The 30 year War

Europe 1600

The Players (Everyoneexcept England))• HRE (Bohemia)--that’s where it starts• Habsburgs- Catholics – • Catholic League of German States• Protestant Union• Denmark• Sweden• France• Spain/Portugal- United under Philip II• Netherlands• Sweden

Defenestration- Phase 1

• HRE Seven Electors– Four Catholic, Three Protestant (2 of whom were

Calvinists) Peace of Augsburg

• Archduke Ferdinand (Habsburg) as King of Bohemia (Habsburg’s gained Hungary and Bohemia in 16C) limits Protestantism

• Retaliation->Protestants toss out Catholic leaders from window->no one dies!

• Bohemians name their own King (Frederick)

Part 2

• Multinational conflict– Ferdinand gets Philip IV (Spain) help—remember

their both Habsurgs and both ardent Catholics!

• Wallenstein- lapsed Protestant helps Ferdinand defeat Bohemians - White Mountain-

• Protestants Crushed!

A not very great Dane! Phase II 1625-1629

• Denmark– Christian IV

• Hanseatic League in decline- focus is more southerly

• Christian IV takes the mantle for Protestantism– Rules a territory w/in HRE– Denmark’s little help- a troop of English and Catholic

France and Dutch provides some $$$• Catholic France helping Protestant Danes???

• Wallenstein defeats Christian IV• More land lost to HRE and Catholicism

A Swede Victory! Phase III 1630-1635

• Gustav II- military genius?• Baltic Power, expand power and defend

Protestantism– Poland/Lithuania falling apart- power vacuum

• France helped defray costs• Swede’s gain->Gustav II dies (Battle of

Lutzen, near Leipzig)• New Treaty->Protestant gains, Swedish gains

Finally its France’s turn (1635-1648)- Phase IV

• France allied w/Dutch and Swedes – Dutch??? New comer on the block

• Swedes and French gain more ground– War becomes more political less religious

• Danes switch sides, fight and lose to Swedes

• Emperor Dies, Richelieu Dies and soon • Cardinal Mazarin (France) begins movement

towards Peace(Hey where’s England in all this stuff?)

Sweden Gets Involved

• 17C Powerhouse– Poland/Lithuania on decline

• Power of the Baltic

– Gustav IV?• Effective King• Saw expansion into mainland Europe- Prussian Ports

– Dies in the Battle of Lutzen– Swedes gain substantial swathes of land

Treaty of WestphaliaSo What’s the Big Deal?

• Conference- w/all participants– Diplomacy previously bilateral– Sovereignty

• Religious Toleration???• HRE lost- still in existence but w/limited meaning• Brandenburg (who?) gains• France gains Alsace- root for lots of fights!• Sweden also gains- Baltic Power• Spain- In significant decline• Dutch gain independence (took 80 YRS!!!)• R.C. Church lost big

Devastating War

• Millions Killed- “Plague Like” ¼ to 1/3 dead—some areas…higher!– Areas tend to be Germanic and Bohemia

• Consolidation? Sort of—350 autonomous areas->about 100

• Empowerment of local nobles and princes, intro&exp. serfdom

• Who benefitted?

Europe mid 17C (for future discussions)

• France – Fronde followed by the Sun King

• Spain – Portugal returns as separate country

• England – Puritan Uprising and a whole lot more!

• Decline HRE-> Itchings of Prussia and Brandenburg-> A Power to Come

• Amsterdam- Economic Powerhouse• Sweden- Political Powerhouse• Russia - Emerging from Chaos• New World Colonized