1. The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)

3. Characteristics of the Thirty Years War
The Holy Roman Empire was the battleground.
At the beginning it was the Catholics vs. the Protestants.
At the end it was Habsburg power in the Holy Roman Empire that was weakened.
Resolved by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.

4. Causes of the Thirty Years War
Religious divisions:
Protestant & Catholic states in the Holy Roman Empire form religious groups to defend their interests.

5. Causes of the Thirty Years War
Political divisions:
Austrian Habsburgs in the HRE wanted a stronger monarchy and reverse Protestant gains.
German states wanted to retain their rights and resisted a unified nation.

6. Causes of the Thirty Years War
International interference:
France opposed any policy that would create a stronger Holy Roman Empire.
Lutheran kings of Denmark & Sweden were prepared to defend Protestant interests in the HRE

7. Phases of the Thirty Years’ War
The Bohemian Phase: Religious/Political
The Danish Phase:
Religious/Political
The Swedish Phase:
Political/Religious
The French Phase: (International Phase)
Political

8. (modern day Czech Republic & Slovakia)
The Bohemian Phase:
(modern day Czech Republic & Slovakia)
Ferdinand II became King of Bohemia (with assistance from Spanish Habsburgs.)
Ferdinand refused to tolerate Protestants.
The Bohemians hated him.
Religious freedoms that had been given to Lutherans & Calvinists were revoked.

9. Ferdinand II Holy Roman Emperor
King of Bohemia ,

11. The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622 Defenestration of Prague: May 1618
Two of King Ferdinand’s officials were thrown out of a window in Prague during negotiations with Protestant officials.
This action was view as an attack on the king and war ensued.

12. Defenestration of Prague
70 feet up

13. The Bohemian Phase:
Results:
Bohemia revolts and names a new king, Frederick V who is Protestant.
Ferdinand II borrowed an army from Bavaria.
Catholic League and Spanish Habsburgs offer support to defeat Frederick V and the Protestant League.

14. The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622 Ferdinand II becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
Results:
Ferdinand II becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
Frederick lost his lands in the fighting.
The rebellion in Bohemia inspired other regions to rise up against the Holy Roman Empire, but Bohemia becomes Catholic.

15. Frederick V
King of Bohemia

16. Bohemian Phase

17. The Danish Phase:
Ferdinand II tried to end all Protestant resistance in the Holy Roman Empire.
Ferdinand hires Albrecht von Wallenstein of Bohemia to lead the army.

18. Albrecht von Wallenstein

19. The Danish Phase:
King Christian IV, Protestant leader of Denmark, intervenes to defend fellow Protestants in Northern Germany. He was supported financially by the Netherlands and England.
Wallenstein scores major victories and defeats Protestants in north.

20. King Christian IV of Denmark

21. Edict of Restitution (1629):
Restored to Catholics all lands lost since 1555 Peace of Augsburg.
Deprived all Protestants, except Lutherans, of their religious and political rights. Calvinism is outlawed.
German princes feared Ferdinand  who fired Wallenstein in effort to calm them.

22. Edict of Restitution (1629):

23. Danish Phase

24. The Swedish Phase:
Alarmed by the Catholic victories, Protestants in the HRE, Dutch (Netherlands), and French turned to the Lutheran King of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus.
France, under Louis XIII, supported the Lutherans in an effort to weaken the power of the Habsburgs in Spain and the Holy Roman Empire.

25. Gustavus Adolphus
King of Sweden

26. The Swedish Phase:
Gustavus Adolphus invaded the HR Empire to support fellow Protestants.
Ferdinand II brought back Wallenstein and sought the help of Spain.

27. The Swedish Phase:
Swedish forces defeat Wallenstein and HRE forces in a series of decisive battles.
Sweden liberated territory Protestants lost in Danish phase. Ended Habsburg hopes of reuniting HRE under Catholicism
Adolphus dies in Battle of Luetzen (1632)
Swedish advance was stopped.

28. German princes still distrusted Ferdinand II.
Wallenstein assassinated to appease them.
Edict of Restitution was also revoked
Southern Germany remained Catholic

29. Swedish Phase

30. The French Phase:
Death of Gustavus Adolphus prompted France to intervene on the Swedish side.
Louis XIII of France wanted to weaken both the HRE & Spain.
Sweden and the Netherlands provided support.

31. Louis XIII
of France

32. The French Phase:
Religious issues become secondary to political.
Coalition of Catholic France and Protestant countries (Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Northern Germany)
Catholic Habsburgs (HRE & Spain) and Protestant Denmark (who wanted to weaken Swedish power).

33. This phase was most destructive!
8 million dead in the HRE  1/3 of the population [from 21 million in 1618 to 13.5 million in 1648]
German towns decimated, farms were burned.
Agriculture collapsed  famine resulted.
German commerce was destroyed.
Caused massive inflation.
Trade was crippled throughout Europe.

34. Loss of German Lives in 30 Years’ War

35. Ferdinand III
Holy Roman Emperor in He hoped to make peace with France & Sweden, but the war continued 11 more years until 1648.
His decisions led to the decline of imperial power in the Holy Roman Empire.

36. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Political Provisions:
Each German prince became free from any kind of control by the HR Emperor.
The United Provinces [Dutch Netherlands] became officially independent. Southern part remained a Spanish possession. {Spanish Netherlands]
France received most of the German speaking province of Alsace.

37. Sweden acquired territory in Northern Germany on the Baltic & Black Sea coasts.
Switzerland became totally independent of the HR Emperor  Swiss Confederation.
State of Brandenburg acquired important territory in central Germany & on the North Sea. (will later become Prussia)

38. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Religious Provisions:
Calvinists would have the same privileges as the Lutherans had in the Peace of Augsburg.
The ruler of each state could determine its official religion, BUT [except in the hereditary lands of the Habsburgs], he must permit freedom of private worship.

40. Nobody Was Happy with the Peace!
HRE was weakened.
Many Protestants felt betrayed.
The pope denounced it.
France emerges as power in Europe.
European economy was weakened.
Only merit: it ended the fighting in a war that became intolerable!
For the next few centuries, this war was blamed for everything that went wrong in Central Europe.