The Thirty Years War

The Thirty Years War lasted from 1618-1648 and was considered one of the most desrtuctive battles in European history. Most of the war was fought in Germany, but in some of the other European countries as well. Historians have an idea as to what caused the war, but are not able to blame it on just one party. The war was inittially fought between Protestants and Catholics in the Holy Roman Empire, although disputes over the politics and power within the Empire played a significant part.

The war gradually progressed and became a more general conflict,this caused all of the European powers to become involved in the war. In 1617 the Holy Roman Emperor, Methias, wanted to place Ferdinand, his heir, on the throne in Bohemia. By doing this "a Catholic succession to the Imperial title" was ensured. Ferdinand's goal was to alienate the Protestant Bohemian's and put a stop to their religious rights.

Many Bohemian Calvinits were shaken up when they found out that Ferdinand was elected because they feared losing their religous rights. The Calvinist revolt began in May 1618, when rebels threw two Catholic members of the Bohemian royal council from a window that was about seventy feet off the ground. The members of the council fell into piles of manure and only suffered from minor injuries.

"So great was the devastation brought about by the war that estimates put the reduction of population in the German states at about 15% to 30%.[42][43] Some regions were affected much more than others.[44] For example, the Württemberg lost three-quarters of its population during the war.[45] In the territory of Brandenburg, the losses had amounted to half, while in some areas an estimated two-thirds of the population died.[46] The male population of the German states was reduced by almost half.[47] The population of the Czech lands declined by a third due to war, disease, famine and the expulsion of Protestant Czechs.[48][49] Much of the destruction of civilian lives and property was caused by the cruelty and greed of mercenary soldiers, many of whom were rich commanders and poor soldiers.[50] The Swedish armies alone may have destroyed up to 2,000 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in Germany, one-third of all German towns.[51] The war caused serious dislocations to both the economies and populations of central Europe, but may have done no more than seriously exacerbate changes that had begun earlier." (source)

The war finally ended with the Peace of Westphalia. It was signed on May 15 and October 24, 1648. It was written in French, and ended both the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire (today mostly Germany) and the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. The treaty involved the Holy Roman Emperor, Ferdinand III (Habsburg), the Kingdoms of Spain, France and Sweden, the Netherlands and their allies among the princes and the Holy Roman Empire.