Consequences of the 30 Years War
From the change of warfare, to the vast changes in government and dominance,
the Thirty Years War had clearly resulted in many changes and effected many areas of
life. These changes occur politically, religiously, socially and economically. As the most
destructive event in German history, the Thirty Years War started as a conflict between
the Protestants and Roman Catholics, yet ended up as a fight for political power. The
war was divided up into 4 phases, the Palatine-Bohemian, Danish, Swedish, and French
phases. Though all the effects of the war were great, the change of political power was of
the most importance.
Although the war was disastrous in many ways, politically, it brought some
positive effects to certain countries, and death to others. In all of the Continent, France
became a leading power over Spain because of the weak and scattered Germany after the
war and the acquired province of Alsace. For Switzerland and the United Provinces of
the NetherlanRAB, the effect of the war had brought upon them independence from Spain.
In Germany, princes received sovereign independent authority. Although the Hapsburg
family, the Spanish, and the Germans were severely weakened, they continued
to work together in international affairs. In all of this, Germany had been effected the
most economically, especially because the war was held mainly in Germany.
As a center of trade before the war, Germany had suddenly become robbed of its
resources economically after the war. During the war, soldiers pillaged the farms and
houses of the Germans. The lustrous land Germany once had became unusable after the
war because the land was burned and fought on. Agriculture and trade was halted in all
of Europe because there weren't enough people to rebuild and regrow the crops. A
severe inflation had also occurred because of the flood of Spanish silver from South
America in Europe, which had impacted Germany the most. Although economics was a
great effect after the war, socially, the Continent had been damaged severely.
In the Holy Roman empire, population had declined 40% and in Germany, 33%
of the urban residents and 40% of the citizens in rural areas had died partly because of
military actions, and diseases such as typhus, dysentery and syphilis. In Germany,
education was stopped, cities were in ruins and serfdom had inclined rapidly because of
the expense to rebuild and the scarce labor. The death of many after the war was a direct
cause of the inclination of serfdom in Germany. Many princes and landowners created a
vast plantation that contained serfs as a response to the war. The many effects of the war
were disastrous, yet religiously, some issues were finally solved.
Ironically, the Thirty Years War had started as a religious conflict, yet at the end
of the war, the effect of the war religiously was not a major significance compared to the
Reformation. Although Calvinism finally became a legal creed, the Peace of
Augsburg had basically been agreed to stand permanently, in which the effects were
already seen after the Reformation. In the German states, each prince could determine
the religion practiced in their territory. The papacy also lost its power in the right to
participate in German affairs. At the end, the Northern German states remained
Protestant, and the south remained Catholic. The Thirty Years War solved little
religiously yet had effected severely politically, socially, and economically.
The end of the Thirty Years War was marked by the Peace of Westphalia. The
treaty brought upon many effects of the war in every aspect. Germany was of the
greatest effected because the war was mostly fought on its land. The war had been the
most disastrous event in German history. From the changes of religion, to the change of
government and warfare, the Thirty Years War formed a break with the past and the
modern world.
From the change of warfare, to the vast changes in government and dominance,
the Thirty Years War had clearly resulted in many changes and effected many areas of
life. These changes occur politically, religiously, socially and economically. As the most
destructive event in German history, the Thirty Years War started as a conflict between
the Protestants and Roman Catholics, yet ended up as a fight for political power. The
war was divided up into 4 phases, the Palatine-Bohemian, Danish, Swedish, and French
phases. Though all the effects of the war were great, the change of political power was of
the most importance.
Although the war was disastrous in many ways, politically, it brought some
positive effects to certain countries, and death to others. In all of the Continent, France
became a leading power over Spain because of the weak and scattered Germany after the
war and the acquired province of Alsace. For Switzerland and the United Provinces of
the NetherlanRAB, the effect of the war had brought upon them independence from Spain.
In Germany, princes received sovereign independent authority. Although the Hapsburg
family, the Spanish, and the Germans were severely weakened, they continued
to work together in international affairs. In all of this, Germany had been effected the
most economically, especially because the war was held mainly in Germany.
As a center of trade before the war, Germany had suddenly become robbed of its
resources economically after the war. During the war, soldiers pillaged the farms and
houses of the Germans. The lustrous land Germany once had became unusable after the
war because the land was burned and fought on. Agriculture and trade was halted in all
of Europe because there weren't enough people to rebuild and regrow the crops. A
severe inflation had also occurred because of the flood of Spanish silver from South
America in Europe, which had impacted Germany the most. Although economics was a
great effect after the war, socially, the Continent had been damaged severely.
In the Holy Roman empire, population had declined 40% and in Germany, 33%
of the urban residents and 40% of the citizens in rural areas had died partly because of
military actions, and diseases such as typhus, dysentery and syphilis. In Germany,
education was stopped, cities were in ruins and serfdom had inclined rapidly because of
the expense to rebuild and the scarce labor. The death of many after the war was a direct
cause of the inclination of serfdom in Germany. Many princes and landowners created a
vast plantation that contained serfs as a response to the war. The many effects of the war
were disastrous, yet religiously, some issues were finally solved.
Ironically, the Thirty Years War had started as a religious conflict, yet at the end
of the war, the effect of the war religiously was not a major significance compared to the
Reformation. Although Calvinism finally became a legal creed, the Peace of
Augsburg had basically been agreed to stand permanently, in which the effects were
already seen after the Reformation. In the German states, each prince could determine
the religion practiced in their territory. The papacy also lost its power in the right to
participate in German affairs. At the end, the Northern German states remained
Protestant, and the south remained Catholic. The Thirty Years War solved little
religiously yet had effected severely politically, socially, and economically.
The end of the Thirty Years War was marked by the Peace of Westphalia. The
treaty brought upon many effects of the war in every aspect. Germany was of the
greatest effected because the war was mostly fought on its land. The war had been the
most disastrous event in German history. From the changes of religion, to the change of
government and warfare, the Thirty Years War formed a break with the past and the
modern world.