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…
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
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…
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