The Thirty Years War
1618-1648
IR 1205: History of IR since 1648
Md. Sohel Rana
Lecturer
Department of International Relations
Bangladesh University of Professionals
Lecture Outline
 Thirty Years’ War
 War Parties
 Origin of the War
 Phases of the War
Thirty Years’ War
 Thirty
Years’ War was a series of wars
in Central Europe lasting from 1618 to
1648.
Thirty Years’ War
 It
was a protracted and devastating war
in the history of Europe that took nearly
7.5 million lives.
 It was a part religious or civil war and a
part international war.
Thirty Years’ War
 The
mainstream location of the war
was today’s Germany where the
Holy Roman Empire laid.
War Parties

Two principal contestants:
I. Spain and Austria
II. France and The United Provinces
War Parties

Two contestant religious sects:
I. Catholicism
II. Protestantism (Lutheranism & Calvinism)
Origin of the War
 1555
– Peace of Augsburg
Origin of the War
 1568-1648 – Eighty Years’ War
Origin of the War
 1609
– Twelve Years’ Truce
Allegory of Peace and Plenty
Origin of the War
 1609 – Letter of
Emperor Rudolf II
Majesty
Letter of Majesty
Origin of the War
 1608
–
Protestant
Union
Frederick of the Palatinate
Maximilien of Bavaria
 1609
–
Catholic
League
Origin of the War
 1617
– Ferdinand as King of Bohemia
Ferdinand
Origin of the War
 1618
– Defenestration of Prague
Phases of the War
The Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
Phases of the War
The Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
 1619 – Emperor Matthias died; and
Ferdinand became the new emperor.
Matthias
Ferdinand II
Phases of the War
The Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
 1619 – Frederick of Palatinate became
the King of Bohemia .
Frederick
Phases of the War
The Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
 1620 – The Battle of White Mountain.
Phases of the War
The Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
 1622 – Conquest of the Palatinate.
Phases of the War
The Danish Phase, 1625-1630
 1625 – Christian IV of Denmark signed the
Treaty of Hague.
Phases of the War
The Danish Phase, 1625-1630
 Emperor Ferdinand II discovered
Abrecht von Wallenstein.
Abrecht von
Wallenestein
Phases of the War
The Danish Phase, 1625-1630
 1629 - Christian IV losing battle in 1626
withdrew from the war.
 1629 – Treaty of Lubeck.
Phases of the War
The Danish Phase, 1625-1630
 1629 – ‘Edict of Restitution.’
“Restore to Catholic
authority all Church
lands which had been
secularized since
1552.”
Phases of the War
The Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
Phases of the War
The Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
 1630 – King
Gustavus
Adolphus
committed
Sweden to war.
Phases of the War
The Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
 1631 – Battle of Breitenfeld.
Phases of the War
The Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
 1632 – Battle of Lutzen.
Phases of the War
The Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
 1633 – The League of Heilbronn was
organized by the Swedish Chancellor.
 1634 – The imperial troops smashed the
League and defeated them.
 1635
– Peace of Prague.
Phases of the War
The French Phase, 1635-1648
Phases of the War
The French Phase, 1635-1648

1635 – France, led by Louis XIII entered
into the war.
Phases of the War
The French Phase, 1635-1648
 1637 – The imperial troops started
suffering a series of defeats.
 1638 – Treaty of Hamburg.
 1642 – The Swedish army invaded
Bohemia.
Phases of the War
The French Phase, 1635-1648
 1643 – Battle of Rocroi.
Phases of the War
The French Phase, 1635-1648
 1645 – Franco-Swedish forces defeated
the Emperor.
 1648 –
Treaty of
Westphalia.
‘Critical Question’
 Was the Thirty Years’ War
a war of religion?
The Thirty Years War
1618-1648
IR 1205: History of IR since 1648
Md. Sohel Rana
Lecturer
Department of International Relations
Bangladesh University of Professionals