The Thirty Years War

• Yes it was actually 30 years• Unlike the 100 Years War, which was actually 116 years (1337-1453)

• Often misunderstood in terms of its devastation

P&T Review

• Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis

• Concordat of Bologna• French Henrys• Catherine de Medici• Huguenots• Saint Bart’s. Massacre• Politiques• Edict of Nantes

• 30 YW• Defenestration of

Prague• Wallenstein• Gustavus Adolphus• Protestant Union• Catholic League• Peace of Westphalia

Essay Prompt

• Evaluate the relative importance of the religious rivalries and dynastic ambitions that shaped the course of the Thirty Years War.– Religious Rivalries• Catholics vs. Protestants (Calvinists)

– Dynastic Ambitions• Habsburgs, French, Spanish (Major players)• Sweden, Denmark, Dutch, H.R.E., German Princes,

England

Peasants Uprising in Germany

• Crop failures in 1523-24• German lords seize land• Raise taxes on peasants• Return to feudal

practices• What was Luther’s

response?• 75,000 killed

Religious Violence

• Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis– Ends Habs.-Valois Wars

• Dutch violence– Duke of Alva and Charles V– Council of Blood– Result???

• Peace of Augsburg– 1555 Princes choose

religion– Failure

Church reform: Catholic Ref. or Counter Ref.

• Pope Paul III– How did he reform?– Abolished slavery and called

the C. of T.

• Council of Inquisition– 1542 eradication of heresy– Index of Prohibited Books

• Council of Trent– 1545-1563– Was it a success?

• New Religious Orders– Purpose?– Teresa of Avila– Ignatius Loyola

French chaos

• Concordat of Bologna– 1516

• St. Bart’s Day massacre– Catherine de Medici– 1572 (15 yr civil war)

• Henry IV (War of the 3 Henrys)– “Paris is worth the mass”

• Huguenots• Politiques • Edict of Nantes

Opening Phase – “Bohemia” (1618-25)• Catholic League– King Max. of Bavaria

• Ferdinand of Styria– Ardent Catholic– Habsburg– Later becomes HRE 1619– 1617 King of Bohemia– Freaks out the Calvinists

• Protestant Union• May 1618 throw

Ferdinand’s officials out the window – start of armed conflict

• Defen. Of Prague• Declare Frederick V new

King of Bohemia

First phase ends w/Catholic victory

Map

Danish Phase (1625-1629)

• King Christian IV of Denmark intervenes to support Protestants against Ferdinand– Prince of the HRE (Holstein)

• Ferdinand allies with Wallenstein– Raise an army of 50,000

• Treaty of Lubeck 1629 – Christian out; promises not

to intervene

• Catholic forces prevail

Swedish Phase (1630-35)• Catholic victories alarm

Protestants and the French. Why would the French care?

• Gustavus Adolphus comes to the rescue

• France signs alliance and joins against Habsburgs??? WTHeck

• Back and forth fighting – ultimately G.A. and Wallenstein die in battle

• Treaty of Prague 1635– All parties exhausted– Left Hab. Slightly stronger

French Period (1635-48)• Richelieu wants Alsace

and to weaken the Haps. • Fighting goes back and

forth until Spain is defeated– France commits fully to

war

• HRE dies, Richelieu dies, slow negotiation for peace

Peace or Treaty of Westphalia 1648

• Winners – France BIG TIME– Sweden– Brandenburg– Dutch Republic

recognized– Switzerland recognized– Germany can make

treaties and alliances– Expands P.of Augsburg

• More religious freedom

• Losers– H.R.E.– Catholics– Hapsburg Spain isolated

Results of the 30 YW

• Massive destruction of Germany– Mercenaries, foreign armies,

battle

• Huge population losses• Disruption in all facets of

life– Farming, trade, economies,

families, politics…

• Germany was a wasteland for generations trying to recover

Population loss

The New HRE

• Villagers ambushed

• Caravans looted

Pod thesis

• Write your thesis including all components – – Evaluate the relative importance of the religious

rivalries and dynastic ambitions that shaped the course of the Thirty Years War.

– What is your claim? (Where on the spectrum)– What is your evidence? (Keep it tight) – What is your warrant? (So What – To what effect)