Thirty Years War and the Disintegration of Germany

By: Mick Best & Jacob Hopper

Four Phases of WarBohemian (1618 - 1625)

Danish (1625 - 1629)

Swedish (1630 - 1635)

Swedish-French (1635 - 1648)

The Czechs (Bohemians) feared loss of Protestant liberties.

They threw the two emissaries from the Holy Roman Emperor out of a window.- “Defenestration of Prague”

King sent troops to restore order.

He was deposed and a new king elected.- Calvinist Elector Palatine (called Frederick V)

Bohemian (1618-1628)

The Czechs then rebel against him. Emperor Ferdinand was aided by papal

money, Spanish troops, and forces of Catholic Bavaria. He manages to defeat the Bohemians at the battle of White Mountain (1620).

Ferdinand’s estates are then overrun by the Spaniards.

Bohemian (cont…)

Christian IV of Denmark, also Duke of Holstein, began interveningHe feared the Habsburgs were gaining too much power

Ferdinand of Spain then raised an army under Albert of Wallenstein.

Wallenstein used professional fighters who worked by pillage and not by pay

His army operated under his own policy and became very tortuous.

Danish (1625-1629)

They defeated Christian IV soundly and invaded the Danish peninsula

Wallenstein was unable to take the Danish capital of Copenhagen and soon realized the cons of moving forward were much greater than the pros.

The Treaty of Lübeck concluded the conflict and allowed Christian IV to keep control of Denmark if he promised to give up his support for the Protestant German states.

Danish (cont…)

King of Sweden - Gustavus Adolphus - Created most modern army of that time.

- Sows discontent among German catholics.He then has his army fight against the German emperor.Won battles at Breitenfeld and Lützen. Gustavus is killed

at Lützen. Swedes push into Bohemia and as far as the Danube. The victories mean very little, because the sides were

weakened by disagreement. Saxony makes their own peace

- Peace of Prague of 1635.German Protestants withdraw from the Swedes. Swedes isolated in Germany. Seemed like the German states were becoming unified, but the 30 Year’s War had just begun.

Swedish (1620-1635)

Swedish War

The Spanish drove deep into France. Champagne and Burgundy were destroyed, and Paris was seized. The French, however, turned it around while others rebelled against Spain. France recognized the independence of Portugal, and so did England,Holland, and Sweden. The French then proceeded to run through Catalonia, pillaging and destroying the area. The Swedish and The French made a promise to not make treaties with any other countries. A feeling of national resentment against foreign invasion was starting to develop.

French (1635-1648)

Began in Münster and Osnabrück. German states wanted peace and for “reform” of the

Holy Roman Empire. France and Sweden wanted the individual states to be in

the negotiations. Princes were fine with this. The emperor wasn’t.

Negotians dragged on since armies were still fighting. France and Spain refused to make peace with each other. A settlement was agreed to for the Holy Roman Empire

(known as the Peace of Westphalia). Armies were still fighting. After each battle the winner

would raise its terms to the other side. The Westphalia Peace incorporates the two treaties of

Münster and Osnabrück.

Peace of Westphalia Prologue

A general checkmate to the Counter Reformation in Germany.- Renewed the Peace of Augsburg- Granted state rights to determine their own religion.

Added Calvinism to Lutheranism and Catholicism as an acceptable faith. Protestants won a complete victory in the issue of church territories.

Peace of Westphalia - 1648

After the Peace

http://flic.kr/p/bdkYrv

http://flic.kr/p/bqyc3k

Palmer, R. R., Joel Colton, and Lloyd S. Kramer. A History of the Modern World. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2002. Print.

http://bit.ly/19xnvS9

http://bit.ly/19cT5GC

Works Cited