Henry V, Duke of Saxony (Merveilles des Morte)

Henry V
Duke of Saxony
File:Henry V.png
Duke of Saxe-Wittenberg
Reign	1570-1595
Predecessor	Wolfgang I

Henry V was the Duke and Prince-Elector of Saxony and Saxe-Wittenberg, succeeding his father Wolfgang I, Duke of Saxony. His father, only 14 years of age, had conceived him with his 17-year-old mother, and lived to an old age, meaning that Henry V was already almost 70 years old at the time of his accession to the ducal and electoral throne. Nevertheless, he lived almost another two decades, and was the Elector of Saxony of course at the time of the start of the Forty Years' War. He was the oldest of the numerous electors who were responsible for the start of the war. By the time of the election, Henry V was almost blind, completely toothless, but according to contemporaries his mind was as sharp as ever. He concocted various schemes to blow up Catholic electors during the Frankfurter Phase of the War, but most of these were foiled by the city's mayors. He was later a major advocate for war against the Catholics, gathering troops early on. However, while he wanted war, the rest of the country didn't, causing Saxony to be unwittingly timid in the early stages of conflict.