The Thirty Years War
• Yes it was actually
30 years
• Unlike the 100 Years
War, which was
actually 116 years
(1337-1453)
• Often misunderstood
in terms of its
devastation
P&T Review
• Treaty of CateauCambresis
• Concordat of Bologna
• French Henrys
• Catherine de Medici
• Huguenots
• Saint Bart’s. Massacre
• Politiques
• Edict of Nantes
• 30 YW
• Defenestration of
Prague
• Wallenstein
• Gustavus Adolphus
• Protestant Union
• Catholic League
• Peace of Westphalia
Essay Prompt
• Evaluate the relative importance of the religious
rivalries and dynastic ambitions that shaped the
course of the Thirty Years War.
– Religious Rivalries
• Catholics vs. Protestants (Calvinists)
– Dynastic Ambitions
• Habsburgs, French, Spanish (Major players)
• Sweden, Denmark, Dutch, H.R.E., German Princes,
England
Peasants Uprising in Germany
•
•
•
•
Crop failures in 1523-24
German lords seize land
Raise taxes on peasants
Return to feudal
practices
• What was Luther’s
response?
• 75,000 killed
Religious Violence
• Treaty of CateauCambresis
– Ends Habs.-Valois Wars
• Dutch violence
– Duke of Alva and Charles V
– Council of Blood
– Result???
• Peace of Augsburg
– 1555 Princes choose
religion
– Failure
Church reform: Catholic Ref. or Counter Ref.
• Pope Paul III
– How did he reform?
– Abolished slavery and called
the C. of T.
• Council of Inquisition
– 1542 eradication of heresy
– Index of Prohibited Books
• Council of Trent
– 1545-1563
– Was it a success?
• New Religious Orders
– Purpose?
– Teresa of Avila
– Ignatius Loyola
French chaos
• Concordat of Bologna
– 1516
• St. Bart’s Day massacre
– Catherine de Medici
– 1572 (15 yr civil war)
• Henry IV (War of the 3 Henrys)
– “Paris is worth the mass”
• Huguenots
• Politiques
• Edict of Nantes
Opening Phase – “Bohemia” (1618-25)
• Catholic League
– King Max. of Bavaria
• Ferdinand of Styria
–
–
–
–
–
Ardent Catholic
Habsburg
Later becomes HRE 1619
1617 King of Bohemia
Freaks out the Calvinists
• Protestant Union
• May 1618 throw
Ferdinand’s officials out the
window – start of armed
conflict
• Defen. Of Prague
• Declare Frederick V new
King of Bohemia
First phase ends
w/Catholic victory
Map
Danish Phase (1625-1629)
• King Christian IV of
Denmark intervenes to
support Protestants against
Ferdinand
– Prince of the HRE (Holstein)
• Ferdinand allies with
Wallenstein
– Raise an army of 50,000
• Treaty of Lubeck 1629
– Christian out; promises not to
intervene
• Catholic forces prevail
Swedish Phase (1630-35)
• Catholic victories alarm
Protestants and the French.
Why would the French care?
• Gustavus Adolphus comes to
the rescue
• France signs alliance and joins
against Habsburgs???
WTHeck
• Back and forth fighting –
ultimately G.A. and
Wallenstein die in battle
• Treaty of Prague 1635
– All parties exhausted
– Left Hab. Slightly stronger
French Period (1635-48)
• Richelieu wants Alsace
and to weaken the Haps.
• Fighting goes back and
forth until Spain is
defeated
– France commits fully to
war
• HRE dies, Richelieu dies,
slow negotiation for
peace
Peace or Treaty of Westphalia 1648
• Winners
–
–
–
–
France BIG TIME
Sweden
Brandenburg
Dutch Republic
recognized
– Switzerland recognized
– Germany can make
treaties and alliances
– Expands P.of Augsburg
• More religious freedom
• Losers
– H.R.E.
– Catholics
– Hapsburg Spain isolated
Results of the 30 YW
• Massive destruction of
Germany
– Mercenaries, foreign
armies, battle
• Huge population losses
• Disruption in all facets of
life
– Farming, trade, economies,
families, politics…
• Germany was a wasteland
for generations trying to
recover
Population loss
The New HRE
•
• Caravans looted
Villagers ambushed
Pod thesis
• Write your thesis including all components –
– Evaluate the relative importance of the religious
rivalries and dynastic ambitions that shaped the
course of the Thirty Years War.
– What is your claim? (Where on the spectrum)
– What is your evidence? (Keep it tight)
– What is your warrant? (So What – To what effect)