Maximilian I of Bavaria: The Great Elector

The reign of Maximilian I in many ways marks the start of a new era in the history of Bavaria. When he came to power in 1597, he inhertied a thousand years old duchy with a failing economy. However, through a period of vigorous reform he manages to refill the state coffers, revise the law code, and organize an effective army, which allowed him to play an important part in the Thirty Years' War. Having established the Catholic League in 1609, he would help Emperor Ferdinand II put down the Bohemian uprising a decade later, getting the important and prestigious title of Elector as a reward. Although the latter parts of the war would see most of Bavaria occupied by the forces of Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, he would ultimately make it out of the conflict with more land than he had going in to it. When he passed away in 1651, Bavaria was already well on its way to recovering from the devastation of the war.

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