british caribbean guy react Thirty Years War The 2nd Horseman European History Extra History Part 2 we are back again with another extra history reaction if you like my extra credits history reaction be sure to subscribe for more extra credits history reaction as i will be finishing off this thirty years war extra history reaction. and make sure to suggest me more history reaction for future videos i hope you enjoy this extra history 30 years war reaction. The Thirty Years' War was one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. Primarily fought in Central Europe, it resulted in the deaths of an estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians due to battle, famine, or disease. Some regions of present-day Germany saw population declines exceeding 50%. Related conflicts include the Eighty Years' War, the War of the Mantuan Succession, the Franco-Spanish War, the Torstenson War, the Dutch-Portuguese War, and the Portuguese Restoration War.
Traditionally, the Thirty Years' War has been seen as a continuation of the religious conflicts that began with the 16th-century Reformation within the Holy Roman Empire. The 1555 Peace of Augsburg attempted to resolve these issues by dividing the Empire into Catholic and Lutheran states. However, the expansion of Protestantism beyond these boundaries over the next 50 years destabilized this settlement. While religious differences and disputes over Imperial authority were significant causes of the war, many contemporary commentators believe its scope and extent were driven by the struggle for European dominance between the Habsburg-ruled Spain and Austria, and the French House of Bourbon.
The conflict is generally traced back to 1618, when Emperor Ferdinand II was deposed as king of Bohemia and replaced by the Protestant Frederick V of the Palatinate. Although Imperial forces quickly suppressed the Bohemian Revolt, Frederick's involvement expanded the conflict into the Palatinate, whose strategic importance drew in the Dutch Republic and Spain, already engaged in the Eighty Years' War. Rulers such as Christian IV of Denmark and Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, who held territories within the Empire, found an excuse to intervene. This transformed an internal dynastic dispute into a broader European conflict.
The first phase of the war, from 1618 to 1635, was primarily a civil war among German members of the Holy Roman Empire, supported by external powers. After 1635, the conflict expanded, becoming part of a broader struggle between France, supported by Sweden, and Emperor Ferdinand III, allied with Spain. This phase concluded with the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, which granted greater autonomy to states like Bavaria and Saxony within the empire and recognized Dutch independence from Spain. The war shifted the balance of power in favor of France and set the stage for the expansionist wars of Louis XIV, which dominated Europe for the next sixty years.
The origins of the war can be traced back to the 1552 Peace of Passau, which sought to resolve conflicts between Protestants and Catholics within the Holy Roman Empire. The 1555 Peace of Augsburg aimed to prevent their recurrence by establishing boundaries between the two faiths, using the principle of cuius regio, eius religio. This categorized states as either Lutheran or Catholic based on the ruler's religion and protected substantial religious minorities in cities like Donauwörth, confirming Lutheran ownership of property taken from the Catholic Church since Passau.
However, these agreements were undermined by the expansion of Protestantism into areas previously designated as Catholic and the growth of Protestant denominations not recognized by Augsburg, especially Calvinism, which was viewed with hostility by both Lutherans and Catholics. The Peace of Augsburg also gave individual rulers greater political autonomy and control over the religion practiced in their domains, weakening central authority. Economic and political conflicts often overshadowed religious issues, with Lutheran Saxony, Denmark-Norway, and Sweden competing with Calvinist Brandenburg over the Baltic trade.
Managing these issues was difficult due to the fragmented nature of the empire, which included 300 Imperial Estates across Germany, the Low Countries, Northern Italy, and present-day France. These ranged from the seven prince-electors who voted for the Holy Roman Emperor to smaller entities like prince-bishoprics and Imperial cities. Each belonged to a regional grouping or "Imperial circle," which focused primarily on defense and operated autonomously. The Imperial Diet, the empire's representative institution, assembled irregularly and served more as a forum for discussion than legislation.
Although emperors were theoretically elected, the position had been held by the House of Habsburg since 1440.
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