Which general was assassinated in 1634?

Albrecht von Wallenstein was the general assassinated in 1634. A powerful Bohemian nobleman and military commander, he became the principal commander of the forces serving Emperor Ferdinand II during the Thirty Years’ War.

Wallenstein’s success made him wealthy and influential, but his independence also made the emperor distrust him. After being dismissed and later recalled, he conducted secret negotiations with several sides. Rumors that he intended to defect or force a political settlement led Ferdinand II to declare him a traitor.

On 25 February 1634, officers loyal to the emperor murdered Wallenstein in Eger, now Cheb in the Czech Republic. An Irish officer, Walter Devereux, killed him with a halberd while he was in his quarters. The assassination was part of a wider purge of Wallenstein’s supporters. He is sometimes confused with Gustavus Adolphus, who died in battle at Lützen in 1632, or Johann Tilly, who died after the Battle of Rain in 1632.