TheArmy of Alsace was afield army raised by theSpanish Empire in 1633 during theThirty Years' War for the purposes of recoveringAlsace and defending theRhineland and theCounty of Burgundy.[1]
The idea for an army of Alsace originated with theDuke of Feria in November 1632, when he received a request fromIsabella Clara Eugenia, thegovernor of the Habsburg Netherlands, to provide for the defence of the County of Burgundy. Already charged with protecting theMilan–Flanders route for the planned march of the Cardinal-InfanteFerdinand of Austria, wrote to Madrid on 4 February 1633 proposing to raise an army of 15,000 men for service in Germany. This plan was approved, but the duke soon requested an enlargement to 20,000 infantry and 4,000 cavalry. This was approved on 27 March and orders went out on 8 April.[1]
Diplomatically, it was necessary to secure the approval of EmperorFerdinand III, ElectorMaximilian I of Bavaria and GeneralAlbrecht von Wallenstein.[1] On 5 July, with the army almost formed, the emperor, acting on Wallenstein's advice, refused to permit it to operate in Alsace. By mid-August, however, he had been persuaded by Spanish representatives, theCount of Oñate andMarquis of Castañeda, to change his mind and permit the army freedom of operation.[2] The first task of the Army of Alsace would be the relief ofbesieged Breisach.[3]
The Duke of Feria crossed the Alps into Germany with an army of 5,000 infantry and 1,300 cavalry on 5 September. Its financing was secured. On 20 October, it relieved Breisach.[4] As it prepared to winter, it was struck bytyphus. The Duke of Feria died of the disease on 11 February 1634.[5] The army, which had reached a strength 20,000, was reduced to 4,000 and dissolved. It never entered Alsace.[6]