Peace of Westphalia

Quick Facts: Who was Peace of Westphalia?

Subject:

Peace of Westphalia

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A series of 1648 treaties ending the Thirty Years' War and Eighty Years' War.

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Origins & Early Life

The Peace of Westphalia (German: Westfälischer Friede, pronounced [vɛstˈfɛːlɪʃɐ ˈfʁiːdə] ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire, closing a calamitous period of European history that killed between 4.5 and 8 million people. Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, the kingdoms of France and Sweden, and their respective allies among the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, participated in the treaties. The negotiation process was lengthy and complex. Talks took place in two cities because each side wanted to meet on territory under its own control.

Career & Major Achievements

A total of 109 delegations arrived to represent the belligerent states, but not all delegations were present at the same time. Two treaties were signed to end the war in the Empire: the Treaty of Münster and the Treaty of Osnabrück. These treaties ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire, with the Habsburgs (rulers of Austria and Spain) and their Catholic allies on one side, battling the Protestant powers (Sweden and certain Holy Roman principalities) allied with France (though Catholic, strongly anti-Habsburg under King Louis XIV). Several scholars of international relations have identified the Peace of Westphalia as the origin of principles crucial to modern international relations, collectively known as Westphalian sovereignty. However, some historians have argued against this, suggesting that such views emerged during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in relation to concerns about sovereignty during that time.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Regardless of whether the Peace of Westphalia was a critical juncture or not, narratives about the Peace of Westphalia have profoundly shaped international legal and political thought in subsequent centuries. Europe had been battered by both the Thirty Years' War and the overlapping Eighty Years' War (begun c. 1568), exacting a heavy toll in money and lives. The Eighty Years' War was a prolonged struggle for the independence of the Protestant-majority Dutch Republic (the modern Netherlands), supported by Protestant-majority England, against Catholic-dominated Spain and Portugal. The Thirty Years' War was the most deadly of the European wars of religion, centered on the Holy Roman Empire. The war, which developed into four phases, included a large number of domestic and foreign players, siding either with the Catholic League or the Protestant Union (later Heilbronn League).

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1568: 1568 Milestone — 1568), exacting a heavy toll in money and lives.
2. 1618: 1618 Milestone — They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peace to the Holy Roman Empire, closing a calamitous period of European history that killed between 4.
3. 1648: 1648 Milestone — The Peace of Westphalia (German: Westfälischer Friede, pronounced [vɛstˈfɛːlɪʃɐ ˈfʁiːdə] ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Peace of Westphalia

True or False: “The Peace of Westphalia immediately established the concept of modern state sovereignty recognized by international law.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While profoundly influential, some historians argue that narratives about Westphalian sovereignty emerged much later, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Christian IV of Denmark — Historical peer (Died in 1648) (1648): Long-reigning monarch of Denmark and Norway; architect of ambitious reforms and military expansion.
• Tirso de Molina — Historical peer (Died in 1648) (1648): Spanish Baroque dramatist and Mercedarian friar, known for creating Don Juan.
• Abraham Cowley — Historical peer (Born in 1618) (1618): Leading 17th-century English poet and essayist, celebrated for his wit and verse.
• Albert Frederick, Duke of Prussia — Historical peer (Died in 1618) (1618): Second and last Hohenzollern Duke of Prussia, ruling from 1568 until his death.
• Abd al-Rahman al-Majdoub — Historical peer (Died in 1568) (1568): Influential Moroccan poet, Sufi mystic, and source of wisdom literature.
• Albert, Duke of Prussia — Historical peer (Died in 1568) (1568): First secular ruler of the Duchy of Prussia and key figure in early Lutheranism.

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