Thirty years war Peace of Westphalia

Thirty Years War

Peace of Westphalia: 1648

Introduction HRE is a mix of Czech, Bohemian,

French and German (Majority), evenly split between Protestant and Catholic

Isolationist perspectives of Lutheran states led to cultural decline

suspicious of the outside world and suffered from cultural isolation

Universities attracted fewer students as intellectual energies were spent defending dogmas

Witch burning Commercial activity is in decline Banking and financial interests

were shifting west

Background of the Thirty Years’ War HRE Role

Peace of Augsburg (1555) provided that each state could prescribe the religion of its subjects

leads to the development of two opposing forces

Lutheran states are making gains by converting leaders

Catholics states are supported by Spain

Spain’s Role wanted Nether back or at least to end Dutch trade in Indies

wished to consolidate Habsburg position in Germany and in Swiss cantons

Background of the Thirty Years’ War

Philip III (1598-1621)

French Role Spain’s moves

aroused France Idea of a stronger

power in Germany also aroused French

intent and preventing a strong Hapsburg state from emerging in the HRE

Background of the Thirty Years’ War

Louis XIII (1610-1643)

Complexity of the Thirty Years’ War Fought over religion, constitutional

issues, centralization v independence of German states

Between the French and Hapsburgs, Spain and Dutch

Fought mostly on German soil Divided into 4 or 5 phases

Bohemian (1618-1625) Danish (1625-1629) Swedish(1630-1635) Swedish-French(1635-1648)

Background of the Thirty Years’ War

Why another War? Peace of Augsburg – solved nothing

granted rights to Lutherans, but other Protestant religions left out

an issue for Palatinate Elector = Calvinist War between emperor and princes

“Protestant Union”(1608) and a “Catholic League”(1609) determined to hold the other at bay

PU supported by Dutch, English & Henry IV of France CL founded in Bavaria & backed by Spain

Austrian Habsburgs would like a strong central government (nation-state); must push out Protestantism

Why another War? War between emperor and princes

It seems the “emperor” isn’t really an emperor (i.e. no power!), HRE too divided

Instead we have a “Protestant Union”(1608) and a “Catholic League”(1609) determined to hold the other at bay

PU supported by Dutch, English & Henry IV of France CL founded in Bavaria & backed by Spain

Austrian Habsburgs would like a strong central government (nation-state); must push out Protestantism

Habsburg Family Tree – Part II

Maximilian I(1493-1519)Philip___________La Loca

Charles V (Sp/HRE) Ferdinand I(1516-1556) (1556-1564) HRE

Philip II (Sp)(1556-1598) Maximilian II Charles of Styria Philip III (Sp) (1564-1576)(1598-1621) Rudolf II Matthias Ferdinand II

(1576-1612) (1612-1619) (1619-1637)

RII & M = kings of Hungary, Bohemia/ FII = king of Bohemia

Phase I: Bohemian Phase 1618-1625

HRE – Matthias (Ferdinand’s grdson) dying, successor to Empire

Logical choice: cousin, Ferdinand II BUT electors are mainly Protestant and

Ferdinand is Catholic Ferdinand ALSO king of Bohemia! Bohemians (Czechs / Germans) –

together with Slovaks = mainly Protestant vs. Catholic king

Bohemia revolts Defenestration of Prague: Mathias’ reps

thrown out the window (land on dung) Mathias send in troops to restore order & is

deposed Mathias dies & Ferdinand II should reign

Bohemians elect “Frederick of the Palatinate”

So War: Ferdinand and Catholic League vs. Frederick and Protestant Union

Ferdinand crowned as HRE and defeats Frederick at Battle of White Mountain 1620

Outcomes of Phase I Spain dig-in in Rhineland; prepare to take

on French and Dutch Ferdinand II gets elected king of Bohemia

& confiscates 50% of nobles’ estates some goes to churches, monasteries & orders some goes to mercenaries = new aristocracy

Jesuits re-Catholicize Bohemia missions, schools, court proceedings,

executions Protestantism expunged in Austria Protestant Union dissolved in 1621

Phase II:Danish Phase 1625-1630

Danish Lutherans vs. Habsburg power! Denmark’s King Christian IV (a.k.a.

Duke of Holstein) vs. Ferdinand II religious as well as political agenda some Dutch, English, French backing

Ferdinand wins under gen. Wallenstein who plunders Germany and Danes (Spanish cousins of HRE help) Wallenstein actually reaches Baltic & Danish

Pen.

Results of Phase II Germany is completely engulfed

by the Counter Reformation Palatinate, northern Lutheran states,

Bohemia & Austria = re-Catholicized 1629 HRE issues “Edict of

Restitution”: All Catholic states pre Peace of Augsburg (1555) are restored as Catholic

Results of Phase II Terror sweeps Germany, France, Denmark

& Sweden Germans fear for Protestantism as do Danish, who are also dealing with

Wallenstein French (Richelieu) dealing with internal

conflicts, can’t take Ferdinand II alone, so... engage Swedes, by ending their conflict with

Poland and paying them 1 million livre/year for 40,000 troops (Dutch pay 50,000 florins a month)

Phase III:Swedish 1630-1635

Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus: great ruler united Sweden conducted overseas operations increased land holdings bu acquiring areas of

Poland & Russia creates Europes most modern army

1630 lands in Germany to take over fight for Protestantism in the meantime...Richelieu has turned Catholic

states against FII (fear of centralization)

Phase III – Swedish 1630-1635

Glorious Victories (military backing from Saxony) 1631 Breitenfeld 1632 Lützen (GA dies in battle)

Oxenstierna (GA’s Chancellor) picks up fight penetrates Bohemia as far south as the Danube

Internal Discord Wallenstein upset with power of Spanish and

gives up fight; begins private peace talks with Swedes & Saxons; assassinated by one of his own

Phase III – Swedish 1630-1635

Internal Discord (con’t.) Saxons (ind. of Swedes) enter into

talks w/ Emperor 1635 Peace of Prague: annuls Edict of

Restitution, many other German states sign treaty & pull support of Swedes

Swedes left isolated in Germany French/Spanish not ready to give

Phase IV: French-Swedish /International Phase 1635-1648

Richelieu not happy the Habsburgs won again … so … he declares war on Spain (Habsburg – Philip IV – helping HRE)! Portugal & Catalonia declare independence from

Sp. Netherlands, Savoy also enter on Swedish

side! Battles go both ways, Richelieu, Ferdinand II,

Louis XIII, Wallenstein all die early 1640’s Germany grows to resent this foreign invasion Exhaustion – and Peace of Westphalia 1648

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)

The 30 Years’ War officially ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia

The treaties recognized the sovereignty of the 300+ German princes

The treaties disallowed papal meddling in German religious affairs

The treaties upheld the Peace of Augsburg, added Calvinism to the list of religions allowed in German states and nullified the Edict of Restitution

Immediate Results of the 30 Years’ War

After the Peace in 1648, the northern states in Germany remained primarily Protestant while the southern states in Germany remained primarily Catholic

The United Provinces and Switzerland won recognition as independent states

German princes won the right to form alliances and sign treaties as long as they didn’t declare war on the Holy Roman Empire

Sweden won cash and land in the Baltic region France won the region of Alsace

Political Fallout from the 30 Years’ War

Because Spain lost territory and France gained territory, France stood alone as the most powerful nation on the continent

France also benefited from the fragmentation of the Holy Roman Empire and the weakening of the Habsburg family influence

Peace of Westphalia, 1648

The Peace of Westphalia is said to have ended attempts at the imposition of any supranational authority on European states.

...the major European powers agreed to abide by the principle of territorial integrity.

WESTPHALIAN SYSTEM The principle of the sovereignty of

states

The principle of (legal) equality between states

The principle of non-intervention of one state in the internal affairs of another state

Political Provisions: Each Ger. prince became free from any kind

of control by the HR Emperor. The United Provinces [Dutch Neths.] became

officially independent so. part remained a Sp. possession.

Fr. rcvd. most of the Ger-speaking province of Alsace.

Sweden got lands in No. Ger. on the Baltic & Black Sea coasts.

Switzerland became totally independent of the HR Emperor Swiss Confederation.

Sweden won a voice in the Diet of the HR Emp.

Brandenburg got important terrs. on No. Sea & in central Germany.

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)

Religious Provisions: Calvinists would have the same

privileges as the Lutherans had in the Peace of Augsburg.

The ruler of each state could determine its official religion, BUT [except in the hereditary lands of the Habsburgs], he must permit freedom of private worship.

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)