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•How can religion be a cause of war?

The Thirty Years War

What is the Thirty Years War?• Fought mainly in

Central Europe• From 1618-1648• Started as a German

civil war▫Soon became an

international conflict• One side of the war was

the Habsburg family▫Both the Holy Roman

Empire and Spain were ruled by Habsburgs

Causes of the War• Religious Tensions

▫The H.R.E. included Lutheran, Calvinist and Catholic states

▫The government was mostly controlled by Catholics

▫Competing alliances in Germany: The Catholic League and the Protestant Union

• Neighboring countries wanted more influence in Germany

The Bohemian Phase• 1618 – 1621• The Bohemians revolted

against Emperor Ferdinand II

• Ferdinand II was supported by the Catholic League and Spain

• The Bohemians could not get help from the Protestant Union or England

• The Spanish conquered areas in Western Germany

The Palatinate Phase•1621 – 1624•Frederick V attempted

to regain his land taken by the Spanish

•The Dutch assisted Frederick V because Spain planned to conquer them

•Frederick V failed and was pressured to give up by the King of England

The Danish Phase•1625 to 1630•Christian IV of Denmark

helped defend Lower Saxony

•France and England joined Denmark

•Denmark was defeated•The Edict of Restitution

was passed making some Protestant lands in the H.R.E. Catholic

The Swedish Phase• 1630 – 1634• The Swedish King with

assistance from the French invaded Germany

• Sweden took over much of Germany initially

• The Swedish army was pushed back by a combined force of the Emperor’s Army and the Spanish Army

The French Phase• 1634 – 1648 • The French were

threatened by the growing strength of the Habsburgs

• France declared war on Spain and increased its pressure on the H.R.E.

• The French and Swedish gained much land during the later years of this phase

Results of the War•Ended by Peace of

Westphalia▫A series of treaties

between the fighting countries.

•Calvinism legally recognized in H.R.E.

•Sweden and France gain some land

•Emperor greatly weakened

Results of the War•Germany loses 1/3 of

total population and half of male population

•Prussia became an important German Power

•France became the important land-based power in Europe