During the first half of the 17th century, they dominated Central Europe religious divisions and intolerance, leading to a merciless conflict during which mercenary armies composed mainly of Catholics and Protestants wreaked havoc on the countryside. All the Great Powers of the time were involved in this conflict, which lasted thirty years, from 1618 to 1648.
The spark of armed conflict was ignited in Bohemia when Protestant leaders established a provisional government based in Prague in 1618 in response to the restrictive measures implemented by the Holy Roman Emperor of the German Nation, Ferdinand. The general uprising of the protestors in Bohemia was directed not only against the Catholic Church but also against the Habsburg dynasty. Wishing to gain the support of Protestants from other German states, the revolutionaries offered the crown of Bohemia to the young Calvinist Elector of the Palatinate Frederick. He accepted their proposal in 1619.
Both Catholics and Protestants gave an international dimension to their pursuits, linking them to the interests of the dynastic houses of the Great Powers.
Both Catholics and Protestants gave an international dimension to their pursuits, linking them to the interests of the dynastic houses of the Great Powers. Soon troops from Spain, Bavaria, France, Denmark, England, Holland, Sweden, Poland, Brandenburg, Saxony and other smaller states of Central Europe were involved in the conflict. The armies of the countries involved have repeatedly committed atrocities against their opponents and the civilian population. The number of soldiers enlisted during the Thirty Years’ War is estimated at at least one million.
In the mid-1640s, when tens of thousands of people had already lost their lives and much of the countryside had been abandoned due to the devastation caused by the conflicts, the first attempts were made to conclude a general peace agreement. A total of 145 delegates from almost all the states of continental Europe gathered in Westphalia accompanied by thousands of diplomats and officials to discuss the future of Europe after the Thirty Years’ War. Every day, hundreds of officials traveled between Westphalia and the capitals of the states where they served, carrying letters, notes and policy instructions for the heads of delegation to follow. The journey took about 10 days to reach Vienna and Paris, about 20 days for Stockholm and almost a month for Madrid.
The treaty rearranged the European map. New states were created, such as the United Dutch Provinces and the Swiss Confederation, and other states annexed territories, such as Denmark and France.
After a marathon of negotiations, during which the war almost resumed, on October 24, 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia was signed. The treaty rearranged the European map. New states were created, such as the United Dutch Provinces and the Swiss Confederation, and other states annexed territories, such as Denmark and France. To a large extent the territorial compromise reached in 1648 remained in effect until 1789 and the French Revolution. The Treaty of Westphalia further strengthened the tradition of autonomy of the German states, delaying their unification, which was achieved more than two hundred years later in 1871.
Column Editor: Myrto Katsigera, Vassilis Minakakis, Antigone-Despina Poimenidou, Athanasios Syroplakis
