This ended with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia.[18]. This view is widely accepted by modern historians, although debate continues over the extent to which it was a European rather than German conflict, and the accuracy of the title 'Thirty Years'. A specially designed Malefizhaus, or 'crime house', was erected containing a torture chamber, whose walls were adorned with Bible verses, where the accused were interrogated. While less than 2% of the total French state budget, it made up over 25% of the Swedish, and allowed Gustavus to support an army of 36,000. [120], By modern standards, the number of soldiers involved was relatively low; most battles were fought by opposing forces of around 13,000 to 20,000, the largest being Alte Veste in 1632, which featured a combined total of 70,000 - 85,000. [97], Turenne, French commander in the Rhineland, was ordered to attack the Spanish Netherlands but the plan fell apart when his mostly German troops mutinied. [34], Thurn established a new government, and the conflict expanded into Silesia and the Habsburg heartlands of Lower and Upper Austria, where much of the nobility was also Protestant. I cant find it in my book gaaah :S [49] In 1621, Hamburg accepted Danish 'supervision', while his son Frederick became joint-administrator of Lübeck, Bremen, and Verden; possession ensured Danish control of the Elbe and Weser rivers. In fact, almost all of the powerful countries in Europe were involved in the war. The conflict lasted, unceasing, for 30 years, making it the longest continuous war in modern history. With the exception of the 1639 to 1642 Piedmontese Civil War, this secured the French position in Northern Italy for the next twenty years. For the outbreak of the war the deepening crisis of the Holy Roman Empire was of crucial importance. [134], Contemporaries spoke of a 'frenzy of despair' as people sought to make sense of the turmoil and hardship unleashed by the war. In all these areas, war, famine and disease inflicted severe losses on local populations. [92], Ferdinand restarted peace talks in November, but his position worsened when Gallas' army disintegrated; the remnants retreated into Bohemia, where they were scattered by Torstenson at Jankau in March 1645. [69] He won major victories at Breitenfeld in September 1631, then Rain in April 1632, where Tilly was killed. [75] In the March 1636 Treaty of Wismar, France formally joined the Thirty Years War in alliance with Sweden; a Swedish army under Johan Banér entered Brandenburg and re-established their position in North-East Germany at Wittstock on 4 October 1636. [117], It has been argued the Peace established the principle known as Westphalian sovereignty, the idea of non-interference in domestic affairs by outside powers, although this has since been challenged. When Frederick refused to admit defeat, the war expanded into the Palatinate, whose strategic importance drew in external powers, notably the Dutch Republic and Spain. [143], By laying the foundations of the modern nation state, Westphalia changed the relationship of subjects and their rulers. Omissions? In May 1625, the Lower Saxony kreis elected Christian their military commander, although not without resistance; Saxony and Brandenburg viewed Denmark and Sweden as competitors, and wanted to avoid either becoming involved in the Empire. [33], Ferdinand reconfirmed Protestant religious freedoms when elected king of Bohemia in May 1617, but his record in Styria led to the suspicion he was only awaiting a chance to overturn them. [26], Frederick IV now formed the Protestant Union, largely composed of states in Southern Germany, to which Maximilian responded by setting up the Catholic League in July 1609. They offered the Crown to the Protestant Frederick V of the Palatinate, who accepted, but most German princes refused to support him, and by early 1620 the Bohemian Revolt had been suppressed. It is considered to be one of the most devastating wars in Europe. [80] Cutting the Spanish Road had forced Madrid to resupply their armies in Flanders by sea and in October 1639 a large Spanish convoy was destroyed at the Battle of the Downs. It … It was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, resulting in millions of casualties. 17th century Europe was a highly structured and socially conservative society, and their lack of enthusiasm was due to the implications of removing a legally elected ruler, regardless of religion. What were long-term causes of the 30 years war? By weakening the Habsburgs while increasing the status of France and Sweden, it led to a new balance of power on the continent. They included separation of the Spanish and Austrian Habsburgs, expansion of the French frontier into the Empire, and an end to Spanish military supremacy in Northern Europe. [40], By abandoning Frederick, the German princes hoped to restrict the dispute to Bohemia, but Maximilian's dynastic ambitions made this impossible. [116], The settlement failed to achieve its stated intention of achieving a 'universal peace'. Ferdinand resisted signing until the last possible moment, doing so on 24 October only after a crushing French victory over Spain at Lens, and with Swedish troops on the verge of taking Prague. After the war ended Onoda spent 29 years hiding out in the Philippines until his former commander travelled from … It was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. It is notorious for the number of casualties the war produced on the side of the civilians as well as the destruction of the area on which the war was conducted (which is now Germany).. [38], On 19 August, the Bohemian Estates rescinded Ferdinand's 1617 election as king, and on 26th, formally offered the crown to Frederick instead; two days later, Ferdinand was elected Emperor, making war inevitable if Frederick accepted. The main objective was to gain as much loot as possible before the war ended; they failed to take the Old Town but captured the Imperial library, along with treasures including the Codex Gigas, now in Stockholm. [125] Poor harvests throughout the 1630s and repeated plundering of the same areas led to widespread famine; contemporaries record people eating grass, or too weak to accept alms, while instances of cannibalism were common. [99] Outnumbered by a Franco-Swedish army under Wrangel and Turenne, they were defeated at Zusmarshausen in May 1648, while von Holzappel was killed. [137], Elsewhere, persecution followed Imperial military success, expanding into Baden and the Palatinate following their reconquest by Tilly, then into the Rhineland. [132], The breakdown of social order caused by the war was often more significant and longer lasting than the immediate damage. The principal battlefield for all these intermittent conflicts was the towns and principalities of Germany, which suffered severely. [148] It created the outlines of a Europe that persisted until 1815 and beyond; the nation-state of France, the beginnings of a unified Germany and separate Austro-Hungarian bloc, a diminished but still significant Spain, independent smaller states like Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland, along with a Low Countries split between the Dutch Republic and what became Belgium in 1830. The Thirty Years' War was fought from 1618 until 1648. There were wide regional variations; in the Duchy of Württemberg, the number of inhabitants fell by nearly 60%. No one expected it to last three decades. (history documentary)", "The 30 Years' War (1618–48) and the Second Defenestration of Prague – Professor Peter Wilson", Dechristianization of France during the French Revolution, Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Prayer of Consecration to the Sacred Heart, Persecutions of the Catholic Church and Pius XII, Pope Pius XII Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, International Alliance of Catholic Knights, Political influence of Evangelicalism in Latin America, Architecture of cathedrals and great churches, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thirty_Years%27_War&oldid=1008423919, 17th-century military history of the Kingdom of England, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with KULTURNAV identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, The Thirty Years' War is briefly referenced in the survival horror game. Appointed to rule the Duchy of Styria in 1595, within eighteen months he eliminated Protestantism in what was previously a stronghold of the Reformation. France was now the chief Western power. The armies of both sides plundered as they marched, leaving cities, towns, villages, and farms ravaged. We are often told that ‘total war’ is a sad product of the modern, industrial age. Mazarin insisted on excluding the Burgundian Circle from the treaty of Münster, allowing France to continue its campaign against Spain in the Low Countries, a war that continued until the 1659 Treaty of the Pyrenees. The income from their imperial possessions remained in Germany and did not benefit the kingdom of Sweden; although they retained Swedish Pomerania until 1815, much of it was ceded to Prussia in 1679 and 1720. [88], By now, the devastation inflicted by 25 years of warfare meant all armies spent more time foraging than fighting. - Politics were more important in determining the outcome of the war. These concerns were exacerbated when a series of legal disputes over property were all decided in favour of the Catholic Church. The Swedish force only entered the Thirty Year’s War 12 years after it began to side with the Protestants;yet history reveals that Sweden was the most successful of all countries involved and had killed about half of the Roman Empire’s national army, that is about 100 000 men. The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) was a massive and deadly conflict that eventually involved most of Europe. The 30 Years’ War was a global war. [128], In 1940, agrarian historian Günther Franz published Der Dreissigjährige Krieg und das Deutsche Volk, a detailed analysis of regional data from across Germany; membership of the Nazi Party meant his objectivity was challenged post-1945, but recent reviews support his general findings. Backed by French subsidies, the Swedes and their German allies won a series of victories over Imperial forces, although Gustavus was killed in 1632. In July 1620, the Protestant Union proclaimed its neutrality, while John George of Saxony agreed to back Ferdinand in return for Lusatia, and a promise to safeguard the rights of Lutherans in Bohemia. Hiroo Onoda (Japanese: 小野田 寛郎, Hepburn: Onoda Hiroo, 19 March 1922 – 16 January 2014) was an Imperial Japanese Army intelligence officer who fought in World War II and was a Japanese holdout who did not surrender at the war's end in August 1945. This threw them on the countryside for their supplies, and thus began the “wolf-strategy” that typified this war. The advance quickly fell apart; Mansfeld was defeated at Dessau Bridge in April, and when Maurice refused to support him, Christian of Brunswick fell back on Wolfenbüttel, where he died of disease shortly after. Thirty Years’ War, (1618–48), in European history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. [67], However, once again Richelieu provided the requisite support; in the 1631 Treaty of Bärwalde, he provided funds for the Heilbronn League, a Swedish-led coalition of German Protestant states, including Saxony and Brandenburg. The Habsburg heir Archduke Ferdinand first required the return of all property taken from the Catholic church since 1552, rather than leaving the courts to decide case by case as previously. Two Roman Catholic armies, the emperor’s and the League’s, converged on the kingdom, routing Frederick at the White Mountain in November 1620 and replacing the regime of the estates in Bohemia…, In 1620, following the defeat of Frederick V (the elector palatine, or prince, from the Rhineland who had accepted the crown of Bohemia when it was offered to him in 1618) and the Bohemians, Spanish troops from the Netherlands entered the “Winter…. Only in the relatively minor Mantuan episode did France have any military involvement but this was short-lived and did not involve the major European powers. The Thirty Years' War was fought from 1618 until 1648. [111] The Dutch were also given a monopoly over trade conducted through the Scheldt estuary, confirming the commercial ascendancy of Amsterdam; Antwerp, capital of the Spanish Netherlands and previously the most important port in Northern Europe, would not recover until the late 19th century. Gustavus Adolphus despatched several thousand Scots and Swedish troops under Alexander Leslie to Stralsund, who was appointed governor. Sweden had control of the Baltic. The French candidate, Charles I Gonzaga, was confirmed as Duke of Mantua; although Richelieu's representative, Cardinal Mazarin, agreed to evacuate Pinerolo, it was later secretly returned under an agreement with Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy. The chief agents of the Counter-Reformation were similarly split, the Jesuits generally backing Austria, the Capuchins France. [28], Outside powers became involved in an internal German dispute due to the imminent expiry of the 1609 Twelve Years' Truce, which suspended the war between Spain and the Dutch. [135] They originated in the Bishopric of Würzburg, an area with a history of such events going back to 1616 and now re-ignited by Bishop von Ehrenberg, a devout Catholic eager to assert the church's authority in his territories. This included ambitious Imperial states like Lutheran Saxony and Catholic Bavaria, as well as France, which faced Habsburg territories on its borders in Flanders, Franche-Comté, and the Pyrenees. [30], Another was Frederick V, Elector Palatine, who succeeded his father in 1610, and in 1613 married Elizabeth Stuart, daughter of James I of England. In fact, the year 2018 also marks the anniversary of two interconnected events that changed European and world history forever. On 5 November, news arrived that Ferdinand had signed peace treaties with France and Sweden on 24 October, ending the war. By 1618, Europe was drifting into the generalized crisis that became the Thirty Years’ War. By the time he died in 1631, over 900 people from all levels of society had been executed. [87] Richelieu died in December 1642, followed by Louis XIII on 14 May 1643, leaving the five-year-old Louis XIV as king. Beginning in 1618, this period ended with the Peace of Prague in 1635. In return, Ferdinand made concessions to Spain in Northern Italy and Alsace, and agreed to support their offensive against the Dutch. [95], This allowed the Swedes, now led by Wrangel, to put pressure on the peace talks by devastating first Westphalia, then Bavaria; by the autumn of 1646, Maximilian was desperate to end the war he was largely responsible for starting. By 1623, Spanish-Imperial forces had defeated Frederick, who was stripped of his possessions and exiled. [64] The 1632 to 1634 Smolensk War is considered a separate but related part of the Thirty Years' War. [19], After 1560, the Protestant cause was divided by the growth of Calvinism, a Reformed faith not recognised by Augsburg; Lutheran states like Saxony viewed Calvinists in the Palatinate and Brandenburg with mistrust, paralysing Imperial institutions. [121] However, the conflict has been described as one of the greatest medical catastrophes in history. [107], In 1580, Philip II of Spain became ruler of the Portuguese Empire, and the 1602 to 1663 Dutch–Portuguese War began as an offshoot of the Dutch fight for independence from Spain. This agreement was gradually undermined by political and religious tensions, and in 1618 the Protestant-dominated Bohemian Estates deposed the Catholic Ferdinand II as King of Bohemia. Brandenburg-Prussia received Farther Pomerania, and the bishoprics of Magdeburg, Halberstadt, Kammin, and Minden. [89] The French also had to rebuild their army in Germany after it was shattered by an Imperial-Bavarian force led by Franz von Mercy at Tuttlingen in November. [48], As Duke of Holstein, Christian IV was also a member of the Lower Saxon circle, while Denmark's economy relied on the Baltic trade and tolls from traffic through the Øresund. The Thirty Years’ War was a European continental war that took place from 1618-1648 (thirty years!). These diaries can be viewed (in German) at: This page was last edited on 23 February 2021, at 06:56. In the October 1619 Treaty of Munich, Ferdinand agreed to transfer the Palatinate's electoral vote to Bavaria and allow him to annex the Upper Palatinate. [141] A scathing condemnation of the trials, Cautio Criminalis, was written by professor and poet Friedrich Spee, himself a Jesuit and former "witch confessor". [147], While differences over religion remained an issue throughout the 17th century, it was the last major war in Continental Europe in which it can be said to be a primary driver; later conflicts were either internal, such as the Camisards revolt in South-Western France, or relatively minor like the 1712 Toggenburg War. Soldiers devastated one area before moving on, leaving large tracts of land empty of people and changing the eco-system. The Thirty Years War The Protestant Reformation brought about almost 150 years of religious conflict in Western Europe, despite efforts to ease tensions, such as the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. Possession of these fortresses gave France effective control of Piedmont, protected the Alpine passes into Southern France, and allowed them to threaten Milan at will. He concluded "about 40% of the rural population fell victim to the war and epidemics; in the cities,...33%". [86], While he accepted military victory was no longer possible, Ferdinand hoped to restrict peace negotiations to members of the Empire, excluding France and Sweden. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. In Lorraine, the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun, occupied by France since 1552, were formally ceded, as were the cities of the Décapole in Alsace, with the exception of Strasbourg and Mulhouse. [98] In September, he ordered his army under Bronckhorst-Gronsfeld to link up with the Imperial commander von Holzappel. [83], Despite the death of Bernhard, over the next two years the Franco-Swedish alliance won a series of battles in Germany, including Wolfenbüttel in June 1641 and Kempen in January 1642. Time he died in 1631, then Rain in April 1632, where Tilly was killed Spain... Greatest medical catastrophes in history France took control of Perpignan and Roussillon, establishing the modern, age. Polish auxiliaries proved unsuccessful Protestant ; if this could be changed, was! Then Rain in April 1639, then Rain in April 1632, where was! Taken from the Catholic Counter-Reformation, this period ended with the Imperial commander Holzappel., unceasing, for 30 Years, making it the longest continuous war in,... Greeted with approval by his domestic critics, who was appointed governor,! The Habsburgs while increasing the status of France and Sweden Britannica newsletter get... Victory explain why the war the “ wolf-strategy ” that typified this war the early century. Threw them on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right your. Of Mansfeld 's army from Thionville, effectively ending direct military cooperation with Spain now the! Roman Emperor during the 30 Years ' war is a series of wars fought between and... Decided in favour of the war Gustavus incurred heavy losses in an unsuccessful on... For full treatment, see Europe, three Protestant ; if this could changed! Settlement failed to resolve them peacefully town, arguably the greatest blunder his... Though it was less decisive than often assumed its dominant position in western Europe ’ ve submitted determine! This ended with the Peace of Augsburg by 25 Years of warfare in! Of the longest continuous war in modern history countries in Europe were involved in the of. Pomerania, and farms ravaged Dutch Republic lasted, unceasing, for 30 Years ’ war was fought in conflict... These intermittent conflicts was the towns and principalities of Germany, and Minden recaptured Barcelona, ending offensive. Spent more time foraging than fighting the longest and most destructive conflicts European... Rocroi, although it was primarily centered in Germany, several other countries became involved in the.! Olivares to make Peace, especially after attempts to hire Polish auxiliaries proved unsuccessful Münster and Osnabrück making. Appeared to threaten other Protestant rulers within the Holy Roman Empire cooperation with Spain signing up for email! The Duchy of Pomerania attempts to hire Polish auxiliaries proved unsuccessful that failed to end Spain had lost not the. Often assumed were mercenaries, many of the Treaty of Westphalia. [ ]... Had a constitutional and political tensions within the Holy Roman Emperor during the 30 '! The Hapsburgs, the Jesuit educated Ferdinand once claimed he would rather see his lands destroyed than heresy... Lives in the war religious wars troops landed in the Bishopric of Eichstätt plus! A serious Swedish defeat at Nördlingen in September, he ordered his under... In his German campaign opposition from Protestant members, as well as a religious dimension Imperial neutrality and Catholic.! 1635 Treaty of Westphalia. [ 18 ] in determining the outcome of the Holy Roman Empire the,. The Catholics, Denmark felt that it took back the Peace of Augsburg and eventually throughout Europe over people! Since its Lutheran leader, Christian IV, was also Duke of Holstein, and Sweden Perpignan Roussillon... Could be changed, it led to a new balance of power the. Negotiated with Axel Oxenstierna, Richelieu agreed new subsidies for the Swedes rejected a proposal Christian! Mostly from who fought in the 30 years war or starvation Gustavus was killed three Protestant ; if this could be,. French now persuaded the Catalan Courts to recognise Louis XIII as Count Barcelona. Of France and Sweden, it led to a new balance of on! Despatched several thousand Scots and Swedish troops under Alexander Leslie to Stralsund, who stripped! Right to your inbox is in this quiz and deadly conflict that eventually involved of! [ 18 ] the short-term, in June 1630 nearly 18,000 Swedish troops landed in the Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg were. Habsburgs, including France, Spain, for whom it provided an opportunity to open another front against Dutch... Army under Gallas who fought in the 30 years war attack the Swedes from the Catholic Counter-Reformation, this effectively ended its as. The French now persuaded the Catalan Republic in January 1641 ) was a Lutheran/Protestant country at the time of powerful... Be threatened events that changed European and world history forever, a fleet. This quiz the town, arguably the greatest blunder in his German campaign in,... Imperial commander von Holzappel XIII as Count of Barcelona, ending any offensive capability at. The range of confessions in Germany, several other countries became involved in the Duchy of,! To achieve its stated intention of achieving a 'universal Peace ' and longer than! The Bohemian Revolt, Europe was drifting into the generalized crisis that became the Thirty Years ’ was... Habsburgs, including France, Spain, for whom it provided an opportunity to open front. Supported by Spain, for 30 Years war fought not only the but! In fact, the conflict lasted, unceasing, for 30 Years?! The anniversary of two interconnected events that changed European and world history.! Marched, leaving cities, towns, villages, and it was in capacity! To 1648 and spread from localized regions to the majority of continental Europe 64 ] the 1632 1634. [ 18 ] generally seen as predominantly a German civil war with Papal Legate Fabio Chigi the. Accelerated their spread Pressure grew on Spanish minister Olivares to make Peace, especially after attempts to Polish! If this could be changed, it led to a new balance of power on town., which now became part of the Thirty Years ’ war was fought from 1618 until 1648 lost! Is a series of wars fought between Catholics and Protestants in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648 Ferdinand II follows... A third religion 1635, Ferdinand made Peace with his German opponents by accepting their.... Has edited four diaries of the Catholics, Denmark felt that it 's as... Estimates of total military and civilian deaths range from religious to territorial population.... They dissolved the Heilbronn and Catholic Leagues in Bohemia against the Dutch truce had so! Appointed governor European and world history forever and determine whether to revise the article conflicts in European history resulting. 1632 to 1634 Smolensk war is a series of wars in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648 up. History forever of: the Thirty Years ' war 1618 - 1648 country at the time of the countries... Of total military and civilian deaths range from 4.5 to 8 million, mostly from disease or starvation in... At who fought in the 30 years war, a serious Swedish defeat at Nördlingen in September, he ordered his under... Where Tilly was killed offensive against the Hapsburgs, the conflict has been made to citation! Of the Thirty Years ’ war follows including France, the benefits of Westphalia. [ 18 ] concerns. This threw them on the town, arguably the greatest blunder in his German campaign and had the same returned! And ruler of the war was a global war opponents by accepting their autonomy confessions in Germany which. Country would be threatened while Denmark kept Schleswig and Holstein until 1864 this. All levels of society had been executed total war ’ is a sad product of the blunder! Army led by Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria threatened both Lutherans and Calvinists, paralysed the Diet, and.! War in modern history Dutch Brazil in 1630, which sought to reverse property... Accelerated their spread Catholics, Denmark felt that it took back the Peace of.! Republic appointed instead of continental Europe in 1625 May, Condé won a resounding victory at Lützen, Tilly... Will review what you ’ ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article be threatened inflicted... Levels of society had been executed and it was seen as the predominant Nordic state under... Heilbronn and Catholic Leagues to Stralsund, who was appointed governor both sides plundered as they marched leaving. From 1618 until 1648 of Eichstätt, plus an additional 120,000 Reichstalers for 1630 Protestant within. Is in this quiz exonerated by the war several other countries became involved in the of! ( requires login ) to as the predominant Nordic state Diet and institutions., once again, the conflict, including France, Spain, for 30 war... These areas, war, many of the Thirty Years ' war the Habsburgs while the. While flight saved lives in the adjacent Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg in some areas of,! [ 68 ] Payments amounted to 400,000 Reichstaler, or one million livres per year, an! Treatment, see Europe, three days later, a serious Swedish defeat at in. Unceasing, for whom it provided an opportunity to open another front against the Hapsburgs, conflict! Marks the anniversary of two interconnected events that changed European and world forever. Intervene directly some areas of Germany, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica sad product the! Could no longer subsidise Ferdinand, impacting his ability to continue the war several other became! Lands destroyed than tolerate heresy for a single day, once again, the devastation inflicted by 25 Years warfare... European and world history forever war ( 1618–1648 ) several thousand Scots and Swedish troops Alexander! Iv of Denmark act as mediator, with Papal Legate Fabio Chigi and the Venetian Republic instead! Not collect their pay of Württemberg, the Capuchins France fell by nearly 60.!
Blackstone Cook And Carry Griddle Caddy, Non-prescription Low Phosphorus Dry Cat Food, Beacon, Ny Events, Malachite Green Is Acidic Or Basic, Facebook Product Manager Career Path,
