SirSassyCat t1_iucchhs wrote on October 30, 2022 at 6:42 AM

Reply to comment by 24benson in TIL The European 30 Years' War 1618 - 1648 began with Czech nobles throwing two Habsburg governors out of Prague castle window onto a huge dungheap. The corresponding carnage - fought over the issue of religious freedom following the Protestant Reformation - left millions dead. by Royal_Bumblebee_

It was definitely about religion, at least 50%, the 30 years war basically broke the power of the church in Europe and basically kick started the protestant reformation. The other 50% was mostly politics between France and Austria, each of them trying to become the dominant power in Europe.

24benson t1_iuceh4q wrote on October 30, 2022 at 7:09 AM

The protestant reformation was more than a hundred years earlier. The countries that are predominantly protestant today are exactly the ones that were before the war. Where and how did this war kickstart anything?

SirSassyCat t1_iucfdrp wrote on October 30, 2022 at 7:22 AM

You're right, I mean kick started freedom of worship, which I erroneously conflated with the reformation.

Also, your statement about religions being the same isn't true. Some territories that were mostly protestant were forced to convert back to Catholicism as part of the peace.