Euro Essay In the early 17th century Europe was dragged into a long and treacherous conflict, The Thirty Years' War, that altered the country drastically. Battles were fought, economies were ruined, and thousands of lives were lost all due to the lack of religious toleration and the importance of politics. Countries formed alliances and clashed against each other with all their resources only to find themselves completely depleted and vulnerable in the end. However, through all the hardships and struggle of the conflict, the lengthy war eliminated Spain as the dominant power, recognized the rights of Protestants and Calvinists, and weakened the Holy Roman Empire over the German States representing a turning point in European History.
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From the start, Ferdinand III of Bohemia "violated Protestant religious liberties" and when he succeeded the throne of Emperor Mathias in 1619, he fought those who were Protestant(441, Kishlansky). In the eyes of Ferdinand, religion in Europe should have been only Catholicism and the others were just unnecessary. Toleration was not an answer for the Holy Roman Emperor and the only result that would satisfy his sense of victory would be the annihilation of every other religion. After the passion of war was extinguished, "a series of agreements" known as the Peace of Westphalia recognized the rights of Calvinists and also finally brought order to the continent(445, Kishlansky). Europe's lack of both resources and a desire of continuing the destructive war brought a peace that could have easily occurred in the beginning if Calvinists were just tolerated. Millions of lives and economies could've have been saved and the country would have continued to prosper without the turmoil of war. The exhausting war gave both Calvinists and Protestants freedom of the present and would also leave a mark for the rest of European
From the start, Ferdinand III of Bohemia "violated Protestant religious liberties" and when he succeeded the throne of Emperor Mathias in 1619, he fought those who were Protestant(441, Kishlansky). In the eyes of Ferdinand, religion in Europe should have been only Catholicism and the others were just unnecessary. Toleration was not an answer for the Holy Roman Emperor and the only result that would satisfy his sense of victory would be the annihilation of every other religion. After the passion of war was extinguished, "a series of agreements" known as the Peace of Westphalia recognized the rights of Calvinists and also finally brought order to the continent(445, Kishlansky). Europe's lack of both resources and a desire of continuing the destructive war brought a peace that could have easily occurred in the beginning if Calvinists were just tolerated. Millions of lives and economies could've have been saved and the country would have continued to prosper without the turmoil of war. The exhausting war gave both Calvinists and Protestants freedom of the present and would also leave a mark for the rest of European