The Thirty Years War

Victory for Religious Freedom

Or

A Worthless Endeavor?

OverviewFour Major phasesDevastating loss of capital and life in the

German states. 1/3 of the German population dead

War officially lasted from 1618-1648, however actual fighting didn’t end until 1659. ½ of the German wealth lost

Four Phases of WarPhase 1: The Bohemian Period (1618-

1625)Phase 2: The Danish Period (1625-

1629)Phase 3: The Swedish Period (1629-

1635)Phase 4: The Swedish-French Period

(1635-1648)Continued fighting between the Spanish

and French: (1648-1659)

The Bohemian PeriodFerdinand Hapsburg (heir to the HRE

throne) became king of Bohemia: 1618Bohemians reject Ferdinand in favor or

Frederick V, a Calvinist ruler of the Palatinate. Frederick’s men threw Ferdinand’s

ambassadors out of the window (50 feet into a dry moat filled with manure)--“the Defenestration of Prague”

This resulted in war.

Phase One, continuedSpain sent troops to support Ferdinand

and so did Maximilian of Bavaria.John George I, a Lutheran from Saxony

sent troops to protect Frederick.Ferdinand became Holy Roman

EmperorFinally, Frederick’s army lost at the

Battle of White Mountain in 1620. The Spanish occupied the Palatinate Bohemia became Catholic

The Danish Period

King Christian IV of Denmark, supported by England, France, and the Dutch, entered Germany in support of German Protestants.

Danish forces were weak and easily defeated by Wallenstein’s armies (mercenary)

1629: Edict of Restitution: Calvinism illegal Return of all Catholic Church lands taken

after 1552.

The Swedish Period

Gustavus Adolphus, king of Sweden, supported by France, England, and the Dutch invaded N. Germany in support of German protestants.

Swedish forces were strong and well-funded and they were led by Gustavus who was a great military leader. Huge victory at the Battle of Breitenfeld. Use of 6 deep squares with = numbers of

musketeers and pikesmen Cavalry alternated pistol shot with sword

charges.

Phase Three, continuedThis phase began to end in failure for

the Protestants when Gustavus was killed by a cannonball at the Battle of Lutzen (1632).

Ferdinand grew afraid of Wallenstein and had him assassinated in 1634.

Peace of Prague: (1635): German states return to “cuius regio, eius religio,” but Sweden and France continue to fight the Spanish.

The Swedish-French PhaseFrance, guided by Cardinal Richelieu,

supplied troops in Germany as part of a bigger war between France and Spain.

Sweden kept fighting to avenge the death of Gustavus.

Most German states fought only for survival and unbelievable amounts of wealth and life were lost.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648)Official end of the war, but fighting

continued between Spain and FranceRescinded the Edict of RestitutionReinstituted the Peace of AugsburgOfficial recognition of Calvinism Independence of Switzerland and the

United Provinces of Holland

Treaty of the Pyranees (1659)

Fighting continued between France & Spain, both on and off German soil.

The Spanish defeat in 1659 reestablished France as the dominant continental power and set the border at the Pyranees.