Thirty Years War: The Aftermath

The general results of the war may be said to have been a tremendous decrease in German population; devastation of German agriculture; ruin of German commerce and industry; the breakup of the Holy Roman Empire, which was a mere shell in the succeeding centuries; and the decline of Hapsburg greatness. The war ended the era of conflicts inspired by religious passion, and the Peace of Westphalia was an important step toward religious toleration. The incredible sufferings of the German peasantry were remembered for centuries. The political settlements of the peace were to the disadvantage of Germany as well as the Hapsburgs. The estrangement of N Germany from Austria, then begun, was to continue for more than two centuries.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Aftermath
• The Franco-Swedish Period
• The Swedish Period
• The Danish Period
• The Palatinate Period
• The Bohemian Period
• General Character of the War
• Bibliography

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