Bohemian Phase
Bohemians chose a Protestant over a Catholic successor
to Rudolph II. They threw two ministers of Ferdinand II out the window
when he refused to interfere and with his refusal many Protestants began
to be persecuted. This began the 30 years war which had 4 different phases
but was fought mostly on Germanic soil.
It expanded to include the dynastic
rivalries of ambitious German princes and the determination of certain
European powers, notably Sweden and France, to curb the power of the Holy
Roman Empire, then the chief political instrument of Austria and the ruling
Habsburg family. The first phase ended with Ferdinand II bringing
the Germanic city states back into the Catholic fold.
Danish Phase
The Germanic city states sought help from other protestant
countries, notably England and Denmark. England, fearful of igniting the
Catholic resurgence of Spain chose to stay out of the battle. Denmark intervened.
Christian IV really wanted the Duchy of Holstein returned to his rule and
thought that by appearing to support the Germanic city states would reap
the rewards of a weakened Holy Roman Empire. Christian's armies combined
with other protestant supporters was defeated.
Swedish Phase
Richelieu and the French did not like the increasing power
of the Hapsburgs but because France was a Catholic state it could not intervene
on the side of the Protestants. Richelieu allied with the Swedish and supplied
them men and supplies while appearing to stay out of the battle. The Peace
of Prague gave some concessions to the Saxon Protestants, ending this phase
of the war but not defeating the Hapsburg ambitions.
French Phase
Religious issues were not a factor in the beginning of the 4th and final phase with France declaring war on the Spanish Hapsburgs who sought to take the throne of France through marriage and inheritance. The Danes entered on the side of their former enemies, the Holy Roman Empire and after many battles which saw each side winning some victories the Hapsburgs, now under the rule of Ferdinand III capitulated signing the Treaty of Westphalia. The Treaty, in addition to establishing Switzerland and the Dutch Republic (the Netherlands) as independent states, the treaty gravely weakened the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburgs, ensured the emergence of France as the chief power on the Continent, and disastrously retarded the political unification of Germany.