Matters had now come to such a pass that Matthias was compelled either to bow in humble submission to his brother, or by force of arms to execute his purposes.  With such an alternative he was not a man long to delay his decision.  Still he advanced in his plans, though firmly, with great circumspection.  To gain the Protestants was to gain one half of the physical power of united Austria, and more than one half of its energy and intelligence.  He appointed a rendezvous for his troops at Znaim in Moravia, and while Rhodolph was timidly secluding himself in his palace at Prague, Matthias left Vienna with ten thousand men, and marched to meet them.  He was received by the troops assembled at Znaim with enthusiasm.  Having thus collected an army of twenty-five thousand men, he entered Bohemia.  On the 10th of May, 1608, he reached Craslau, within sixty miles of Prague.  Great multitudes now crowded around him and openly espoused his cause.  He now declared openly and to all, that it was his intention to depose his brother and claim for himself the government of Hungary, Austria and Bohemia.

He then urged his battalions onward, and pressed with rapid march towards Prague.  Rhodolph was now roused to some degree of energy.  He summoned all his supporters to rally around him.  It was a late hour for such a call, but the Catholic nobles generally, all over the kingdom, were instantly in motion.  Many Protestant nobles also attended the assembly, hoping to extort from the emperor some measures of toleration.  The emperor was so frightened that he was ready to promise almost any thing.  He even crept from his secluded apartments and presided over the meeting in person.  The Protestant nobles drew up a paper demanding the same toleration which Maximilian had granted, with the additional permission to build churches and to have their own burying-grounds.  With this paper, to which five or six hundred signatures were attached, they went to the palace, demanded admission to the emperor, and required him immediately to give his assent to them.  It was not necessary for them to add any threat, for the emperor knew that there was an Austrian and Hungarian army within a few hours’ march.

While matters were in this state, commissioners from Matthias arrived to inform the king that he must cede the crown to his brother and retire into the Tyrol.  The emperor, in terror, inquired, “What shall I do?” The Protestants demanded an immediate declaration, either that he would or would not grant their request.  His friends told him that resistance was unavailing, and that he must come to an accommodation.  Still the emperor had now thirty-six thousand troops in and around Prague.  They were, however, inspired with no enthusiasm for his person, and it was quite doubtful whether they would fight.  A few skirmishes took place between the advance guards with such results as to increase Rhodolph’s alarm.