The 30 Years War
The Thirty Years’ War, 1618-1648, was mainly fought on the territory of today’s Germany, and involved most of the major European continental powers. Although it seemed a religious conflict between Protestants and Catholics, the rivalry between the Habsburg dynasty and other powers was also a central motive. Catholic France supported the Protestant side, showing that the motive was purely power–and anti-Hapsburg sentiment.
The impact of the Thirty Years’ War and related episodes of famine and disease was devastating. The war may have lasted for 30 years, but the conflicts that triggered it continued unresolved for a much longer time. The war ended with the Treaty of Westphalia. Read Full Article
