1618-1648

30 Years War

Background

HRE is ruled by Austrain HabsburgsGerman princes want to break awayReformation drives a wedgeFrance and Sweden want land

Defenestration

Ferdinand II- made King of Bohemia and HRE

-upsets Protestants -Defenestration

1618

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Bohemian Phase -1618 to 1625

Bohemian Protestants depose FerdinandII and install Frederick the V of the Palatinate, a Calvinist

Imperial Catholics unite and crush Protestants outside of Prague

Emperor hires mercenaries to do fighting – they ravage German country side

Spain takes land from the Palatinate while Frederick focuses on Bohemia

Danish Phase – 1625 to 1630

Danish King, Christian IV invades Northern Germany to protect Protestants

He fights Wallenstein all around Germany: Silesia, Schleswig, and the Baltic Region

With no need for Wallenstein, the Emperor relieves him of his duties

The Swedish Phase – 1630 to 1635

Gustav Adolphus, king of Sweden, enters Germany to protect Protestants

Won major victories keeping the Habsburgs from uniting all of Germany under the HRE

Supported by France, a catholic nation

Goes on to invite Wallenstein to join his side, Wallenstein is assassinated outside of Prague

The French Phase – 1635 to 1648

Adolphus dies from a wound in 1632 and Swedes are finally defeated in 1634

Protestants offers peace in exchange for tolerance for Protestants

France enters war on side of Protestants joined by Dutch, Swedes and Finns

Habsburgs get help from Scots and Spanish

The End

With no side clearly winning the war ends with the 1648 signing of the Treaty of Westphalia

Princes can choose religion once againSweden gets land in the BalticsSwitzerland is formedFrance receives Alsaces and part of Spanish

NetherlandsHRE loses all of its powerHabsburg power grows in their area of

influence

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