1. Years’ 30 War

2. Causes Causes: religious tension between Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire. Begun by Ferdinand II, the Holy Roman Emperor, after the death of Emperor Matthias. Ferdinand, a loyal Catholic, wanted to restore classic Catholic rule Protestants disagreed, and in Bohemian staged a major revolt, starting the war. Ferdinand II

3. BohemianDanish SwedishFrench-Swedish Frederick VChristian IV RichelieuGustavas II

4. The Bohemian Period (1618-1625): Revolt vs the Empire Ferdinand II elected to become king of Bohemia and of Hungary against Protestant wishes –staunchly Catholic, he i Immediately revoked religious freedom from Bohemian Protestants. “Defenestration of Prague”: – F. sent two Catholic counsellors to rule at castle in Prague (Bohemian capital): –Mock trial: Calvinists through them out of window (50 feet up) –Catholic story: angels rescued: Protestant story: landed in pile of manure Angry Bohemians declared the Calvinist elector Palatine, Frederick V their overlord. –Became part of Evangelical Union he headed With Spanish help Ferdinand’s Army had managed to subdue and conquer the Palatinate, and re-catholicize Bohemia. –Frederick V defeated by Emperor Ferdinand at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 –Spanish and Bavarian troops soon occupied the Palatinate itself. Emperor tried to force Catholicism on this Calvinistic region. –In 1623, Frederick was put under the ban of the Empire, and his territories and Electoral dignity granted to the Duke (now Elector) of Bavaria, Maximilian I

5. The Danish Period (1625-29): Lutheran King Christian IV of Denmark, wished to extend Danish influence in the HRE. –Helped neighboring Protestant Saxony vs HRE –Feared for sovereignty of Denmark if Saxony under HRE dictatorship –Lead Protestant forces against Catholic Ferdinand’s –Financed by Richelieu of France (Catholic) & Dutch against HRE power

6. Christian was quickly humiliated and forced to retreat by Ferdinand. –Ferdinand hired Albrecht of Wallenstein as a mercenary (Bohemian nobleman rich from confiscated estates of Protestants) –pledged his army of between 30,000 and 100,000 soldiers to FerdinandI in return for the right to plunder conquered –By 1628 Wallenstein commanded as army of 100,000, no longer under Ferdinand’s control, with victory over Christian –Christian agreed to abandon his support of Protestants if could keep Denmark. Edict of Restitution –Ferdinand II wanted to take back the Lutheran holdings that were, according to the Peace of Augsburg, rightfully the possession of the Catholic Church. –two Archbishoprics, sixteen bishoprics, and hundreds of monasteries. –It looked like Catholics had won and the war was over, BUT

7. The Swedish Period (1630-35): Gustavus Adolphus of the strongly Lutheran Sweden came to rescue of Protestant forces –Worried about HRE aggression vs Sweden –Protestant, wanted to support others –Wanted economic influence with German cities –bankrolled by France and the Dutch, and allies with Brandenburg and Saxony, decided to join the fight. Adolphus, a military genius, won a smashing victory at Breitenfeld in 1630. –Ferdinand fired Wallenstein, then reinstated him vs Gustavus Adolphus

8. Adolphus’s army met Wallenstein’s at the Battle of Lutzen, Nov. 1632. –Swedish forces won, but Gustavus Adolphus killed in battle (see illustration) Without Swedish leadership, the Protestant forces lost battles Ferdinand had Wallenstein assassinated in 1634. –W was negotiating peace with Protestants –Ferdinand feared he might desert to Protestants Swedish portion of war ends with Peace of Prague –Delayed enforcement of the Edict of Restitution for 40 years –United army of emperor with armies of German states to one army of the Holy Roman Empire –Forbade German princes to have alliances between them or with foreign powers. –Gave amnesty to any ruler who took up arms against the Emperor after arrival of the Swedes in 1630.

9. The Swedish-French Period (1635-48): The Peace of Prague didn’t satisfy the French, especially Cardinal Richelieu, chief advisor to Louis XIII (Henry IV’s son) Habsburgs still powerful, with territory on France’s eastern border and north in the Low Countries The French (Catholic) openly entered the war, ironically, on side of Protestants. The war lasted 13 years after that, warring just for the sake of warfare. With the Dutch and Protestant German forces, France attacked HRE imperial armies with much success Habsburgs invaded eastern France in retaliation, but were beaten The combined Protestant forces defeated imperial armies The fighting ended with the deaths of Richelieu and Louis XIII

10. officially ended the conflict recognized the United Provinces (Holland) and Swiss Confederation as sovereign nations It rescinded Ferdinand’s Edict of Restitution and firmly reasserted the major feature of the religious settlement of the Peace of Augsburg, Cuius regio. Gave the Calvinists long-sought legal recognition.

11. Effects of the War By the time that peace talks began in 1644, an estimated 1/3 of the German population had died, with economy and cities in ruins. –Civilian deaths due to armed conflict, famine and disease. –Much of the destruction of civilian lives and property was caused by the cruelty and greed of mercenaries. The war divided the HRE into even more political locations. Germany was already scattered before the war, and prospects of nationalism all but faded afterwards. It greatly disrupted the Balance of Power in Europe, almost eliminating Spain and the Habsburg Dynasty from being world powers. –It also made Sweden, United Provinces, and France major players in Europe, even if it was short-lived.