The Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War
1618 to 1648
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2022 - 2023
Contents
1 Introduction
2 beginnings
3 Causes of war
4 phases of the war
5 peace of westphalia in 1648
6 war results
7 conclusion
8 RECURSOS
Introduction
The Thirty Years' War was a major

European conflict that lasted from 1618
to 1648. It involved a complex series of
political, religious, and economic issues,
and it had a significant impact on the
history of Europe.
01
beginnings
8 million people were killed, higher compared to the
population than the death toll in World War II,
It is the last bitter Christian religious war in Europe. This
conflict was actually a series of wars, which began as a
civil war between Protestants and Roman Catholics in the
German states. Christianity is the first casualty of the war.
Causes of war
The main reason for the war was the inherent hostility between German Protestants
and German Catholics. The two groups differed in their interpretation of the Peace of
Augsburg (1555 AD), whose purpose was to settle the religious issue in Germany. The
two groups broke the peace. In addition, the Peace of Augsburg recognized only
Catholics and Lutherans and there were many Calvinists in southern Germany who
also demanded their recognition.
phases of the war
The war can be divided into four main phases.
bohemian period Swedish period
1618-1625 1625-1630 1630-1640 1640-1648
Danish period French Swedish period

bohemian period
The spark that ignited the war was triggered when the Archbishop of Prague ordered the
destruction of a Protestant church. The people, angry, turned to Emperor Matthias, who ignored
their protest. The event that marked the actual beginning of the Thirty Years' War is known in
history as the Throwing out of the Window in Prague.
"It was an ancient custom of people in Bohemia to punish guilty employees by throwing them out
of a window."
The revolted Protestants punished two of their ruler's ministers in this way. The civil war began
in Bohemia and spread throughout Western Europe.
Protestants in Bohemia deposed the Catholic king, Ferdinand, and chose Frederick the Protestant,
ruler of the Palatine State, in his stead.
This defeat cost the Bohemians their independence. So put down the Protestant revolution and
Catholicism became the official religion of the state again.
Danish period
After the defeat of Bohemia, the Protestant countries began to realize the
danger of the Catholics. The Protestant King of Denmark, Christian IV,
intercepted Frederick's forces in Saxony, with the help of several other
states. But the emperor had unexpected help from General Albrecht, who
had a great army of mercenary soldiers and adventurers.
. In the end, Christian IV signed the Treaty of Luebeck (1629 AD) and
withdrew from Saxony. In the meantime, the emperor had issued a decree
to restore the property, and this document stipulated that all church
property seized by the Protestants be returned to the Catholics.
The decree thus added a new source of contention in Germany.
Swedish period
After that, the Swedish king, Gustavus Adolfs, who was known as the Lion of the North,
entered the war. He had two reasons for entering the conflict. He was deeply devoted to the
Protestant cause, and had ambitions for Sweden, ambitions which would be in danger if
Ferdinand became too powerful. Thus, for the first time, a political issue was involved in the
war.
In 1630 AD, Gustavus Adolfs sailed from Sweden with 13,000 men, and the army of the King of
Sweden was one of the best trained and disciplined armies in Europe.
Wallenstein's army met the Swedish forces in the famous Battle of Lützen (1632 AD).
The Swedes were victorious, but Gustavus Adolfs was killed in the battle. The Swedes
continued to fight until 1634 AD, when their army was destroyed in the Battle of Nordlingen.
The emperor suspected Wallenstein of negotiating with the Protestants and ordered his
arrest. Wallenstein tried to escape, but he was assassinated.
The Swedish-French period
At this point, the war had completely lost its religious character and had become
purely political, and Cardinal Richelieu, who was the de facto ruler of France,
decided to block the growing influence of the Habsburgs by intervening on the
side of the Protestants. The war became a struggle between the French Bourbons
and the Austrian Habsburgs and in 1635 Richelieu sent a French army into
Germany, which was joined by a new Swedish army. The Protestants and their
French allies had excellent leaders
The French and Swedish armies scored a long series of victories, which gave the
Protestants living in Germany new hope.
02
peace of westphalia
in 1648
The German people suffered several years of misery and deprivation due to the
Thirty Years' War. In 1644 AD, European countries sent representatives to hold a
peace conference. The Catholic and Protestant delegations met separately in two
different cities in Westphalia.
The negotiations lasted four years until the Peace of Westphalia was signed in
1648 AD.
By this treaty, France gained Alsace-Lorraine, Sweden controlled the mouths of
the Oder, Elbe, and Weser rivers, and placed Calvinism on an equal footing with
Catholicism and Lutheranism.
war results
The Thirty Years' War had a profound impact on Europe. It caused widespread
devastation, including the loss of up to a third of the population of some German
states. It also led to major changes in the political and religious landscape of
Europe, including the establishment of the principle of state sovereignty and the
end of the Holy Roman Empire as a major political entity.
Entire towns, villages, and farms disappeared and most of the property was
destroyed. The arts, sciences, commerce, and industry declined, which required
Germany about two hundred years to recover from the effects of the Thirty Years'
War. Thousands of people left Europe, especially Germany
The war also contributed to the rise of France as the dominant European power, as
well as the emergence of a new system of European diplomacy based on the
balance of power.
conclusion
the Thirty Years' War was a complex and
devastating conflict that had
significant long-term consequences for
Europe. It demonstrated the dangers of
religious and political extremism, and it
paved the way for a new era of European
diplomacy and international relations.
RECURSOS
1) "The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy" by Peter H. Wilson (2009)
2) "The Thirty Years War" by C.V. Wedgwood (1938)
3) "The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook" edited by Peter H. Wilson (2010)
4) "Europe's Tragedy: A New History of the Thirty Years War" by Peter H. Wilson (2009)
5) "The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy" by Geoffrey Parker (1997)
6) "The Thirty Years War: A Brief History" by Peter Englund (2012)
7) "The Thirty Years War: A Military History" by Frederick Schiller (1791)
8) "The Thirty Years War: The Holy Roman Empire and Europe, 1618-48" by Robert Bireley (2005)
THANKS!
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The Thirty Years' War

4 phases of the war

5 peace of westphalia in 1648

The Thirty Years' War was a major

bohemian period Swedish period

1618-1625 1625-1630 1630-1640 1640-1648

Danish period French Swedish period

2) "The Thirty Years War" by C.V. Wedgwood (1938)

3) "The Thirty Years War: A Sourcebook" edited by Peter H. Wilson (2010)

5) "The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy" by Geoffrey Parker (1997)

6) "The Thirty Years War: A Brief History" by Peter Englund (2012)

7) "The Thirty Years War: A Military History" by Frederick Schiller (1791)

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