The Origins and Early Periods of the Thirty Years' War

The Thirty Years' War involved two major coalitions: the Protestant Union and the Catholic League. The Protestant Union included German Protestants, England, Holland, Sweden, and notably Catholic France (which joined for political reasons to weaken the Habsburgs). The Catholic League comprised German Catholics and the Spanish Habsburgs.

Definition: The Protestant Union was a defensive alliance formed by Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire.

Highlight: The war's primary causes included political rivalry between France and the Habsburgs, counter-reformation activities by Catholic rulers, and religious freedom struggles in Protestant Bohemia.

Example: The 1609 Letter of Majesty (List Majestatyczny), signed by Rudolf I Habsburg, guaranteed complete religious freedom in Bohemia.

The Czech Period (1618-1624) began with the Prague Defenestration in May 1618 and resulted in severe consequences for Bohemia, including Protestant persecution, death penalties for rebels, and the loss of Bohemian autonomy for 300 years under Habsburg rule.

Quote: "Czechy na 300 lat stały się prowincją habsburską i straciły autonomię" (Bohemia became a Habsburg province for 300 years and lost its autonomy)