The duke now pushed on towards Vienna, and captured Straubing and
Plattling. John of Werth, who was posted here, not being strong
enough to dispute the passage of the Isar, fell back towards the
Bohemian frontier, hoping to meet the troops which the emperor had
urged Wallenstein to send to his aid, but which never came. Duke
Bernhard crossed the Isar unopposed, and on the 12th came within
sight of Passau.
So far Wallenstein had not moved; he had seemed to comply with the
emperor's request to save Ratisbon, but had seemed only, and had
not set a man in motion to reinforce John of Werth. He refused,
in fact, to fritter away his army. Had he sent Gallas with 12,000
men to join John of Werth, and had their united forces been, as was
probable, attacked and defeated by the Swedes, Wallenstein would
have been too weak to save the empire. Keeping his army strong he
had the key of the position in his hands.
He had fixed upon Passau as the point beyond which Duke Bernhard
should not be allowed to advance, and felt that should he attack
that city he and his army were lost. In front of him was the Inn,
a broad and deep river protected by strongly fortified places;
behind him John of Werth, a bitterly hostile country, and the river
Isar. On his left would be Wallenstein himself marching across the
Bohemian forest. When, therefore, he learned that Duke Bernhard
was hastening on from the Isar towards Passau he put his army in
motion and marched southward, so as to place himself in the left
rear of the duke.
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