory
24 June – 4 July 1635	Siege of Leuven	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Anthonie Schetz Ottavio Piccolomini	Frederick Henry Marquis de Brézé Maréchal de Châtillon	Imperial-Spanish victory
27–28 July 1635	Capture of Schenkenschans	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Eyndhouts	Unknown	Spanish victory
July 1636 (exact date unknown)	Siege of Hirson	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Maréchal de Châtillon	Spanish victory
2–5 July 1636	Siege of Le Catelet	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Maréchal de Châtillon	Spanish victory
2–8 July 1636	Siege of La Capelle	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Maréchal de Châtillon	Spanish victory
5 August 1636	Crossing of the Somme	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Prince of Carignano Ottavio Piccolomini	Louis, Count of Soissons	Imperial-Spanish victory
7–15 August 1636	Siege of Corbie	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Prince of Carignano Ottavio Piccolomini	Louis, Count of Soissons	Imperial-Spanish victory
20 – 25 August 1637	Siege of Venlo	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Nicolaas van Brederode	Spanish victory
31 August – 1 September 1637	Capture of Roermond	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Carpentier	Spanish victory
24 May – 16 July 1638	Siege of Saint-Omer	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand Prince of Carignano Ottavio Piccolomini	Maréchal de Châtillon Duc de La Force	Imperial-Spanish victory
20–21 June 1638	Battle of Kallo	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Frederick Henry William of Nassau-Siegen	Spanish victory
1–9 July 1640	Siege of Hulst	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	Frederick Henry	Spanish victory

Ferdinand fell ill during battles in 1641 and died on 9 November 1641 in Brussels at age 32.^[17] It was thought that death was caused by exhaustion combined with ill health. Reports talk about a stomach ulcer, but rumors also claimed that he was poisoned. Before his death, he had an illegitimate daughter, Marie Anne de la Croix, born in Brussels in 1641 and died a nun in Madrid in 1715. The Cardinal-Infante would leave behind quite a legacy which was unfortunately never exceeded. The Spanish Netherlands would only begin its decline not long after his death. Despite his great military successes, it is attributed to the shortness of his career and longevity that he wouldn't be as celebrated in contemporary media, although, he was greatly celebrated in historical works in the likes of paintings, poems, and many other historical accounts and biographies which have been preserved.

His body was brought to Spain in 1643, and 12,000 requiem Masses were performed in accordance with his last wishes. He was buried in the Panteón de Infantes.

Disputes about his successor as the Governor-General of the Spanish Netherlands destroyed the alliance between the Emperor in Vienna and the Spanish in Madrid. The Emperor (by now the Cardinal-Infante's old comrade in arms, Ferdinand III) favored his brother Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria, a militarily unfortunate but otherwise capable ruler. Madrid favored John of Austria the Younger, the twelve-year-old illegitimate son of Philip IV and the actress María Calderón. The inauguration of the unpopular bastard was delayed, and the rule of the Spanish Netherlands was taken over by Francisco de Mello, Marquis of Terceira.

• Benavides López-Escobar, José Ignacio (2021). El Cardenal Infante (La esperanza frustrada de la monarquía hispánica, 1609-1641). La Esfera de los Libros. ISBN 978-8491648659.
• De Aedo Y Gallart, D. (1635). El memorable y glorioso viaje del infante cardenal D. Fernando de Austria.
• González de León, Fernando (2009). The Road to Rocroi: Class, Culture and Command in the Spanish Army of Flanders, 1567-1659. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004170827.
• Griffis, William Elliot (1919). Belgium: the land of art: its history, legends, industry and modern expansion. Houghton Mifflin Co.
• Guthrie, William P. (2007). The Later Thirty Years War: From the Battle of Wittstock to the Treaty of Westphalia. Westport: Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313324086.
• 't Hart, Marjolein (2014). The Dutch Wars of Independence: Warfare and Commerce in the Netherlands 1570-1680. Oxon: Routledge. ISBN 9781317812548.
• Israel, Jonathan (1997). Conflicts of Empires: Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy, 1585-1713. London: The Hambledon Press. ISBN 9781852851613.
• Maffi, Davide (2014). "La gran ilusión: Francia en guerra (1635–1643)". Desperta Ferro Moderna. No. 9. Madrid. ISSN 2255-0542.
• Parker, Geoffrey; Adams, Simon (1984). The Thirty Years' War. Routledge.
• Thion, Stéphane (2008). French Armies of the Thirty Years' War. Auzielle: LRT Editions. ISBN 9782917747018.
• Van Nimwegen, Olaf (2010). The Dutch Army and the Military Revolutions, 1588-1688. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. ISBN 9781843835752.
• Zimmerman, Benedict (1899). Carmel in England. Burns & Oates, Limited.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria.

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy". Genealogy.EU.
• WER war WER - im Dreißigjährigen Krieg Archived 2020-08-06 at the Wayback Machine
• Enrique Garcia-Herraiz:Un nuevo retrato del Cardenal Infante don Fernando, conmemorando la victoria de Nördlingen