The Thrity Years War
1618-1648
Cause
The Thirty Years War was initially caused by a war between Protestant and Catholic states. Although it grew to a more general conflict involving the great powers of Europe, the war became less religious and more political. When it the war started, the Hapsburg family was aiming to control Europe once again. It then grew to be a war between the Hapsburg empire and the various German states. The war really began as a(n) succession of a dispute. Particularly, the Defenestration of Prague. When Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II of Bohemia tried to restrict the religious activity of his subjects, it sparked rebellion amount the Protestants, with the Defenestration of Prague soon following. So began the first stage of this devastating war, the Bohemian phase.
Course of events
- The Defenestration of Prague-1618: It marked the beginning of the Bohemian phase as well as the Thrity Years War
- The Bohemian Phase- 1618-1625: The Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand II, and the Protestant Elector, Frederick V, lead their armies into battle. The Catholics won and Ferdinand flooded the empire with Spanish troops.
- The Danish Phase- 1625-1629: With Catholicism now closer to their borders, Denmark decides to join the war in order to remain Protestant. Ferdinand II is again appointed the Holy Roman Emporer and he sends Jesuits into the newly taken Germany to gently convert them back to Catholicism. Ferdinand II hires Wallenstein to get a professional army to fight for the Catholics. So the Holy Roman Empire goes to war with Denmark, which is lead by Christian IV, and the Catholics win once again. This time instead of gently converting the Protestants the Holy Roman Empire passed the Edict of Restitution that cancelled out the Peace of Augsburg taking away the freedom of religion.
- The Swedish Phase- 1630-1635: As Catholicism moved even closer to the borders of Sweden, they joined the war. The King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus, wins some victories for Sweden and is starting to slowly win the war when he is killed in battle.
- The Swedish and French Phase-1635-1648: After the death of Adolphus, France started sending money to help Sweden in the on going war. Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII of France's chief minister initiated the help to Sweden because he wanted to weaken the Hapsburg's power. The French, instead of fighting against the troops coming from the Netherlands, started fighting Spain. France wins.
- The Peace of Westphalia-1648: The Peace of Westphalia restored the freedom of religion, freed Sweden from Austria and freed the Netherlands from Spain. The Holy Roman Empire dissolved and Germany stated independent nations.
Key figures
Gustavus Adolphus
Christian IV
Ferdinand II
Wallenstein
Frederick V
Cardinal Richelieu
The outcome
The Thirty Years War ended with the Peace of Westphalia. The Peace of Westphalia granted people the right to choose their own religion. This ended the savage religious conflicts, and left Catholics and Protestants calmed and at peace. The Netherlands gained independence from Spain, France became the preeminent western power, and Sweden gained control of the Baltic. Spain left virtually bankrupt. As a result, the Holy Roman Empire's power dissolved and a new state system emerged. Marking the beginning of "modern Europe."
Summary
The Thirty Years War began with the Defenestration of Prague, which sparked rebellion among Protestants. When the war began, it was a religious conflict between Catholics and Protestants. However, it gradually grew to include the important powers of Europe and became more political. The major powers in the war included Sweden, France, Spain, and Austria. Known for being the most devastating war until that time, many lives were lost. There were four basic stages in the war: the Bohemian stage, the Danish stage, the Swedish phase and the French intervention and Swedish participation phase. The war ended with the treaty of Westphalia. Reshaping the religious and political map of Central Europe, setting the stage for the beginning of "modern Europe."
Main Significance
The Thirty Years War produced a number of effects. It altered Western Europe in religious, social, and political ways. Including the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and the fall of the Hapsburg family. France became the forefront of European commerce pushing out Spain. It allowed the country to obtain prominence because of trade, economics, and politics rather than religious hierarchy. Without the Thirty Years War the balance of power and wealth would be drastically different.