Significance-Signiticance for Germany Bwer Seventeenth Century Crisis-John Locke Ded and Triumph of Liberalism Ers
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
was the Chapter XV Thirty Years War-Treaty of mists Westphalia-its orted significance-Signiticance for Germany bwer Seventeenth Century crisis-John Locke ded and triumph of Liberalism ers. 15.1 Thirty Years' War ore gs. From 1618-1648 the Years' War Thirty convulsed Europe as the great od'. DOwers like Austria, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and France got involved in it. The war mainly took in mic place Germany but it was not a conflict m. over German interests onlý as interests of other powers were affected me as wel. The prolonged conflict in the mid-seventeenth century was nt. known as the Thirty Years War but included five specific conflicts. The cal war started with the Bohemian revolt, the Bohemian rebels fought with US the forces of the emperor (1618-1620) and after the battle of White ne mountain it came to an end. The Bohemian conflict spread to northern f and central Europe. The Austrian generals Tilly and Wallenstein attacked the German Protestant states which forced Denmark to join the issue with the empire (1625-1629). But Denmark withdrew from the conflict f at the early stage by signing the Treaty of Lubeck (1629) with the emperor. Sweden fought against the Hapsburgs for political and religious reasons (1630-1648). The objective of Sweden was to establish her hold ower Germany and the Baltic areas. Between 1635 and 1648 France tought against Austria which was a repetition of the old Hapsburg-Valois contlict. To these causes were added the general conflict and civil war Detween the Protestants and Catholics in Germany. The Catholic emperor planned to impose Catholicism by force on the Lutherans and Calvinists which was a potent cause of the contlict. The clash between the Hapsburgs and France was a mair the Thirty years' conflict. In the sixteenth century two dynasties fought rolonged war which had many deep-seated causes. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries the Hapsburgs captured several places which reatened the security of France along her eastern frontier. The process Siarted in 1477 with the marriage of Mary of Burgundy with the emperor laximilian I. France's ambition to expand in the east was thwarted as she was planning to capture Burgundy tor herselt. Then Austria entered 299 300 An Introduction to Early Modern Europe: 1400-1789 a alliance with which further antagonised into matrimonial Spain Franence. In 1519 Charles V became the sovereign ruler of Austria, ltaly and Spai and also the Holy Roman emperor. After him his brother Ferdinand became the emperor and his son and successor Philip II inherited Srnain Italy and Burgundy. The Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis (1559) could not build up permanent bridge of friendship between the two royal houses, In the second half of the sixteenth century France became badly engaged in religious conflict and resultant political crisis. The King Henry V (1589-1610) initiated several measures for the revival of French power. Austria and Spain were advancing to the south, north-east and east of France. Henry V pursued a pacific foreign policy but his successor Louis XIl and his minister Richelieu had other plans. They pursued a policy whose objective was to keep Austria and Spain weak and engaged. Richelieu himself said that his policy was. 'to arrest the progress of Spain and halt the advance of the House of Austria'. Richelieu was in favour of advancing France's natural frontiers. This meant that France was to occupy territories under their control. Richelieu had recourse to a strategy of not going to a war but safeguarding French interests: In 1631 France signed the peace of Barwald with Sweden and gave her financial assistance. The underlying motive was that the Austrian forces would be exhausted by fighting the efficient Swedish forces which would offer an opportunity to France to win easy victory in clashes with the Austrian forces. Theoretically Richelieu's programme was right, France joined the Thirty Years' War in 1635 but had won no victory for two years. In the early years of the forties the French got success, defeated Spain at the battle of Roero and captured Alsace. From 1645 to 1648 the French forces joined Sweden and defeated Austrian forces in Germany. In 1642 when Richeue died three of his objectives were nearly fulfilled. France joined the war according to plan and benefited from it. So far France was defending the of herself, peace Westphalia (1648) made new alignment of tor possible. Austria had none to be afraid of, even it was possible tor to attack Spain. over In the Thirty years' war Sweden had plans to extend her control the Baltic here After territories, her rivals were Denmark and Poland d 1625 the Austrian general Tilly attacked north Germany which t Denmark to take up arms in support of the north German Proteneral countries. Denmark was defeated in this conflict. The Hapsburg 9 Thirty Years' War 301 etoin marched to the north and reached the Baltic coast which Wallern threatenedWaned the security of Sweden. Sweden now gave up her policy ot e. neutrality and joined the war. The point is that the Swedish King Gustavas in nhus was alarmed at the advance of Austria to the north. It was kovedved that SvSweden was in danger from the power of the Hapsburgs. n, den feared that her trade would be ruined and Wallenstein was ot Sweder Austria into a naval the S. nlanning to turn power. There is no doubt that d Austrian general was planning to establish Austrian hold on the Baltic rOgion. Against this backdrop Gustavas joined the Thirty Years' War by and . attacking Pomerania. Sweden joined the war as its political, military to affected. The Swedish was on religious interests were likely be King S a of north Germany he the side of the Protestants. By capturing part He had a ready for y planned to turn Sweden into a great power. plan Austria would be a Protestant the reconstruction of Germany. replaced by be the leader. This federation in Germany of which Sweden would and them in future. federation would defy the Catholic states conquer his life and with it his of Lutzen (1632) Gustavas lost But at the battle the end. This definitely reflected for German federation came to an plan and central t to dominate northern ambitious programme of Sweden Sweden was not always succesful In the Years' War Europe. Thirty friend of France But Sweden was always a there were ups and downs. By the Treaty of Westphalia and tried to capture some parts of Germany. a of Germany. Sweden had been able to retain part of Austria and had been the objective In War it the Thirty Years revolts and protect their suppress to maintain stability in Europe, Austria pain Bohemia under under Spain and nerests. The Netherlands restless pursuing ambitious, were no longer Austria and Spain century they were Olted. the seventeenth the early years of reign policy. In concentrating on building Austria was expansionist powers, and Bohemian revolts nger The Dutch aggression. against Turkish e Netherlands wark also got involved. The other powers increased taxes on the involved them in war, lI levied King Philip Catholicism revolted becausebecau the Spanish ot imposing Catholicism for the purpose Inquisition to makehis his enemies people,e,introduced introduo Philip wanted army. was on them deployed Spanish Counter-Retormationrmation was Spain. and the und arm of Il became understand that the military successor Philip revolt and his down the revolt continued for Philip ailed to put The Dutch b of revolts. with the Thirty busy with thethe suppsuppression The event merged M (1560-1648). nan eighty years 302 An Introduction to Early Modern Europe 1400-1789 years' conflict as the Protestants and Catholics also clashed. Spain ininadd Ur Austria in Germany while incessant warfare continued in the Netherlande When France joined the war Spain mounted an assault on her from southern part of that country but failed to achieve anything. The failur of Spain was an additional encouragement to the Netherlands, who h the of Munster wrested freedom tor her northern Treaty part known as the united provinces. B P After the battle of Mohacs (1526) Bohemia became a part of Austrian empire. It was a prosperous region. Upto 1547 Bohemia remained peaceful, the problem cropped up when the Czechs joined the O Schmalkaldic war on behalf of the Protestants. The crown prince Ferdinand (later the emperor Ferdinand I) defeated the Czechs and imposed Draconian rule in the country, Bohemia became more restless. The Bohemians went against the empire for two reasonsthe Czech nationalism was growing powerful and the Protestant movement attracted the people. The Austrian emperor Rudolf II (1576-1612) imposed Catholicism on Bohemia by force the result of which was the revolt of Bohemia under the emperor Mathias (1618). Bohemia disliked three things-the Hapsburg rule, German culture and Catholic religion: Though the revolt of Bohemia marked the beginning of the Thirty years' war, other causes were responsible for the outbreak. Within tiwo years the Bohemian revolt was suppressed but it was none the less responsible tor civil war in Germany. There was a direct link between the Bohemian revolt and the civil war in Germany. In 1619 the Bohemians deposed the Prince Ferdinand and elected the Calvinist prince of PalatinateHapsburg Frederick V as the of Bohemia. King Having ascended the throne Frederick, in close association with the members of the Evangelical Union, took up arms against Austria. of their best Inspite efforts Bohemia was defeated by Austrian forces. The the Spanish general Spinola and the Austrian Tilly mounted assault on Palatinate, Baden and Brunswick.