Synopsis
Four hundred years ago, rebellious Bohemian noblemen threw the representatives of the powerful Habsburg family out of the windows of Prague Castle. What began as an problem for the Holy Roman Emperor to solve soon escaped its Pandora's Box, as the powers of Spain, Denmark, Sweden, the Dutch, France, Poland, Russia and countless German princes became involved. Religious tensions, simmering since 1555, exploded out into the open, and people were forced to pick a side. Following intervention from several foreign powers, the conflict became less about the pursuit of religion, and more about the pursuit of power and influence. The Thirty Years War took on a life and terror of its own, as the rivalry between the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties, the Eighty Years War between the Dutch and Spanish, the struggle for supremacy in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, and the ambitions of the Emperor all contributed to intensify and prolong the conflict. Four hundred years ago, rebellious Bohemian noblemen threw the representatives of the powerful Habsburg family out of the windows of Prague Castle. What began as an problem for the Holy Roman Emperor to solve soon escaped its Pandora's Box, as the powers of Spain, Denmark, Sweden, the Dutch, France, Poland, Russia and countless German princes became involved. Religious tensions, simmering since 1555, exploded out into the open, and people were forced to pick a side. Following intervention from several foreign powers, the conflict became less about the pursuit of religion, and more about the pursuit of power and influence. The Thirty Years War took on a life and terror of its own, as the rivalry between the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties, the Eighty Years War between the Dutch and Spanish, the struggle for supremacy in Northern Europe and Scandinavia, and the ambitions of the Emperor all contributed to intensify and prolong the conflict. Over its span of three decades, it inflicted untold misery on the inhabitants of Europe, killed millions, ruined agriculture, destroyed infrastructure, drove millions more out of their homes and into the aching countryside. The fortunes of each power waxed and waned, as their resources grew or contracted, great battles were won and lost, incredible figures made their mark on history, and several watershed moments passed the world by. The Thirty Years War was one of the most destructive and devastating conflicts in history, superseded only by the total wars of the 20th century. Caught between the different potentates, the people of Europe were forced to choose: would they fight or do their best to escape the war's ravages; would they support their lord or rally against him; would they be for God or the Devil?, This new and thoroughly researched book on the Thirty Years' War by the creative force behind the "When Diplomacy Fails" podcast. The year is 1618, and representatives of the powerful Habsburg's have just been thrown out of the windows of Prague Castle. What happened next took virtually everyone by surprise, as a conflict unparalleled in its intensity, cost and of course in its duration. The Thirty Years War would not end until 1648, and in those three decades of conflict, new empires would rise, dynasties would crumble, incredible new innovations would be tested in murderous battlefields, and the religious makeup of Europe itself would be forever altered. As this great European conflict spread from the Atlantic to the Black Sea, the mastery of the entire continent was at stake, as were opportunities for glory, influence and absolute power. As the war raged on, those individuals that participated within it - be they Princes, Emperors, Kings or mere subjects - would be forced to pick a side. Would they choose the side of God, or of the Devil? With this new study, Zachary Twamley examines the Thirty Years War in its entirety, following the conflict through its different phases, as new, dynamic, ambitious actors, like King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, Cardinal Richelieu in France, and even the Tsar of Russia became involved. Twamley's narration covers several watershed moments, including the rise of the Dutch Republic, the terminal decline of Spain, and the arrival of France under King Louis XIV. It was a period of profound development and change, and upon its conclusion at the famed Peace of Westphalia, Europe would never be the same again., Based on the popular, "When Diplomacy Fails" podcast, Zack Twamley provides a concise and interesting narrative on the Thirty Years War. Fought from 1618-1648, the Thirty Years War was a precursor of World Wars, involving countries from France to Russia and devastating the population where it crossed. Primarily looked on as a religious war, it was as much a true political war, influencing the map and course of European history up to 1914.
