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Sep 25, 1555
The Peace of Augsburg
Source The Diet of the Holy Roman Empire assembled in Augsburg and determined there should be no wars based on the religion in its domains. It recognized Catholics and Lutherans, claimed that this peace would last until peaceful reunion, and divided the land into Catholic and Lutheran regions. -
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King Christian IV of Denmark
Source Christian IV of Denmark started his personal rule in Denmark in 1598 after receiving thorough education. He obtained his kingdom with well-developed economy and incredible stability and tried to make Denmark the leading power of the North, but the involvement in the Thirty Yeras' War backfired badly. He was extremely popular because he was very active and started many reforms and projects. -
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Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria
Source Maximilian I, elector and duke of Bavaria, was a strong supporter of the Counter-Reformation. He founded the Catholic League and helped Frederick II get back the throne of Bohemia. He was against Wallenstein. By the Peace of Westphailia, he retained the Upper Platinate and the electorate. -
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King Louis XIII of France
Source King Louis XIII was one of the most respected French kings. He married Anne of Austria. He sent his mother Marie de Medici into exile, brough her back, and sent her into exile again. In the process, he met Richelieu. The King fought Huegenots and started a war against Spain. -
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King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Source King Gustav II Adolph was the king who made Sweden a great political and economic power. A great military commander, he joined the war on the side of Protestants and won many noteable victories, although he was killed in battle in 1632. He entered in an alliance with Richelieu against the Hapsburgs despite their religious differences. -
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Ferdinand of Styria, King of Bohemia
Source Ferdinand II was a strong Catholic of the house of Hapsburgs and wanted to restore Catholicism as the only religion in the HRE. When Prostestants took over Prague, he was replaced by Frederick V, but later reinstalled himself on the throne. Albrecht von Wallenstein was his generalissimo and won him many battles, but was assassinated when he entered into negotiations with the enemy. -
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The Bohemian Period
Source When Ferdinand of Styria was elected King of Bohemia, Bohemian Calvinists feared the loss of their religious rights. This led to a revolt, part of which was the Defenestration of Prague. Ferdinand II won the support of Maximilian I and the Catholic League. Troops of the HRE led by Tilly marched into Bohemia and won the Battle of White Mountain. Ferdinand II regained the throne and this phase ended with Catholic victory. -
Second Defenestration of Prague
Source A few Catholic Czech governors were kicked out of the window of the Bohemian Chancellery (but survived) based on a conflic over the destruction of a Protestant chapel on land Catholics claimed belonged to them. When the Catholic Ferdinand II was chosen to rule Bohemia the previous year, he tried to impose Catholic absoluticism in his domains, beginning the 30 years war. -
Battle of White Mountain
Source A battle fought near Prague in Bohemia in which the Roman Catholic Hapsburgs defeated the Protestant Union. As a result of the victory, the house of Hapsburg established an authoritarian government that survived until WWI. Under the leadership of Tilly, Protestant King Frederick was defeated at once. -
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King Philip IV of Spain
Source Philip IV of Spain enlarged the territory of his kingdom, but because of his inability to achieve successful military and domestic reforms left Spain in a state of decline. He was famous as patron of arts and supported Velazquez, one of the greatest Spanish artists. -
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Cardinal Richelieu
Source Richelieu became cardinal in 1622, and two years later became chief minister in 1624. He is considered one of the greatest politicians in French history. The person who helped him reach this position the most was Marie de Medici, the mother of Louis XIII. He reformed the army, advanced royal absolutism, fought Protestants, led a successful foreign policy. -
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The Danish Period
Source The Danish Period began when Christian IV of Denmark decided to help Protestants against Ferdinand II. Wallenstein and Tilly defeated Christian IV in 1626 and occupied Holstein. Protestants took over Prague and elected Frederick V as a king, but he was defeated by Ferdinand II. The Treaty of Lubeck restored Holstein to Christian IV, but he left the war. The period ended with Catholic victory. -
Battle of Dessau Bridge
<ahref='http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_dessau.html' >Source</a> In order to gain territory in Germany, Christian IV advanced into the mainland, but was met by troops of the HRE led by Wallenstein. The army of Christian IV was defeated. This led to a series of defeats that resulted in the Treaty of Lubeck. -
Treaty of Lubeck
Source As Christian IV suffered a series of defeats, he was forced to give up and withdraw officially from the war. According to the Treaty, he also had to give up his claims in northern Germany and was only allowed to keep the state of Holstein. The Treaty ended Denmark's significant influence and the country stopped being an European power. -
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The Swedish Period
Source King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden became the new leader of Protestant troops; he moved to Germany and signed an alliance with France against the Catholic Hapsburgs. At first, Swedes won (Tilly was killed). In the Battle of Lutzen, Gustavus Adolphus was killed. Wallenstein was assassinated. The HRE defeated Sweden in the Battle of Nordlingen. Deaths and exhaustion led to the Treaty of Prague, which strengthened Hapsburgs. -
Battle of Lutzen
Source Knowing that Wallenstein has sent a big part of his army on another mission, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden decided to confront him on the Lutzen-Leipzig road as part of his campaign to support his allies in Germany. The King was killed on the battlefield. His death encouraged the troops to keep fighting despite the odds, and they won the fight as the Germans retreated. -
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The French Period
Source France decided to directly join the war. Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIII wanted to weaken the Hapsburgs (in Germany and Spian) and take over Alsace. France succeeded agains Spain and sent more troops to Germany. Ferdinand II died, and the French occupied Bavaria. The Peace of Westphalia followed. -
Treaty of Prague
Source A peace treaty between Ferdinand II and the Protestant states of the HRE. It ended the civil war in Germany through restoring the conditions and rules listed in the Peace of Augsburg. The Peace also united Germany; formal alliances were prohibited and the armies united into an Imperial Army. -
Peace of Westphalia
Source A series of peace treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War. It involved representatives of 194 states, and the negotiations lasted four years, from 1644 to 1648. It ended with the HRE, Spain, France, Sweden, and the Dutch Republic agreeing to respect each other's sovereignity and territorial integrity, a concept which grew into the political order called Westphalian sovereignity. (+Ended 80 Years' War) -
Treaty of the Pyrenees
Source The Peace of Westphalia didn't end the war between France and Spain; it ended in 1659, 24 years later, when the Treaty of Pyrenees was signed on the Isle of Pheasants, a territory which remains a condominium ever since. France gained some territories and in exchange withdrew their support to a revolt in Portugal; Louis XIV of France married Maria Theresa of Spain; the English got Dunkirk.
