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The Thirty Years War, 1618-48. Europe’s Most Violent Conflict Before the 20 th century. Background. Peace of Augsburg—1555 ( cuius regio, eius religio ) Growth of Calvinism, Protestant Union and Catholic League
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The Thirty Years War, 1618-48 Europe’s Most Violent Conflict Before the 20th century
Background • Peace of Augsburg—1555 (cuius regio, eius religio) • Growth of Calvinism, Protestant Union and Catholic League • Constitutional position of HRE (electors: Mainz, Trier, Cologne [Church states] and Brandenburg, Palatinate, Saxony, Bohemia [swing vote]) • Involvement of outside powers and goals • Conflict between Ferdinand II and Bohemian nobles
Phase I: Bohemian Phase, 1618-25 • Defenestration of Prague (1618) • Defeat of Frederick V of Palatinate at White Mountain • Bavaria and Spain divide electorship • Counter-Reformation in Bohemia and confiscated lands
Phase II: Danish Phase, 1625-29 • Ambitions of Christian IV (Lutheranism and Baltic trade) • Success and motives of Wallenstein (enigmatic “soldier of fortune”) • Edict of Restitution (1629)—fear grows of Habsburgs, Wallenstein dismissed Christian IV, Denmark Abrecht von Wallenstein, Imperial Commander
Phase III: Swedish Phase, 1629-35 • Leadership, tactics, and motives of Gustavus • Battles of Breitenfield and Lutzen (1631) • Swedish advance stopped at Nordlingen (Catholics hold south) • Assassination of Wallenstein • Peace of Prague (1635)
Phase IV: Franco-Swedish Phase, 1635-48 • Goals of Richelieu (raison d’etat) • War of destruction, sack of Magdeburg • Battle of Rocroi ends Spanish military dominance on the continent
Peace of Westphalia, 1648 • Rise of France, Sweden, independence of Swiss/Dutch • Decline of Spain, HRE • Religion and politics divorced (last religious war) • Nation-state becomes primary entity • Destruction in Germany
The Military Revolution • Massed infantry and the volley • Mobile artillery • Dismounted, light cavalry • Growth of state and bureaucracy • Development of absolutism
Assessment • “Morally subversive, economically destructive, socially degrading, confused in its causes, devious in its course, futile in its result, it is the outstanding example in European history of meaningless conflict.”