Ferdinand IIHoly Roman Emperor, King

of Hungary & BohemiaCame to the throne in a

predominantly Protestant region (he was very

Catholic). How the war started was this:

The king-elect sent two Catholic councilors as his representatives to administer the government in his absence. Suddenly, the Bohemian

Hussites seized them, subjected them to a mock trial, and threw them out of the palace window which was some 70 feet off the ground. The Catholic version of the story claims that angels appeared and carried them to safety, while the Protestant version says that they landed in

a pile of manure which saved their lives.

Thirty Years War• Involved 12 countries (not all at the same time)• Before the war, Germany had a population of 20

million – after the war less than 16!!

• Before the siege of Magdeburg the population there was over 30,000. After the siege, the pillage, and the slaughter, 400!!

• The side winning went back & forth. The Hapsburg (Catholics) were winning for the 1st few years. Then the Protestants when Sweden entered the war. Then the Catholics, and finally the Protestants (with France’s help)

• The Swedish armies alone may have destroyed up to 2,000 castles, 18,000 villages and 1,500 towns in Germany, one-third of all German towns.

Catholic general Albrecht von Wallenstein

He pledged his army of between

30,000 and 100,000 soldiers to

Ferdinand II in return for the right

to plunder the captured territories.

King Gustavus II of Sweden.

Helped turn the tide against the

Catholics.

Cardinals Richelieu & Mazirin of France Even though Catholic, they feared the Hapsburgs even more and had French troops help the

Protestants.

King Gustavus II of Sweden.

Helped turn the tide against the

Catholics.

30 Years War

• Although Catholic, Richelieu didn’t want to allow other European nations to become as powerful as France so he sent French troops to join the Protestants.

• In 1648, the Peace of Westphalia was signed. It reduced the territories of Spain, Austria, and Germany (France was the winner here)

• It made all German princes independent of the Holy Roman emperor (thus taking away and power the position still had)

• Pioneered the way wars would be settled (with all parties participating)

Central Europe

• Poland – still had serfs. Nobles took advantage of them by making them work 6 day work weeks (this only left 1 day a week to grow their own food).

• Polish kings had little power. Nobles elected them. This would be a problem later because each noble could choose which side they were on in the case of an invasion, and the king was not allowed his own army.

• Ottoman Empire was declining after their attempt to capture Vienna. They would stay in decline until 1918 when they ceased to exist.

Charles VI ruled the Hapsburg lands.

This was a difficult empire to rule

because it encompassed so many different

nationalities. This would later lead to the decline of the Austrian-Hungary

empire (eliminated in 1918)

Charles spent years working on agreements so his daughter would have a peaceful reign. But a new power was rising in

the north that would go to war with her twice (this is a fresco of Charles as Apollo, considered one of the greatest works of

art during the Baroque Period)

Maria Theresa1717-1780

Ruler of Austria, Hungary, Holy

Roman EmpressMother of Marie

Antoinette

Maria’s palace in Vienna, Schonbrunn Palace

• Maria’s archenemy was Frederick the Great of Prussia

(1712-1786)• He was from the

Prussian dynasty called the

Hohenzollererns• He would fight 2 wars

against Maria Theresa (the war of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years War)

Frederick’s palace near Berlin, Sanssouci

Frederick playing the flute in the music room – he composed 1 symphony, 121 flute

sonatas, and 4 flute concertos

Voltaire at Sanssouci discussing philosophy

with Frederick II

War of Austrian Succession

• War was between 2 young emperors/empresses

• War started over Silesia (modern day Czechoslovakia)

• Involved 12 countries / provinces• War lasted from 1740 - 1748 • Bottom line is Austria sacrificed Silesia to

Prussia.

Seven Years War 1756 - 1763

• More or less a continuation of Austrian Succession.

• Involved 16 different countries / provinces

• Biggest loser – France• Biggest winner – England• No land changed hands in Europe –

England gained Canada, India, part of Africa.

Ivan IV (the terrible)

1530-1584 1st Tsar of Russia

He accused the boyars (landowning nobles) of poisoning his wife

Ivan created a secret police, the Oprichnik, to hunt down boyars and generally terrorize the public and

keep them in place.

Ivan’s most famous building is St.

Basils in the Red Square, Moscow

Ivan after Ivan after he killed his he killed his son. Earlier son. Earlier he had beat he had beat

his son’s his son’s wife for wife for wearing wearing

immodest immodest clothing, clothing, causing a causing a

miscarriagemiscarriage

Ivory Throne of

Ivan IV (Terrible)

Reply of the Zaporozhian Cossacks to Sultan Mehmed IV of Ottoman Empire. They would make temporary alliances with whomever could

pay for their services

Peter the Great 1672 -

1725

The Hermitage & Winter Palace, St. Petersburg

Museum built by Peter the Great

“Twelve Colleges” were the 1st in St. Petersburg

Winter Palace

Chesma Palace

Church, St. Petersburg

Peterhof Palace

Peterhof Palace, St. Petersburg

Peterhof

Chapel at

Peterhof