The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) devastated Central Europe and weakened the Holy Roman Empire, made up of hundreds of small states. The war was both political and religious, pitting Protestants against Catholics. It ended with the Treaty of Westphalia, which granted independence to German states and recognized the Netherlands and Switzerland. This allowed Austria and Prussia to grow in power and influence within the fragmented German lands. Prussia built a strong military under the Hohenzollern family, while Austria consolidated Habsburg rule. Their rivalry contributed to future European wars as the two German states battled for dominance.

1. Rise of Austria and
Prussia
Chapter 17.4

2. The Thirty Years’ War
• By the early 1600s the Holy Roman
Empire has fallen into several hundred
small, separate states.
• The Holy Roman Emperor became an
elected position and had very little
power over the states princes
• Regional conflict also fuelled the Thirty
Years’ War
• North – Protestants (mainly Lutheran)
• South - Catholics

3. The Thirty Years’ War
Cont’
• The war was both Political and Religious
• It began in Bohemia (present day Czech Republic)
• When King Ferdinand of Bohemia (Hapsburg)
sought to suppress Protestants and assert
royal power over local nobles
• Ferdinand was elected Holy Roman Empire
in 1619 and with the support of Spain and
Poland there was a fight to push back the
Reformation

4. The Thirty Years’ War
• When Protestant states like Sweden and
the Netherlands heard of what was going
on in Bohemia Protestant troops were
sent to fight the Catholics
• However both Catholic and Protestant
rulers shifted sides when they would
benefit the most
• EX: Catholic France joined Lutheran Sweden
against the Catholic Hapsburgs
• Hapsburgs controlled Spain as well as Austria

5. The Thirty Years’ War
Cont’
• Many roving armies of mercenaries
destroyed all things in their way
• Murder and torture were followed by
famine and disease which lead to
depopulation in much of central
Europe.
• In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia was
signed ending the Thirty Year’s War

6. Treaty of Westphalia
• France comes out smelling like a rose
• France gained land on both the Spanish front
and German Front
• Hapsburgs lose big
• Accept almost total independence of all Princes
in the Holy Roman Empire
• Leaves Germany divided into 360 separate
states
• Netherlands and the Swiss Federation won
recognition as independent states

7. Hapsburg Austria
• Even after the Thirty Years’ War the
Hapsburgs still wanted a strong nation
under them
• By the early 1700s the Hapsburg empire
included Germans, Slavs and others
• Hapsburgs allowed each to practice and
live as they did before. But the Hapsburgs
would step in when they saw fit

8. Maria Theresa
• Charles VI had no son and no women
has every controlled Hapsburg land
by herself
• Charles convinced many European
families into recognizing Maria right
to the throne. Many ignored that
promise after his death
• In 1740 the largest threat came from
Frederick II of Prussia
• This will become the 8 years war of

9. Rise of Prussia
• As Austria emerged as a strong
Catholic State, Prussia emerged as
an equally strong Protestant State.
• Under the leadership of the
Hohenzollern (HOH uhn tsahl ern)
family. Prussia began to build a large
and very strong army.
• Also the Hohenzollern families set up
a system of bureaucracy to reduce
the power of the local nobles known

10. Frederick William I
• “Prussia is not a state which
possesses an army, but an army
which possesses a state.”
• By 1740 Prussia was strong
enough to challenge Austria
• Frederick II – Frederick William
trained him as a military leader
• Frederick preferred to play the
flute and write poetry

11. Frederick II
• Frederick with the help of a friend were
going to flee the country. Frederick
William discovered these plans.
• Frederick William forced his son to watch
the beheading of his own friend.
• Fredericks military training was not lost
because in in 1740 the War of Austrian
Succession was started by him

12. Balance of Power
• As Austria and Prussia became more
powerful in just added two more
powers to Europe
• Many wars broke out across Europe
• The largest was the 7 Years’ War
1756-1763
• (we know it better as the French and Indian War)
• Was fought on 4 different continents
• Prussia, Austria, Russia, France and Britain
fought in Europe
• Britain and France fought in India, Africa and
North America
• Treaty of Paris ends the war and gives
England a huge Empire