Winner of the 2023 Society for Army Historical Research Templer Medal The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) was a significant and traumatic event in the history of Europe. Based upon original archival research conducted across European archives, this book discusses both the successes and failures of the early Stuarts’ foreign policy. It sheds new light on the Spanish match, reassesses the military capacity of the Stuart state in the run up to the Civil War and fundamentally challenges the idea that there was little or no engagement by England with the Thirty Years’ War. The SAHR awarding committee praised the volume as ‘An original and ground breaking study of the contribution of English soldiers to the conflicts in Europe between 1618 and 1648, both as members of state-sponsored expeditions and also as mercenaries. Based on extensive and impressive research in archives in Britain, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, it is particularly significant for showing the importance of continental military experience prior to 1642 as a basis for soldiering in the British Civil Wars.’ Official SAHR announcement .