The Origins of the Conflict
The Thirty Years War began in the Holy Roman Empire, in which a balance of power had emerged in the previous two centuries. In the sixteenth century however, the Reformation and the Counter Reformation had divided Germany into Protestant and Catholic camps. Each of these camps prepared to look for support to strengthen themselves. In 1618, Ferdinand II began to diminish certain religious privileges enjoyed by those in Bohemia, and they immediately appealed for help by the Protestants in the rest of the empire (Great Britain, the Dutch Republic, and Denmark). In response to this, Ferdinand in turn, called upon the German Catholics led by Bavaria, Spain, and the papacy. The gathering of these groups started the first battle at White Mountain in 1620 which led to more battles, and eventually starting a war. Throughout this website, we will be discussing the second half of the Thirty Years War; approximately 1630 to 1648.
Kara Peltola
Kara Peltola