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The Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648

The Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648. The FIRST continent-wide war in modern history!!!! Culmination of religious wars from the 16 th century!!!! And it ends with . . . Peace of Westphalia: 1648. Why another War?.

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The Thirty Years’ War 1618-1648

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  1. The Thirty Years’ War1618-1648 The FIRST continent-wide war in modern history!!!! Culmination of religious wars from the 16th century!!!! And it ends with . . . Peace of Westphalia: 1648

  2. Why another War? • Peace of Augsburg (1555, princes could choose Catholic or Lutheran) – solved nothing • granted rights to Lutherans, but other Protestant religions left out • an issue for Palatinate Elector = Calvinist • Whose who of Protestantism • majority of 300 German states = Lutheran • Bohemia = Protestant • Austria = supposed to be Catholic, but strong Protestant influence • Swiss = Catholic & Calvinist • Hungary = Protestant • Transylvania = Calvinist

  3. Why another War? • War between emperor and princes • It seems the “emperor” isn’t really an emperor (i.e. no power!), HRE too divided • Instead we have a “Protestant Union”(1608) and a “Catholic League”(1609) determined to hold the other at bay • PU supported by Dutch, English & Henry IV of France • CL founded in Bavaria & backed by Spain • Austrian Habsburgs would like a strong central government (nation-state); must push out Protestantism

  4. Why another War? • Twelve Years’ Truce (Netherlands/Spain) to expire 1621 • Spanish Army still strong although Armada KAPUTT! • Spain wants to control Scheldt River & remove Dutch from East Indies BUT Dutch refuse to leave East Indies & they control Antwerp • Spain wants to expand into the Rhineland & some Swiss cantons BUT French are strongly opposed (again they are protecting the Protestants) • consolidate Habsburgs position in Europe after failure in Netherlands

  5. Other Problems in the HRE • Cultural decline in HRE • Lutherans distrust world outside Germany • decline in university attendance as universities become platform for religious/political reform debates • witch-hunts most prevalent in Eastern Europe • trade in decay due to Dutch control; serfdom alive and well; Commercial Revolution doesn’t effect the middle class in East as in West

  6. What kind of war? • not just a religious war • German civil war of religion • German civil war of constitutional issues • International war between France & Habsburgs, Spain & Dutch, kings of Denmark & Sweden and prince of Transylvanian become involved • all of these groups found allies within Germany • majority of battles fought on German soil • generals were soldiers of fortune with their own designs on land, wealth & power

  7. Four Phases of the War • Bohemian (Czechs) (1618-1625) • Danish (1625-1630) • Swedish (1630-1635) • Swedish-French (1635-1648)

  8. Habsburg Family Tree – Part II Maximilian I (1493-1519) Philip___________La Loca Charles V (Sp/HRE) Ferdinand I (1516-1556) (1556-1564) HRE Philip II (Sp) (1556-1598) Maximilian II Charles of Styria Philip III (Sp) (1564-1576) (1598-1621) Rudolf II Matthias Ferdinand II (1576-1612) (1612-1619) (1619-1637) RII & M = kings of Hungary, Bohemia/ FII = king of Bohemia

  9. Phase I: Bohemian Phase 1618-1625 • HRE – Matthias (Ferdinand’s grdson) dying, successor to Empire • Logical choice: cousin, Ferdinand II • BUT electors are mainly Protestant and Ferdinand is Catholic • Ferdinand ALSO king of Bohemia! • Bohemians (Czechs / Germans) – together with Slovaks = mainly Protestant vs. Catholic king

  10. Bohemia revolts • Defenestration of Prague: Mathias’ reps thrown out the window (land on dung) • Mathias send in troops to restore order & is deposed • Mathias dies & Ferdinand II should reign • Bohemians elect “Frederick of the Palatinate” • So War: Ferdinand and Catholic League vs. Frederick and Protestant Union • Ferdinand crowned as HRE and defeats Frederick at Battle of White Mountain 1620

  11. Outcomes of Phase I • Spain dig-in in Rhineland; prepare to take on French and Dutch • Ferdinand II gets elected king of Bohemia & confiscates 50% of nobles’ estates • some goes to churches, monasteries & orders • some goes to mercenaries = new aristocracy • Jesuits re-Catholicize Bohemia • missions, schools, court proceedings, executions • Protestantism expunged in Austria • Protestant Union dissolved in 1621

  12. Phase II:Danish Phase 1625-1630 Danish Lutherans vs. Habsburg power! • Denmark’s King Christian IV (a.k.a. Duke of Holstein) vs. Ferdinand II • religious as well as political agenda • some Dutch, English, French backing • Ferdinand wins under gen. Wallenstein who plunders Germany and Danes (Spanish cousins of HRE help) • Wallenstein actually reaches Baltic & Danish Pen.

  13. Results of Phase II • Germany is completely engulfed by the Counter Reformation • Palatinate, northern Lutheran states, Bohemia & Austria = re-Catholicized • 1629 HRE issues “Edict of Restitution”: All Catholic states pre Peace of Augsburg (1555) are restored as Catholic

  14. Results of Phase II • Terror sweeps Germany, France, Denmark & Sweden • Germans fear for Protestantism • as do Danish, who are also dealing with Wallenstein • French (Richelieu) dealing with internal conflicts, can’t take Ferdinand II alone, so... • engage Swedes, by ending their conflict with Poland and paying them 1 million livre/year for 40,000 troops (Dutch pay 50,000 florins a month)

  15. Phase III:Swedish 1630-1635 • Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus: great ruler • united Sweden • conducted overseas operations • increased land holdings bu acquiring areas of Poland & Russia • creates Europes most modern army • 1630 lands in Germany to take over fight for Protestantism • in the meantime...Richelieu has turned Catholic states against FII (fear of centralization)

  16. Phase III – Swedish 1630-1635 • Glorious Victories (military backing from Saxony) • 1631 Breitenfeld • 1632 Lützen (GA dies in battle) • Oxenstierna (GA’s Chancellor) picks up fight • penetrates Bohemia as far south as the Danube • Internal Discord • Wallenstein upset with power of Spanish and gives up fight; begins private peace talks with Swedes & Saxons; assassinated by one of his own

  17. Phase III – Swedish 1630-1635 • Internal Discord (con’t.) • Saxons (ind. of Swedes) enter into talks w/ Emperor • 1635 Peace of Prague: annuls Edict of Restitution, many other German states sign treaty & pull support of Swedes • Swedes left isolated in Germany • French/Spanish not ready to give

  18. Phase IV: French-Swedish /International Phase 1635-1648 • Richelieu not happy the Habsburgs won again … so … he declares war on Spain (Habsburg – Philip IV – helping HRE)! • Portugal & Catalonia declare independence from Sp. • Netherlands, Savoy also enter on Swedish side! • Battles go both ways, Richelieu, Ferdinand II, Louis XIII, Wallenstein all die early 1640’s • Germany grows to resent this foreign invasion • Exhaustion – and Peace of Westphalia 1648

  19. And the final results??? • Germany devastated! Some areas 2/3 population dead • HRE once a leader – now stagnates • borderlands fall away, Netherlands & Switzerland no longer belong; • no laws may be made, taxes levied, soldiers recruited, war waged or peace treaty signed without approval of imperial estates • Germany sinks back into “feudal chaos” – 300 independent states (Staatensystem) • Habsburgs weakened – • Austria losses power over HRE • Spain losses United Provinces, Portugal & Catalonia • Europe enters “Balance of Power” • Religious Wars END!!! = permanent split in Christendom • FRANCE begins to rise!

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