The Thirty Years’ War was a long, costly and devastating conflict in Europe between 1618 and 1648. It is one of the largest catastrophes in world history, with around 8 million Europeans dying from war, famine and diseases (typhus, scurvy, bubonic plague and dysentery).
The war developed from a series of conflicts between Catholic and Protestant territories in the Holy Roman Empire. However, the war quickly became less about religion and more about the conflict between France and the Hapsburgs to dominate Europe. The war ended after a series of treaties with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. Although there was no clear winner, France emerged in subsequent years as the dominant force in Europe.
The war caused a political rearrangement all over the continent. Spain lost some of its dominance, while power in Germany was decentralized. Sweden was established as a major power in Europe, while the Peace of Westphalia was instrumental in establishing the idea of a nation-state.
