Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
Background:
German states: Militant Catholicism vs. Militant Calvinism
Motivation: Religion (later political)
Battleground: Holy Roman Empire
Peace of Augsburg: No Calvinist recognition
Bohemian Phase:
(1618) Protestant Bohemian nobility rebelled vs. Ferdinand II
Defenestration at Prague: challenge to authority
Early Catholic victories/Bohemia declared Habsburg possession
Sweden & France:
(1630) Swedish entry into conflict (eventually defeated)
Guaranteed that Southern Germany remained Catholic
French entry into war under Cardinal Richelieu (1635-48)
Results of the War:
Peace of Westphalia (All German states free to choose religion)
France gained significant Franco-German territories
Holy Roman Empire recognized as independent (Habsburg figurehead)
Political interests trumped religious issues
