History Chapter 21 section 3

The peace of Augsburg

1555

The Kings

After seeing the destruction of the thirty years the great elector/ Frederick William decided that having a strong army was the only way to ensure safety. To protect their lands, he and his descendants moved toward absolute monarchy. They created a standing army the best in Europe. They built it to a force of 80,000 men. To pay for the army, they introduced permanent taxation. Beginning with the great elector's son, they called themselves the kings. They also weakened the representative assemblies of their territories. He worried that his song was not military enough to rule.

Cardinal Mazarin

Although he was catholic he feared the hapsburgs even more than the protestants. He did not want other European rules to have as much power as the French king.

Cardinal Richelieu

Although he was catholic he feared the hapsburgs even more than the protestants. He did not want other European rules to have as much power as the French king. In 1635, Richelieu sent troops to join the german and Swedish protestants in their struggles against the Hapsburg armies.

Silesia

And Austrian land which bordered Prussia. Frederick II wanted it. Produced iron ore, textiles, and food products. Frederick II underestimated Maria Theresa and sent his army to occupy the land in 1740.

War of Austrian succession

Began in 1740 as a result of Frederick II sending his army to occupy Silesia. Maria Theresa journeyed to Hungary and asked the Hungarian nobles for aid who then pledged to give Maria an army. Great Britain also joined Austria to fight its longtime enemy France, which was Prussia's ally. Theresa stopped Prussia's aggression, but she lost Silesia in the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. With the acquisition of Silesia, Prussia became a major European power.

The thirty years war

Both the Lutheran and he catholic princes tried to gain followers . in addition both sides felt threatened by calvanism, which was spreading in germany and gaining many followers. As tension mounted, the lutherans joined together in the protestant union in 1608. The following year the catholic princes formed the catholic league. Now it would only take a spark to set off the war. The spark came in 1618. The future holy roman emperor Ferdinand II, was head of the Hapsburg family. He ruled the Czech kingdom of bohemia but was not trusted by his people. The protestants didn't trust him because he was a catholic and a foreigner. He closed some protestant churches which caused a revolt and when he tried to crush the revolt several german protestant princes challenged him, beginning the thirty years war. The thirty years war was a conflict over religion and territory and for power among European ruling families. The war ca be divided into two main phases: the phase of the Hapsburg triumphs and the phase of the Hapsburg defeats. The war lasted from 1618 to1648

The Hohenzollerns

Built up their state from a number of small holdings, beginning with the german states of Brandenburg and Prussia. In 1640, a twenty year old Hohenzollern named Frederick William inherited the title of elector of Brandenburg.

The catholic league

Catholic princes formed this league in 1609., because of this and the formation of the protestant union tension was high and any spark could set off a war.

Maria Theresa

Charles VI's eldest daughter. An agreement was signed by the leaders of Europe recognizing that she was Charles's heir to all his Hapsburg territories. She faced years of war. Her main enemy was Prussia, a state to the north of Austria. Lived from 1717 to1780. she devoted herself to her children, whom she continued to advise even after they were grown. Perhaps her most famous child was Marie Antoinette, wife of Louis XVI of France. As the Austrian empress, Maria decreased the power of the nobility. She also limited the amount of labor that nobles could force peasants to do. Succeeded her father in 1740, just five months after Frederick II became king of Prussia. Frederick underestimated Maria Theresa's strength. He assumed that because she was a woman, she would not be forceful enough to defend her lands (in this case, Silesia). In 1740, he sent his army to occupy Silesia, beginning the war of the Austrian succession. She journeyed to Hungary. There she held her infant in her arms as she asked the Hungarian nobles for aid. Even though the nobles resented their Hapsburg rules, they pledged to give Maria and army. She successfully stopped Prussia's aggression but lost Silesia in the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. She decided that French kings were no longer austrias chief enemies. She made an alliance with them. The result was a diplomatic revolution.

Suleyman the Magnificent

Conquered Italy and threatened Vienna in 1529

30 years war continued, hapsburg triumphs

During the first 12 years, Hapsburg armies from Austria and Spain crushed the troops hired by the protestant princes. They succeeded in putting down the Czech uprising and also defeated the german protestants who had supported the Czechs. Ferdinand II paid his army of 125,000 men by allowing them to plunder, or rob, german villages. This huge army destroyed everything in its path.

The development of the economy of western Europe

During the late middle ages, serfs in western Europe slowly earned freedom and moved into towns. From there, they joined middle class townspeople, who gained economic power because of the commercial revolution and the development of capitalism.

The Seven Years War

Frederick II attacked Saxony, an Austrian ally, in 1756. Soon every great European power was involved in the war. Fought in Europe, India, and North America, the war lasted until 1763. The war did not change the territorial situation in Europe. Both France and Britain had colonies in north America and the west indies. Both were competing economically in India. The British emerged as the real victors in the seven years war. France lost its colonies in North America, and Britain gained sole economic dominations of India. This set the stage for further british expansion in India in the 1800's.

Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle

Happened in 1748. As a result of the treaty, Maria Theresa lost Silesia.

Ferdinand II

Head of the Hapsburg family, and future roman holy emperor. Ruled the Czech kingdom of bohemia. The protestants of bohemia did not trust him because he was a foreigner and was catholic. Closed some protestant churches resulting in a protestant revolt. He then sent an army into bohemia to crush the revolt. Several German protestant princes took this chance to challenge him, thus beginning the thirty years war. He paid his army of 125,000 men by allowing them to plunder, or rob, German villages. This huge army destroyed everything in its path.

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden

His disciplined army of 23,000 shifted the tide of the 30 years war in 1630. They drove the Hapsburg armies out of northern germany. He was killed in battle in 1632.

Frederick II

Known as the Fredrick the great. Lived from 1712 to 1786. was practical and atheistic. He earned the title "the great" by achieving his goals for Prussia. He loved poetry, music, and philosophy. In 1730, when he and a friend tried to run away they were caught. To punish Frederick, the king ordered him to witness his friends beheading. Despite such things he followed his father's military policies when he came to power. However, he also softened some of his father's laws. With regard to domestic affairs, he encouraged religious toleration and legal reform. According to his theory of government, Frederick believed that a ruler should be like a father to his people. Became king of Austria in 1740. He wanted the Austrian land of Silesia, which bordered Prussia. Frederick underestimated Maria Theresa's strength. He assumed that because she was a woman, she would not be forceful enough to defend her lands (in this case, Silesia). In 1740, he sent his army to occupy Silesia, beginning the war of the Austrian succession. When he learned of Maria Theresa's action of allying with the French kings he signed a treaty with Britain, Austria's former ally. Now Austria, France, Russia, and others were allied against Britain and Prussia. Not only had Austria and Prussia switched allies, but for the first time Russia was playing a role in European affairs. In 1756 he attacked Saxony, an Austrian ally. Soon every great European power was involved in the war.

Marie Antoinette

Maria Theresa's daughter, wife of Louis XVI of France.

The Junkers

Prussia's landowning nobility. Resisted the kings growing power. In the early 1700's, Frederick William I bought their cooperation. He gave them the exclusive right to be officers in his army. As a result Prussia became a rigidly controlled, highly militarized society.

The development of the economy of central Europe

The landowning aristocracy in central Europe passed laws to restrict the ability of serfs to gain freedom and move into cities. These nobles wanted to keep the serfs on the land, where they could produce large harvests. The nobles could then sell he surplus crops to western European cities at a great profit. The landowning nobles in central Europe not only held down the serfs but also blocked the development of strong kings. For examples, the polish nobility elected the polish king and sharply limited his power. They allowed the kind little income, no law courts, and no standing army. As a result there was not a strong ruler who could form a unified state. The two empires of central Europe were also weak. The ottoman empire could not takes its conquest any farther and after Suleyman conquered Italy and threatened Vienna in 1529 the ottoman empire declined from its peak of power. In addition, the holy roman empire was seriously weakened by the thirty years war, no longer able to command the obedience of the German states, the holy roman empire had no real power.

30 years war continued, hapsburg defeats

The protestant Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and his disciplined army of 23,000 shifted the tide of war in 1630. They drove the Hapsburg armies out of northern germany. Gustavus was killed in battle in 1632. Cardinal Mazarin and Richelieu dominated the remaining years of the war. Although they were catholic they feared the hapsburgs even more than the protestants. They did not want other European rules to have as much power as the French king. Therefore in 1635, Richelieu sent troops to join the german and Swedish protestants in their struggles against the Hapsburg armies.

30 years war conclusion

The war did great damage to germany, its population dropped from 20 million to about 16 million. Both trade and agriculture were disrupted, and germany's economy was ruined. Germany had a long, difficult recovery from this devastation. This is a main reason why it did not become a unified state until the 1800's. The peace of Westphalia ended the war in 1648 and had many important consequences. It recognized Europe as a group of equal independent states. Marked the beginning of the modern state system and was the most important result of the thirty years war. During the war the Hapsburgs of Austria conquered bohemia.

The Hapsburgs of Austria

Took several steps to become absolute monarchs. First, during the thirty years war they reconquered bohemia. The Hapsburgs wiped out Protestantism there and created a new Czech nobility that pledged loyalty to them. Second, after the war, the Hapsburg rule centralized the government and created a standing army. Third, by 1699, the Hapsburgs had retaken Hungary from the Ottoman Empire.

Protestant union

the lutherans joined together to form this union in 1608 due to mounting tension in germany.

The peace of Westphalia

In 1648, ended the thirty years war. Had many important consequences: It weakened the Hapsburg states of spain and Austria, strengthened france by awarding it german territory, made german princes independent of the holy roman emperor, ended religious wars in Europe, and introduced a new method of peace negotiation whereby all participants meet to settle the problems of a war and decide the terms of peace. This method is still used today. The treaty thus abandoned the idea of a catholic empire that would rule most of Europe. It recognized Europe as a group of equal independent states. Marked the beginning of the modern state system and was the most important result of the thirty years war.

Charles VI

In 1711 he became the Hapsburg ruler. His empire was a difficult on to rule. Within its borders lived a diverse assortment of people—Czechs, Hungarians, Italians, Croatians, and Germans. Only the fact that one Hapsburg ruler wore the Austrian, Hungarian, and bohemian crowns kept the empire together. Spent his entire reign working on an answer to the problem of how the Hapsburgs could mage sure they continued to rule all the lands. He persuaded the other leaders of Europe to sign an agreement that declared they would recognize Charles's eldest daughter as the heir to all his Hapsburg territories. That heir was Maria Theresa.

Frederick William/ The Great Elector

Inherited the title of elector of Brandenburg in 1640. He was later known as the Great Elector. After seeing the destruction of the thirty years war he decided that having a strong army was the only way to ensure safety. To protect their lands, he and his descendants moved toward absolute monarchy. They created a standing army the best in Europe. They built it to a force of 80,000 men. To pay for the army, they introduced permanent taxation. Beginning with the great elector's son, they called themselves the kings. They also weakened the representative assemblies of their territories. Bought the Junkers coorperation. He gave them the exclusive right to be officers In his army. As a result Prussia became a rigidly controlled, highly militarized society.