› Lutheran and Catholic Princes try to gain followers -> religious conflict › Both sides feel threatened by Calvinism that is spreading › Lutherans ban together to form the Protestant Union in 1608 › Catholics form the Catholic League

 Which ruler was Holy Roman Emperor and king of Spain?  What did he do with his lands when he retired?  Who got what?  Why did he split his kingdom the way that he did?

 1618  Ferdinand II › Head of the Hapsburg family › Catholic › future Holy Roman Emperor and king of Bohemia closed some Protestant churches  Peasants revolted -> troops sent in -> Protestant German Princes see this as a chance to challenge the Catholic emperor

 “the last of the religious wars”  Began 1618 in Germany/Netherlands › Bohemian Peasant’s Revolt  Conflict between Catholics and Protestants (originally)  Denmark, Sweden, France, and Spain got involved › Conflict over religion and territory among European ruling families  * England was the only European power not involved

 As Denmark, Sweden, France, and Spain got involved, it became more political  They all wanted to be the strongest nation in Europe › What vocabulary word does this go against?

 First 12 years the Hapsburg armies from Austria and Spain dominated  Successfully put down the Czech uprising  Defeated German Protestants who supported the Czechs

 1630 – Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and his army of 23,000 began driving the Hapsburg armies out of northern Germany  Gustavus died in 1632  France (Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin) took over pushing out the Hapsburgs › Catholic France sends troops to help Protestants

 Why would Catholics want the Protestants to win?  After all of the religious issues between the two groups, why would the Protestants trust the Catholics?  Why would the French want to help the Protestant nations? › Basically what’s in it for France?

Ferdinand II Gustavus Adolphus

 Population of Germany dropped from 20 to 16 million  Trade and agriculture were disrupted  German economy is ruined  Major reason as to why Germany doesn’t become a unified state until the 1800’s

 Ended the war (1648) › More than 300 states that were formerly part of the Holy Roman Empire became independent  Weakened the Hapsburg states › Strengthened France by giving it German territory › Ended religious wars in Europe › New method of peace negotiation  Participants meet to settle the problems and decided peace terms

 Beginning of the modern state system › Europe is now made up of equal, independent states  The treaty abandoned the idea of a Catholic empire that would rule most of Europe

 Central Europe had no strong power in the mid 1600’s › Poland  Limited king › Holy Roman Empire  Thirty Years’ War › Ottoman Empire  Conquered Hungary and threatened Vienna and then declined

 Austrian Hapsburgs move towards absolute monarchy  How? › Reclaimed Bohemia during the war  Wiped out Protestantism and made Czech nobles loyal to them › Centralized the government and created a standing army › Took Hungary back from the Ottomans in 1699.

 1711 Charles VI became ruler.  Charles persuades the other leaders of Europe to recognize his oldest daughter as heir  Should have had a peaceful reign, but didn’t › Fought Prussia

 Built up their state with smaller holdings starting with Brandenburg and Prussia  A small territory with no natural frontiers for defense  Fredrick William, elector of Brandenburg  Fredrick become Great Elector after the war  Creates a strong army  Best standing army in Europe

 Junkers (Landowning nobility) resist  Why?  Fredrick William I bought their cooperation by making only them officers in the army  Highly militarized society

 Loved music, philosophy, and poetry  He was what is called an Enlightened monarch/despot  Followed his father’s military policies  Was religiously tolerant

 Austria vs. Prussia › Maria Theresa vs. Fredrick the Great  Prussia wanted Silesia  Battle ensues  Austria stops Prussia’s aggression but loses Silesia

 Alliance systems! (Get used to learning about this)  Austria allies themselves with France  Prussia in response allies themselves with Britain (Austria’s former ally)  Austria, France, and Russia vs. Prussia and Britain  1756 – Prussia attacks Saxony (Aus. ally) so everyone gets involved

 This war is fought on three continents  Asia (in India)  Europe  North America  After all is said and done, nothing changed in Europe  Britain comes out on top by kicking France out of India and gaining sole economic domination there  They also take France’s colonies in North America in what is known as the French and Indian War