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But the BucoesB of the League depended primarily on the efiFective co-operation of the members them- selves. This broke down when it came to the collec- tion of contributions. In the case of very many of the members, their contribution was, in the words of Maximilian, nothing but a "poor prayer". Up to April, 1610, not a single member had paid his quota, although at that very moment, the dispute concerning the Jmich succession, and the threatening of the Rhenish principalities by the troops of the Union, uijgently reouired a League ready for war. Disgusted with the indifference of the members, which narrow- ness of means on the part of a few could not excuse, IfA-yimiliiLn threatened to resign the presidentship. His threat at once achieved this, that Spain, whicn had made the giving of a subsidy dependent on Austria's enrolment in the League, waived this condition, and the pope promised a further contribution in 1 6 11. The conduct of the Union in the Jiilich dispute and the warlike operations of the Union army in Alsace, seemed to m^e a battle between Ix^ague and Union inevitable. But tbe internal affairs of the League were to become still more critical. In the year 1613 the exertions of Cardinal Klesl at an assembly of the con- federates in Ratisbon (where the Imperial Diet was also sitting), against the wishes of Duke Maximilian but very much in accordance with the wishes of the £lector of Mains, succeeded in bringing about the enrolment of Austria in the League. The assembly now appointed no less than three war-directors: Duke Maximilian, and Archdukes Albert and Maximilian of Austria. The object of the League was now declared "eine christlich rechtmSssige Defension". The divi- sion of leadership did not conduce to increasing the League's power, while, by Austria's accession, it became entangled in her difficulties, already very threatening in her hereditary domains.

Duke Maximilian, who attached great importance to the Lease's fitness for war, showed his disapproval ci the Ratisbon resolutions by ref usinff to accept them, and later resi^c^ his post as president, when Arch- duke Maximilian, of Austria, the third director, pro- tested against the inclusion of the Bishop of Augsburg, and the Provost of Ellwangen in the Bavarian Direc- tory, and was supported in his protest by Mainz and T^ier, On 27 May, 1617, he formed a separate league for nine years with Bamberg, Eichst&dt, Wurzbur^, and the rrovost of Ellwangen. But the position m Bohemia, as in Lower and Upper Austria, gradually became so critical, that King Matthias at the end of 1618 strove hard with Mainz for the restoration of the League. A meeting of several of the ecclesiastical states met the emperor's wishes in that, at Obcrwesel (Jan., 1619), they decided to reconstruct the League, but on its original basis. It was in future to ^ve ofdy two groups: the Rhenish under the presidency of Mains, and the Oberland imder Bavaria, the treasury and the military command were to be considered as separate. Maximilian might only lead the whole of the troops, when he had to appear in the Rhenish dis- trict. After Maximilian had made sure that Austria would not again claim the privilege of appointing a third director, he summonea the Oberland states to Munich, where on 31 May the Oberland group came again into life. The Rhenish group was already re- established at Oberwesel. The two groups bound themselves to render mutual help for six years.

The Kingdom of Bohemia, in a state of insurrection from 1618, deprived Ferdinand II of the Bohemian crown, and gave it to Elector Palatine I'rederick V {26-27 Aug., 1619). Ferdinand's sole hope of recover- ing his lands now lay in drastic action. On the way to Frankfort on the day of the imperial election he had already consulted personally with Maximilian of Bavaria on the projected warlike preparations. Ait&t the etection Ferdinand conferred with the q;uritual electon still at Frankfort conceming the

support of the League. With the formation of a comederate army the serious activity of the League bef^n. The critical time, which Maximilian's ctear vision had foreseen, and for which, with characteristic energy, he had been long making provision, made him the undisputed leader of Catholic Germany. On 8 Oct., 1619, Ferdinand and Maximilian came to an agreement at Munich over the support of the League, and the separate support of Bavaria. The latter supplied 7000 men to the confederate army, whose strength was fixed at an assemblv at WOrzburg in Dec., 1619, as 21,000 infantry and 4000 cavalry.

In July, 1620, the League army totalled about 30,000 men, to which tlie Protestant Union could only oppose about 10,000. This superiority at once helped the League to a diplomatic victory o^'er the Umon, with which an agreement was come to, whereby, during the war in Austria and Bohemia, hostilities between the parties of both alliances in Germany should cease. Bavaria and the L^kgue had thus their whole military forces free to support the emperor. On 3 July the arrangement had been made with the Union; on 24 July Tilly had already begun his inarch into Upper Austria. That there was no decisive battle till 8 November was due to the over-cautious and procrastinating imperial field-marshal, Buquoy. Even before Prague he was still averse to a battfe. That one was fought was due to Maximilian and Tilly. With the victory of the combined confederate and imperial armies over the Bohemians at Prague the first stage of the League's activity durinj^ the Thirty Years War ended. Its subsequent history is closely involved in that of the Thirty Years War (q. v.). The strength of the League principally lay in Maximilian's personality, and in the resources of his excellently administered country. But for Max>» milian (q. v.) the League at the beginning of the Thirty Years War would probably have been just as disorganized a body as its opponent, the Union.

Brief e v. Akten zurOeach. des dreisaigjiihr, Kriegea zur Zeil dea vorwaltendcn Einflusaea der WiUelabacher: voL VII: Von der Abretae Erzh. Leopolda nach jQlich bia zu den Werbwiifen Herzog Afaxim. von B. im M&rz WW, ed. Stievb and revised by Matr (Munich, 1905); vol. VIII: Von den ROalunoen Herzog Maxim, von B. hia zum Aufbruch der Paaaatier.ed. Stievi: and revised by Matr (Munich, 1908)* vol. IX: Vom Einfall dea Paaaauer Kriegavolka bia zum Niimberger KurfuatenUig, od. Chroust (Munich, 1903); vol. X: Der Auagang der Regienmo Rudolfa II. u. die An^inge dea Kaiaera MaUhiaa, ed. Chroust (Munich, 1906); vol. XI: Der Reichatag wn WIS, ed. Chroust (Munich, 1909); BCrqer. LigapoHtik dea Mainzer Kurftlraten J oh. Schweickhard v. Cronbera W04-WIS in Wiirzburger Studien fie, I; Cornelius, Zur. GeacK. der GrUndunqder detUachen Liga (Munich, 1863); GcVrz, Die Kriegakosten Bayema u. der Li- gaatAnde im dreiaaigjohr. Kriege in Foraehungen tur Oeach, Batfema, XII; Gothein, Deutachland vor dem dreiaaigjuhr, Krxege (Leipzig, 1908); Janbhen-Pastor, Oeach, dea detUachen Volkea aeit dem A uagange dea MiUelaltera, vol. V: Die kirchluJi- pol. Revolution v. ihre Bekdmpfung aeit der VerkUndigung der JConkordienformel 1630 bia zum Beginn der dreiaaigj&hr. Kriegee (15th and 16th improved ed., Freiburg, 1902); Ritter, Deutache Oeach. im ZeUcdter der Oegenref, u. dea dreiaaigiiihr, Kriegea {t555-WJ^), II (WSe-WW) (Stuttgart, 1895), III (Stuttgart and Beiim, 1908); Stievb, KurfUriA Maxim. I, von B. in Abhandlungent Vorir&ge tt. Reden (Leipzig, 1900); Idem, Daa "Contobuch der DetUachen Liga in DeutMne Zeitachr. /Or OeaehichtaiDiaaenaehaft, X (1893); Wolf, Oeach. Maximilians /. u. aeiner Zeit, II (Munich, 1807).

J. Kraft.

League of the Gross, The, a Catholic total absti- nence confraternity founded in London in 1873 by Cardinal Manninfi; to unite Catholics, both cler^ and laity, in the warfare ai^ainst intemperance, ana thus improve religious, social, and domestic conditions, especially among the working classes. The original and chief centres of the league are London and Liver- pnool, and branches have been organized in the va- rious cities of Great Britain and Ireland and in Aus- tralia. The fundamental rules of the league are: (1) that the pledge shall be of total abstinence, and taken without limit as to time; (2) that only Catholics can be members; (3) that all members shall live as good, practical Catholics; (4) that no one who is not a prac-