The Thirty Years’ War was a change between actions for religious reasons to actions for political reasons. The war started with Ferdinand II’s war against Frederick V to regain the Bohemian Crown that was originally his, but after Frederick had been defeated, Ferdinand, who was Catholic, completed the goal he set previous to his war against Frederick by demanding that all lands originally Catholic that became Protestant be returned to Catholic. He also decreed that because Calvinists were not included in the Peace of Augsburg, they were not protected and tolerated and therefore should be persecuted. This allied Lutherans and Calvinists against Ferdinand and the Catholics. Protestant alliances formed against the Holy Roman Empire and Spain’s
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Originally, in the middle of the 1500s, Spain was the greatest power in Europe. Under Philip II, Spain stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and included lands in the north such as the Netherlands and Italians lands such as Milan and Naples. Additionally, after becoming king of Portugal in 1580, Philip united all of the states of the Iberian Peninsula, and with the addition of Portugal’s Atlantic ports and fleet, the Spanish Armada and the country it represented was the strongest in Europe of the time. However, with the defeat of Spain in the Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia, Spain no longer had the right to control the Netherlands. France gained a significant amount of territory such as portions of Alsace and Lorraine. Due to Cardinal Richelieu, who was Louis XIII’s favorite, France became absolutist. He limited the power of Huguenots, nobles, and governors to centralize power in the hands of the ruler. Louis XIV under the guidance of his favorite Cardinal Mazarin further centralized power in the ruler. Louis’ minister of war reformed the French army while Louis created departments of state, councils of the king, a place and system for intendants, and a royal palace to display the glory and splendor of France known as Versailles. During Louis XIV’s reign, France replaced Spain as the greatest nation in Europe, and continued do so in the late seventeenth century. The French language replaced Latin as the universal European tongue and France was the richest and most populous European state under Louis XIV. The Thirty Years’ War transferred the title of most powerful European state from Spain to
Originally, in the middle of the 1500s, Spain was the greatest power in Europe. Under Philip II, Spain stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific and included lands in the north such as the Netherlands and Italians lands such as Milan and Naples. Additionally, after becoming king of Portugal in 1580, Philip united all of the states of the Iberian Peninsula, and with the addition of Portugal’s Atlantic ports and fleet, the Spanish Armada and the country it represented was the strongest in Europe of the time. However, with the defeat of Spain in the Thirty Years’ War and the Peace of Westphalia, Spain no longer had the right to control the Netherlands. France gained a significant amount of territory such as portions of Alsace and Lorraine. Due to Cardinal Richelieu, who was Louis XIII’s favorite, France became absolutist. He limited the power of Huguenots, nobles, and governors to centralize power in the hands of the ruler. Louis XIV under the guidance of his favorite Cardinal Mazarin further centralized power in the ruler. Louis’ minister of war reformed the French army while Louis created departments of state, councils of the king, a place and system for intendants, and a royal palace to display the glory and splendor of France known as Versailles. During Louis XIV’s reign, France replaced Spain as the greatest nation in Europe, and continued do so in the late seventeenth century. The French language replaced Latin as the universal European tongue and France was the richest and most populous European state under Louis XIV. The Thirty Years’ War transferred the title of most powerful European state from Spain to