Why Was The Thirty Year's War
Why was the Thirty Year's War fought? To what extent did politics determine the outcome of the war? Discuss the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Could matters have been resolved without war?
The Thirty Years’ War was the last and most catastrophic war based on religion and politics. It took place between 1618 and 1648 in the Holy Roman Empire. The war can be split into 4 main wars which were the Bohemian Revolt, the Danish intervention, the Swedish intervention and the French intervention.
The Bohemian Period took place between 1618 and 1625 in Bohemia. Before Ferdinand took over, Rudolf II, who was the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, increased Protestant rights in 1609 in his Letter of Majesty. Since Rudolph II didn’t have any male heirs, he named Habsburg Ferdinand his next of kin. Soon after Ferdinand, who was …show more content…
a strong Catholic, became the king of Bohemia, he took away the Bohemian Protestants’ religious freedom. This caused him to not be in the favor of the people, and it lead to a much larger war than expected. The first rebellion was the “Defenestration of Prague.” This revolt was instigated by the Protestant nobility who threw Ferdinand’s regents out of the royal palace’s window.
Soon after Ferdinand became the Holy Roman Emperor, the Bohemians disposed of him and replaced him with Frederick V as their king. Frederick V was a Calvinist. Ferdinand received troops from Spain and had found other allies, but they had ulterior motives. For example, Maximilian wanted to take the electoral title from his Palatine cousin, while John George thought that helping would gain him territory. Ferdinand’s army defeated Frederick V’s army, and he was able to make convert them back to Catholicism and also gained control of Palatinate.
The Danish Period took place between 1625 and 1629 when Protestants had new concerns about the empire being re-Catholicized. Denmark’s Lutheran king, Christian IV, took action by trying to spread his territory, but was quickly defeated by Maximilian and had to retreat back to Denmark. Since Maximilian became more powerful and an unreliable ally, Ferdinand found General Albrecht Wallenstein who had an army over 100,000 men. Wallenstein was a very cunning military strategist, who was able to break down the Protestant resistance and because of that Ferdinand created the Edict of Restitution. The Edict of Restitution stated that any church land or possessions that the Protestants had gotten should be returned to the Roman Catholic Church.
During 1630 and 1635 the Swedish period began, and Gustavus Adolphus II of Sweden became the new leader to the Protestant forces. Adolphus was able to win at Breitenfeld in 1630. This war is considered the major war to reverse the whole conflict. During the Battle of Lützen, Adolphus died while fighting against Wallenstein’s army.
Even though Wallenstein is one of the main reasons of imperial success, Ferdinand did not appreciate his independence.
Ferdinand had him assassinated in 1634 because he had served his purpose. Even though this war was about religion, the real motivations were about power. Everyone wanted power, and if that meant betraying someone who they owed their success to or even their life, they would not let them get in their way. Ferdinand was able to compromise with Protestant states in the Peace of Prague, but France and the Netherlands refused to join because their loyalty was with Sweden. This rebel led to the last war, which was by far the worst.
The Swedish and French period started when the French sent troops in 1635. The war went on for another thirteen years, and it did not help the Germans at all. It is estimated that about one-third of the German population was killed during the war before any talk had been started about the Treaty of Westphalia. In 1648, this treaty ended all aggression in the Holy Roman Empire. It ended Ferdinand’s Edict of Restitution and put back in the Peace of Augsburg that had been created about a hundred years
earlier.
If people were not so keen on gaining political power, territory, and just being insanely greedy, this war could have easily not happened. If they had only worried about themselves and not cared about other people’s beliefs or preferences and by accepting everyone the way they are, many people would not have had to die.
The Thirty Years’ War was the last and most catastrophic war based on religion and politics. It took place between 1618 and 1648 in the Holy Roman Empire. The war can be split into 4 main wars which were the Bohemian Revolt, the Danish intervention, the Swedish intervention and the French intervention.
The Bohemian Period took place between 1618 and 1625 in Bohemia. Before Ferdinand took over, Rudolf II, who was the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia, increased Protestant rights in 1609 in his Letter of Majesty. Since Rudolph II didn’t have any male heirs, he named Habsburg Ferdinand his next of kin. Soon after Ferdinand, who was …show more content…
a strong Catholic, became the king of Bohemia, he took away the Bohemian Protestants’ religious freedom. This caused him to not be in the favor of the people, and it lead to a much larger war than expected. The first rebellion was the “Defenestration of Prague.” This revolt was instigated by the Protestant nobility who threw Ferdinand’s regents out of the royal palace’s window.
Soon after Ferdinand became the Holy Roman Emperor, the Bohemians disposed of him and replaced him with Frederick V as their king. Frederick V was a Calvinist. Ferdinand received troops from Spain and had found other allies, but they had ulterior motives. For example, Maximilian wanted to take the electoral title from his Palatine cousin, while John George thought that helping would gain him territory. Ferdinand’s army defeated Frederick V’s army, and he was able to make convert them back to Catholicism and also gained control of Palatinate.
The Danish Period took place between 1625 and 1629 when Protestants had new concerns about the empire being re-Catholicized. Denmark’s Lutheran king, Christian IV, took action by trying to spread his territory, but was quickly defeated by Maximilian and had to retreat back to Denmark. Since Maximilian became more powerful and an unreliable ally, Ferdinand found General Albrecht Wallenstein who had an army over 100,000 men. Wallenstein was a very cunning military strategist, who was able to break down the Protestant resistance and because of that Ferdinand created the Edict of Restitution. The Edict of Restitution stated that any church land or possessions that the Protestants had gotten should be returned to the Roman Catholic Church.
During 1630 and 1635 the Swedish period began, and Gustavus Adolphus II of Sweden became the new leader to the Protestant forces. Adolphus was able to win at Breitenfeld in 1630. This war is considered the major war to reverse the whole conflict. During the Battle of Lützen, Adolphus died while fighting against Wallenstein’s army.
Even though Wallenstein is one of the main reasons of imperial success, Ferdinand did not appreciate his independence.
Ferdinand had him assassinated in 1634 because he had served his purpose. Even though this war was about religion, the real motivations were about power. Everyone wanted power, and if that meant betraying someone who they owed their success to or even their life, they would not let them get in their way. Ferdinand was able to compromise with Protestant states in the Peace of Prague, but France and the Netherlands refused to join because their loyalty was with Sweden. This rebel led to the last war, which was by far the worst.
The Swedish and French period started when the French sent troops in 1635. The war went on for another thirteen years, and it did not help the Germans at all. It is estimated that about one-third of the German population was killed during the war before any talk had been started about the Treaty of Westphalia. In 1648, this treaty ended all aggression in the Holy Roman Empire. It ended Ferdinand’s Edict of Restitution and put back in the Peace of Augsburg that had been created about a hundred years
earlier.
If people were not so keen on gaining political power, territory, and just being insanely greedy, this war could have easily not happened. If they had only worried about themselves and not cared about other people’s beliefs or preferences and by accepting everyone the way they are, many people would not have had to die.