"Wallenstein. 2 (of 2)" by Alfred Döblin is a historical novel written between 1916 and 1919. This epic work spans the Thirty Years' War, from the Catholic League's victory at White Mountain to a fictional death of Emperor Ferdinand II. At its center stands the mercenary leader Wallenstein, a war profiteer who amasses wealth through financial speculation and military enterprise. The novel depicts the psychological deterioration of the melancholic Emperor Ferdinand, who proves unable to harness Wallenstein's power for political purposes, ultimately retreating into resignation as the war consumes all. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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