Thirty Years' War

American  

noun

1. the war, often regarded as a series of wars (1618–48), in central Europe, initially involving a conflict between German Protestants and Catholics and later including political rivalries with France, Sweden, and Denmark opposing the Holy Roman Empire and Spain.

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Thirty Years' War British  

noun

1. a major conflict involving principally Austria, Denmark, France, Holland, the German states, Spain, and Sweden, that devastated central Europe, esp large areas of Germany (1618–48). It began as a war between Protestants and Catholics but was gradually transformed into a struggle to determine whether the German emperor could assert more than nominal authority over his princely vassals. The Peace of Westphalia gave the German states their sovereignty and the right of religious toleration and confirmed French ascendancy

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Thirty Years' War Cultural  

1. A war waged in the early seventeenth century that involved France, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, and numerous states of Germany. The causes of the war were rooted in national rivalries and in conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants. For all the bloodshed, there was no decisive winner or loser. The Peace of Westphalia, which ended the war in 1648, did affirm, however, that the German states could be Catholic or Protestant at the choice of their rulers.

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Example Sentences

His successor, Charles I, ultimately couldn’t avoid the Thirty Years’ War on the Continent; his squabbling with Parliament helped lead to the rebellion and civil war that engulfed Ireland, Wales, Scotland and England.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

In the Thirty Years' War, 1618-1648, many European countries clashed, while Britain and France waged the Seven Years' War, 1756-63, across significant parts of the globe.

From Salon • Mar. 29, 2023

When Rubens began painting “The Consequences of War” around 1638, the Thirty Years’ War was only 20 years old.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2022

The Périgord region of France is known for truffles, foie gras and historic castles from the Thirty Years’ War.

From Washington Post • May 14, 2021

Europe had grown prosperous after the Thirty Years’ War, spurring a demand for luxury and worldly acquisition.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman