Before i started this, the sum total of my knowledge on the thirty years war did not. Major stumbling blocks to the study of the war include the need to work with at least fourteen languages, study thousands of published works, and toil in numerous archives to produce a study that would cover all aspects of a conflict that involved much of. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the. His expedition with the worthy scots regiment called mackeyes this is a classic text from the thirty years war. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of europe, and, when it ended with the treaty of westphalia in 1648, the map of europe had been irrevocably changed. It remains one of the longest and most brutal wars in human. It remains one of the longest and most brutal wars. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The thirty years war 16181648, in particular, was one of the largest battles of the century, and it was responsible for creating new dynasties and destroying others, with. After angry protestants tossed three representatives of the holy roman empire out the window of the royal castle in prague, world war spread from bohemia with relentless abandon, drawing powers from spain to sweden into a nightmarish world of famine. The thirty years war was a 17thcentury religious conflict fought primarily in central europe.
The book also encapsulates so much about why the war is so complex. A deadly continental struggle, the thirty years war devastated. Thirty years war, 161848, in european history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. What are the best history books for the 30 years war. The thirty years war consisted of a series of declared and undeclared wars which raged through the years 16181648 throughout central europe. Best books on the thirty years war five books expert. Causes, issues, or results the thirty years war was a series of european battles from 1618 to 1648, fought primarily in germany. Catholics and huguenots in sixteenthcentury paris, book by barbara b. That depends on your current knowledge of the subject, and the level of detail youd like to have. See more ideas about renaissance, thirty years war and military history. Death came during the battles, from disease and the rampaging of the armies through the.
The thirty years war began with a naive ruler asserting these rights in an area that only partially belonged to the empire, though the emperor reacted harshly to this and used it as a reason. Cicely veronica wedgwoods history is considered a classic englishlanguage history of the war, and with good reason. This book covers not only the bavarian armys organisation, but also has chapters on recruitment, officers, clothing, weaponry, pay and rations of a soldier during the thirty years war. Wilsons masterful book will stand as the definitive account of this epic conflict. The bavarian army has been overshadowed by those of gustavus adolphus and wallensteins armies, but it was one of only a few armies to have fought throughout the thirty years war, first as part of the catholic league and then an independent army after the peace of prague. As well as life and death in the army, this book also looks at the women who accompanied it. The four stages of the thirty years war, which was fought mostly in the holy roman empire modern germany, involved nearly all of the major powers of europe, and was a war that used religion as a coverup for politics.
Peter wilson offers the first new history in a generation of a horrifying conflict that. The menace of economic insecurity and how to fight it. The thirty years war geoffrey parker published in history today volume 32 issue 8 august 1982 it is often claimed that samuel pufendorf, the eminent seventeenthcentury jurist and historian, first coined the phrase the thirty years war to describe the series of conflicts which ravaged europe between 1618 and 1648. Dame wedgwood was the third woman to be appointed member of the order of merit on the strength of her biographies of among.
Scots in particular fought at every level, especially on the swedish side, and on the imperialist side croats were notorious for their barbarity. It began as a fight about religion the protestants and catholics were the two groups that disagreed. The thirty years war happens to be one of the periods of european history that im most interested in and lead me to buy the card driven game of the same name, which is the first wargaming ive done since school and im 36 now. Somewhere i read that it set back civilization and development 200 years in germany. Wedgwood is an excellent narrative history of a conflict that saw the end of one kind of conflict and the beginnings of another with interesting personalities that fought and conducted policy around it while also showing the effects on the whole population. The japanese soldier who fought wwii for 30 years too long. It begins its narative in 1608 to show some of the background of the war. The result of that conflict and the conclusion of the great european war at the peace of westphalia in 1648 helped establish postwar sweden as a force in europe. Europe in 1618 was riven between protestants and catholics, bourbon and hapsburgas well as empires, kingdoms, and countless principalities. The best books on the thirty years war 1 westphalia. Books on the thirty years war 16181648 score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. The war originated with dual crises at the continents centre.
Empire and ended in an international war fought largely on german soil. One of the most destructive conflicts in human history, it resulted in. The thirty years war was a war fought primarily in central europe between. Though it was primarily centered in germany, several other countries became involved in the conflict, including france, spain, and sweden. This book is an exallent book on the thirty years war. Its destructive campaigns and battles occurred over most of europe, and, when it ended, the. How were battles fought during the thirty years war 1618. Wedgwood a descendent of the potter who founded the wedgwood company. Parker tries to examine the war from all of the sides invovled. If youre looking for an overview, the entry in my favorite singlevolume military history book, lynn montruss war through the ages is excellent, i.
The thirty years war was a european continental war that took place from 16181648 thirty years. The concept of uniforms was under development during the thirty years war. The thirty years war, a combination of numerous religious, political and economic factors, was probably the most defining moment in european history until the first world war, and so it should be ripe with royal drama, thrilling exploits, military spectacles and political intrigue. Thirty years war 161848, in european history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Thirty years war 161848, in european history, a series of wars fought by various nations for various reasons, including religious, dynastic, territorial, and commercial rivalries. The 17 th century oversaw the modernization of war, from upgrades in weaponry to revaluations of battle tactics, from the replacement of old arms with new ones to the invention of new army procedures and formations. From 164345, during the last years of the thirty years war, sweden and denmark fought the torstenson war. Somewhere along the way i picked up that the book on the thirty years war was the prosaically entitled the thirty years war written in 1938 by a twentyeightyearold english woman, c.
The thirty years war was fought from 1618 until 1648. Austrian general who fought for the hapsburgs during the thirty years war 15831634. The thirty years war is considered within its own context, rather than merely as a poor relation to the linear or napoleonic periods. Any really good ecw book on uniforms, which are readily available will supply most of your needs in this area.
Thirty years war simple english wikipedia, the free. The chapter on civilians and soldiers looks at the impact. The thirty years war was one of the most devastating wars of the early modern periods. Historians also believe the first european witch hunts began during the war. Just as the thirty years war of 1618 to 1648 was not a single war but a series of conflicts in varied times and locations, later organized and named by historians into a single period, the second thirty years war has been seen as a european civil war, fought over the problem of germany and exacerbated by new ideologies such as communism, fascism, and nazism. The backbone of the catholic league century of the soldier the bavarian army has been overshadowed by those of gustavus adolphus and wallensteins armies, but it was one of only a few armies to have fought throughout the thirty years war, first as part of the catholic league and then. The best books on the thirty years war fought in europe 16181648, recommended by professor peter wilson, author of a new history of the 30 years war. The key difference between the ecw and the continent is the armour worn. General character of the war there were many territorial, dynastic, and religious. Somewhere along the way i picked up that the book on the thirty years war was the prosaically entitled the. The campaigns covered in this volume include the defeat of the bohemian and german protestants 16181623, the danish war 16251629, the victories of the swedes under gustavus adolphus 16301632, and the. Ever since the peace of westphalia ended the thirty years war, the balance of political power among the countries of europe has changed. As brutal as the fighting was in the thirty years war, hundreds of thousands died as a result of famine caused by the conflict as well as an epidemic of typhus, a disease that spread rapidly in areas particularly torn apart by the violence.
Cardinal mazarin and the congress of westphalia, 16431648, book by derek croxton. Not only were huge numbers of soldiers killed in battle in virtually every part of the holy roman empire, but even greater numbers of the civilian population died in the conflict or through starvation or disease. Without any question the period of the thirty years war, from 1618 to 1648, was one of the most horrifying in the history of germany. The war caused the demise of the holy roman empire, and the rise of france as. What began as a local, religious conflict became more and more continental and political with each expanding phase of the war. The thirty years war ap euro lecture notes the thirty years war was a european continental war that took place from 16181648 thirty years. During the thirty years war the opponents were, on the one hand, the house of austria. In an open field battle you had three separate types of units.
Most of the fighting took place in the holy roman empire, although the war grew to include european powers outside of the empire. Europe in 1618 was divided between protestants and catholics. In fact, almost all of the powerful countries in europe were involved in the war. This book covers not only the bavarian armys organization, but also has chapters on recruitment, officers, clothing, weaponry, pay and rations of a soldier during the thirty years war. History of europe history of europe the thirty years war. The thirty years war 161848, though preeminently a german war, was also of great importance for the history of the whole of europe, not only because nearly all the countries of western europe took part in it, but also on account of its connection with the other great european wars of the same era and on account of its final results. Writing a history of the thirty years war 16181648 presents the historian with many problems because of the complexity of the conflict. The bavarian army during the thirty years war, 16181648. Laurence spring the bavarian army has been overshadowed by those of gustavus adolphus and wallensteins armies, but it was one of only a few armies to have fought throughout the thirty years war, first as part of. Your next book on the thirty years war is more of a memoir. Cavalry for fast strikes on the field, scouting, and penetration raids to attack supply lines. Thirty years war, 161848, general european war fought mainly in germany. This is the second book ive read recently about the thirty years war, both of which have the same informative, if unimaginative, title of the thirty years war. From white mountain to nordlingen, 16181635 contributions in sociology, by guthrie, william p.
186 1640 199 593 1510 679 153 1401 1191 595 355 82 921 1552 255 1147 121 1160 343 689 981 872 271 192 466 281 940 1398 1119 1496