How Did The Thirty Years War Affect Europe

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Lasting from 1618 to 1648, the Thirty Years’ War was one of the longest and most destructive of the European religious wars. Initially a war between Protestant and Catholic states in the fragmented Holy Roman Empire, it became a major turning point in European history. Numerous events preceding the war had led to its outbreak, and the consequences of the war included various social, political and economic changes throughout Europe. To begin with, prior to the war, Ferdinand II had been elected as the new Holy Roman Emperor, and tried to impose religious uniformity throughout his domain by forcing Roman Catholicism on the people. Consequently, the northern Protestant states, angered by the violation of their rights to choose their religion …show more content…

This document granted the rulers of the German Principalities the right to determine the religion of their own state and Calvinism was accepted. In addition, it also acknowledged the independence of the Dutch Republic from Spanish control and Switzerland’s neutrality. The treaty assisted in unifying many countries such as France, England, and the Dutch. However, it left the German Principalities separated. The signing of the Treaty of Westphalia essentially created the structure of Europe for the future. It provided the territorial boundaries for many nations and as a result, made the citizens of a nation more inclined to follow their rulers rather than those based off of a religion.
At the outcome of the War, no country had won, but the power order of Europe had been altered greatly. France was better situated than any other of the states that took part in the war, as it was the strongest and most unified. It tended to stay out of much of the war, and only intervened to support the group that looked the most stable. The religious group turned out to be the Protestants, despite the fact that France was Catholic. It was only looking for its best interests at heart. The Thirty Years’ War brought about the turning point in which France emerged from the war, as dominant power in

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