Why did the Thirty Years War Last so Long?

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses why the Thirty Years War lasted as long as it did. It looks at the main themes that contributed to the length of the war, including the changing nature of the war from a religious into a political struggle, the increasing number of combatant nation states leading to 'Total War' in Europe, and the poor infrastructure and supply of resources in Early Modern Europe.

From the Paper:

"A multitude of factors made The Thirty Years War lasted as long as it did. The most important aspect to extend the period of the war to the eventual thirty years was the war's altering nature. If it had remained singularly a religious struggle, largely fought in central Europe, it is probable that the Imperial forces would have overcome the Protestant forces quickly and would have successfully instituted the edict of Restitution. However, the intervention of Denmark, Sweden and France was not solely on a religious manifesto; the allure of economic and political growth was important factors in the survival of the Protestant union. Ironically, Protestantism may have only survived because of the self-seeking natures of the nation-states which fought Catholicism between 1618-1648 - extending the war because of economic grounds, the increased number of nations fighting, and the poor logistics and infrastructure in which it was fought."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Asch, R., The Thirty Years War: the Holy Roman Empire and Europe, 1618-1648, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1997.
• Israel, J., A Conflict of Empires: Spain and the Netherlands 1618-1648, Past and Present, No. 76. (Aug., 1977).
• Kamen, H., The Economic and Social Consequences of the Thirty Years' War, Past and Present, No. 39. (Apr., 1968).
• Limm, P., The Thirty Years War, Longman, London, 1984.
• Maland, D., Europe at war 1600-50, Macmillan, 1980.

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