Thirty Years War

• In 1618 war breaks out between the Protestant Union and Catholic League
• Holy Roman Empire is split in 2 between Catholics and Protestants.
• Phases of the 30 Years War
• 1618-1625: Bohemian Phase
• This began as a civil war between Catholics and Protestants in the region of Bohemia in German. 
• Catholic were led by Ferdinand II
• Protestants were led by Frederick IV
• Catholic forces win.
• Catholics and Habsburgs take control over Bohemia. 
• 1625-1629: Danish Phase
• King Christian IV of Denmark (Lutheran) with the support of Dutch and English intervened to support the Protestants. 
• Dutch were the Calvinists. They lived in the northern part of the Netherlands. Catholics lived in the south. Spain supported them.
• Christian IV of Denmark vs. Albert Wallenstein (Catholic) 
• Wallenstein was the general in charge of the Holy Roman Empire's armies. 
•  Wallenstein destroys the Protestant forces. 
• Catholics are 2:0
• Ferdinand issues the Edict of Restitution 
• This restores to the Catholics any property that they had lost to the Protestants up to that point. 
• 1630-1635: Swedish Phase
• Protestants have lost 2 rounds to the Catholics. 
• Protestants, Dutch allies, and French allies turn to Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden. 
• He is charismatic, big and bold, and brash. 
• Adolphus defeats Wallenstein's forces (Catholics)
• He does this in a series of battles that causes the Catholics to not be able to become unified. 
• 1635-1648: French Phase
• Gustavus Adolphus dies.  
• France sees that the Protestants need re-enforcements now because they no longer have the Swedish. 
• Now the French, Dutch, leftover Swedes, and Protestants are against the Catholic Germans. 
• Peace of Westphalia (1648)
• All of the parties involved send diplomats to bring the war to a conclusion.
• Provisions of the treaty:
• 1. Each of the independent German principalities of the Holy Roman Empire was given the right to have it's own peace treaties and its own diplomacy with other countries. 
• 2. Rulers were allowed to establish religion in their own areas and Calvinism was accepted. 
• 3. The independence of the Dutch Republic is formally recognized. The neutrality of Switzerland is formally recognized, which continues to this day. This is written into their constitution and this is why they did not take part in WWII. 
• The Swiss wrote this in because they were beaten so badly during the 30 Years War. 
• The French annexed part of Alsace. 
• No side won the 30 Years War. 
• The treaties and boundaries that were set-up basically construct what we know as modern Europe. 
• Consequences of the 30 Years War
• Germany was devastated. 
• As many as 1/3 of the German people were killed. 
• The Treaty of Westphalia does nothing to unify Germany.
• If there was a winner, it would be France.
• France will be the dominant power in Europe for a long time after this.
• The Vatican basically uses the largest Catholic countries during this time period as pawns for their war against the Protestants.