Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand (also known as Don Fernando de Austria, Cardenal-Infante Fernando de España and as Ferdinand von Österreich; May 1609 or 1610^[a] – 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.

His Eminence Infante Ferdinand
Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria in Portico
Portrait by Anthony van Dyck, 1634
Church	Roman 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
Govermental 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

Biography

Youth

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.

Events leading to the Battle of Nördlingen

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.

Battle of Nördlingen

Main article: Battle of Nördlingen (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 Spanish Netherlands

 

Archduke Ferdinand in 1635 depicted by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. Collection of John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

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.

 

Coat of Arms of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain.

 

"Ferdinand Receives the Keys of the City from the Virgin of Ghent", print after a painting made by Antoon van den Heuvel for the Joyous Entry by the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand into Ghent in 1635

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.^[4][5] 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.^[6]

In 1638, Ferdinand's army successfully defended Antwerp, Saint-Omer and Geldern from the Dutch and French armies.^[7] 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".^[8]

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.^[9] 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.^[9]

In 1640, Dutch attacks on Hulst and Bruges were repelled by the local Spanish garrisons under the Cardinal-Infante.^[10] 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.^[11]

 

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria as Actaeon by Diego Velázquez

Fall from grace

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.

Battles

Ferdinand was never heavily invested in religion, he was forced into the role under the wish of his father, Philip III, as a Spanish tradition of sending one son to the church. He was essentially good at anything else but religion.^{[12][page needed]} It was during his short yet highly successful military career that he was finally able to achieve the military glory he was longing for. He was highly 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.^[12] Many contemporary sources consider him as the last great general of the Spanish Empire.^{[1][page needed]} Provided below is the list of battles recorded on Wikipedia in which 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	Prince 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
20–22 June 1638	Battle of Kallo	Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand	William of Nassau-Siegen	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

Death

Ferdinand fell ill during battles in 1641 and died on 9 November 1641 in Brussels at age 32.^[13] 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 poems and many other historical accounts 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.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria

16. Philip I of Castile^[20] (= 24) 8. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor^[16] (= 22) 17. Joanna I of Castile^[20] (= 25) 4. Philip II of Spain^[14] 18. Manuel I of Portugal^[21] 9. Isabella of Portugal^[16] (= 23) 19. Maria of Aragon^[21] 2. Philip III of Spain 20. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor^[22] (= 12, 30) 10. Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor^[17] 21. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary^[22] (= 13, 31) 5. Anna of Austria^[14] (≠ 15) 22. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor^[23] (= 8) 11. Maria of Austria^[17] 23. Isabella of Portugal^[23] (= 9) 1. Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand 24. Philip I of Castile^[24]^[20] (= 16) 12. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor^[18] (= 20, 30) 25. Joanna I of Castile^[20] (= 17) 6. Charles II, Archduke of Inner Austria^[15] 26. Vladislaus II of Hungary and Bohemia^[25] 13. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary^[18] (= 21, 31) 27. Anne of Foix-Candale^[25] 3. Margaret of Austria 28. William IV, Duke of Bavaria^[26] 14. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria^[19] 29. Marie of Baden-Sponheim^[26] 7. Maria Anna of Bavaria^[15] 30. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor^[27] (= 12, 20) 15. Anna of Austria^[19] (≠ 5) 31. Anne of Bohemia and Hungary^[27] (= 13, 21)

Male-line family tree

Habsburg
^[n 1]  Original line  /  Albertinian line  /  Leopoldian line   Max and Philip line  /  Spanish / Iberian line  /  Austrian / HRE line  Albert Count of Habsburg (c. 1188–1239) Rudolf I of Germany (c. 1218–1291) Albert I of Germany (1255–1308) Hartmann (1263–1281) Rudolf II Duke of Austria (1270–1290) Rudolf I of Bohemia (1281–1307) Frederick the Fair (c. 1289–1330) Leopold I Duke of Austria (1290–1326) Albert II Duke of Austria (1298–1358) Henry the Friendly (1299–1327) Otto Duke of Austria (1301–1339) John Parricida (c. 1290–1312/13) Rudolf IV Duke of Austria (1339–1365) Frederick III Duke of Austria (1347–1362) Albert III Duke of Austria (1349–1395) Leopold III Duke of Austria (1351–1386) Frederick II Duke of Austria (1327–1344) Leopold II Duke of Austria (1328–1344) Albert IV Duke of Austria (1377–1404) William Duke of Austria (c. 1370–1406) Leopold IV Duke of Austria (1371–1411) Ernest Duke of Austria (1377–1424) Frederick IV Duke of Austria (1382–1439) Albert II of Germany (1397–1439) Frederick III HRE (1415–1493) Albert VI Archduke of Austria (1418–1463) Sigismund Archduke of Austria (1427–1496) Ladislaus the Posthumous (1440–1457) Maximilian I HRE (1459–1519) Philip I of Castile (1478–1506) Charles V HRE (1500–1558) Ferdinand I HRE (1503–1564) Philip II of Spain (1527–1598) Maximilian II HRE (1527–1576) Ferdinand II Archduke of Austria (1529–1595) Charles II Archduke of Austria (1540–1590) Carlos Prince of Asturias (1545–1568) Philip III of Spain (1578–1621) Rudolf II HRE (1552–1612) Ernest of Austria (1553–1595) Matthias HRE (1557–1619) Maximilian III Archduke of Austria (1558–1618) Albert VII Archduke of Austria (1559–1621) Wenceslaus Archduke of Austria (1561–1578) Andrew Margrave of Burgau (1558–1600) Charles Margrave of Burgau (1560–1618) Ferdinand II HRE (1578–1637) Maximilian Ernest of Austria (1583–1616) Leopold V Archduke of Austria (1586–1632) Charles of Austria (1590–1624) Philip IV of Spain (1605–1665) Charles of Austria (1607–1632) Ferdinand of Austria (1609–1641) John-Charles of Austria (1605–1619) Ferdinand III HRE (1608–1657) Leopold Wilhelm of Austria (1614–1662) Ferdinand Charles Archduke of Austria (1628–1662) Sigismund Francis Archduke of Austria (1630–1665) Balthasar Charles Prince of Asturias (1629–1646) Charles II of Spain (1661–1700) Ferdinand IV King of the Romans (1633–1654) Leopold I HRE (1640–1705) Charles Joseph of Austria (1649–1664) Joseph I HRE (1678–1711) Charles VI HRE (1685–1740)
Notes: "Habsburg family tree". Habsburg family website. 28 October 2023. Retrieved 28 October 2023.

Notes

1. Conflicting sources of his birth. Dates given are 16 May 1609 and 24 May 1610

References

Citations

1. Benavides López-Escobar 2021.
2. Parker & Adams 1984, p. 292.
3. Zimmerman 1899, p. 166.
4. Van Nimwegen 2010, pp. 254–255.
5. 't Hart 2014, p. 27
6. Thion 2008, p. 23.
7. González de León 2009, p. 235.
8. Israel 1997, p. 83.
9. Van Nimwegen 2010, p. 260
10. Guthrie 2007, p. 168.
11. Maffi 2014, p. 36.
12. De Aedo Y Gallart 1635
13. Griffis 1919, p. 231.
14. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Philipp III." . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 120 – via Wikisource.
15. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Margaretha (Königin von Spanien)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 13 – via Wikisource.
16. Kurth, Godefroid (1911). "Philip II" . In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 12. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
17. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Anna von Oesterreich (Königin von Spanien)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6. p. 151 – via Wikisource.
18. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Karl II. von Steiermark" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6. p. 352 – via Wikisource.
19. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria von Bayern" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 20 – via Wikisource.
20. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor at the Encyclopædia Britannica
21. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Elisabeth (Isabella von Portugal)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6. p. 169 – via Wikisource.
22. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maximilian II." . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 103 – via Wikisource.
23. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1861). "Habsburg, Maria von Spanien" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 7. p. 19 – via Wikisource.
24. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor at the Encyclopædia Britannica
25. Obermayer-Marnach, Eva (1953), "Anna Jagjello", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 1, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, p. 299; (full text online)
26. Goetz, Walter (1953), "Albrecht V.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 1, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 158–160; (full text online)
27. Wurzbach, Constantin von, ed. (1860). "Habsburg, Anna von Oesterreich (1528–1587)" . Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich [Biographical Encyclopedia of the Austrian Empire] (in German). Vol. 6. p. 151 – via Wikisource.

Sources

• 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.

External links

 

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

• Marek, Miroslav. "Genealogy". Genealogy.EU.
• WER war WER - im Dreißigjährigen Krieg
• Enrique Garcia-Herraiz:Un nuevo retrato del Cardenal Infante don Fernando, conmemorando la victoria de Nördlingen

Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria House of Habsburg Born: 16 May 1609 Died: 9 November 1641
Government offices
Preceded by The Duke of Feria	Governor of the Duchy of Milan 1633–1634	Succeeded by Cardinal Gil de Albornoz
Preceded by Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia	Governor of the Habsburg Netherlands 1634–1641	Succeeded by The Marquis of Terceira
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bernardo de Sandoval y Rojas as Archbishop	Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Toledo 1620–1641	Succeeded by Gaspar de Borja y Velasco as Archbishop