THIRTY YEARS' WAR
1618 - 1648

The Thirty Years' War is sometimes also called The European Civil War. It was a series of battles fought over most of Europe, although the primary battleground was Germany.

Here is a map of Germany at the beginning of the Thirty Years' War

1618 Germany
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BEGINNING AND ENDING OF THE WAR
On May 23, 1618, a crowd of Protestants stormed the royal castle in Prague and threw two members of the Catholic government and their secretary out the window.

This incident became known as the Defenestration of Prague and officially marked the beginning of the Thirty Years’ War.

The Defenestration of Prague in 1618

Although none of the three people died, this incident set in motion a series of events that stirred up almost the whole of Europe for 30 years.

GERMANY 1619
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The war officially ended October 24, 1648, with the Peace of Westphalia.

1648 Germany - Peace of Westphalia

IMPACT ON HUMANKIND
The Thirty Years' War basically shaped the map of modern Europe as we know it today. It also changed European balance of power radically.

The member states of the Holy Roman Empire were granted full sovereignty. The essential structure of modern Europe as a community of sovereign states was established.

After the two World Wars, the Thirty Years’ War has been the third most traumatic period in the history of Germany.

THE BATTLES OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR
Approximately 40 battles were fought during the Thirty Years’ War. Some of them were:

The Battle of White Mountain, also called Battle of White Hill, November 1620. Imperial victory. Ferdinand II won, Frederick V lost.

The Battle of Breitenfeld - September 17, 1631. The first major victory for the Protestants. Gustav II Adolf of Sweden sent Ferdinand II and the Catholics packing.

The Battle of Lützen - November 16, 1632. Imperial defeat. Ferdinand II lost, the Swedes won but lost their king Gustavus Adolphus.

The Battle of Nördlingen - September 5 - 6, 1634. Decisive victory for the Empire and Spain over the Swedes. This battle ended the Swedish domination in southern Germany, and forced Richelieu to bring France into active participation in the war.

The Battle of Wittstock - October 4, 1636. Swedish victory, led by General Johan Banér.

The Battle of Rocroi - May 19, 1643. The French army of 22,000 men defeat the Spanish army of 26,000 men.

GERMANY 1630 - 1648
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WHO WON? WHO LOST?
The winners of the war were Sweden, which gained control over the Baltic; France, which became the chief Western power; and the United Netherlands, which became an independent republic.

The losers of the war were Austria and Spain, which lost their dominant political positions. Spain also lost the Netherlands. The ultimate loser of the war, however, was Germany. Its cities, economy and population suffered greatly.

Estimates vary as to the exact number of German lives lost in the Thirty Years’ War. Some rough estimates are as high as 12 million.

And here is another map of Germany in 1648:

Germany 1648
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WHY WAS THE WAR FOUGHT?
Originally, the issue was of a religious nature. Protestants, and later Calvinists, wanted religious freedom from the ruling Catholics. The matter soon got out of hand because other issues were involved, including the struggle for political, territorial, and commercial control.

Here is a timeline of the Thirty Years' War.

BOOK REVIEW

The Thirty Years' War

316 pages. Very professional and informing. Easy to get into it. Compilation by several authors, each one a specialist on the subject.

Gives description of a whole time period (A) out of Protestant eyes and (B) once more out of Catholic eyes.

A little bumpy to read, long sentences, no commas, too many brackets. Pre-existing knowledge about the Thirty Years' War is a help to understand certain parts. But remember, historians aren't poets.

Extensive book review in back, even with index of authors!


The Thirty Years War (New York Review Books Classics)

By C.V. Wedgwood. First published 1938. 544 pages. Refreshing short sentences.
Nice. Introduces (A) time (B) all teams (C) main figures before it starts with its description. Handy footnotes directly at end of each page. Handy dandy little table at the end (folds out) which shows connections and relations in Habsburg and leading Protestant dynasties.
Convinces with its simplicity on a tricky subject.


The Thirty Years' War (Access to History - In Depth S.)

Graham Darby. 2001. 113 pages. Aimed at the student of the subject. At end of each chapter study guide. Key questions, charts etc.