51.1 Thirty Years War 1618-48, Background

The 17th century was one of the most bloody of European history. The Thirty Years War in particular is notorious for the sustained carnage and destruction it caused, and still burns in German memory as the most bloody period in their history before the twentieth century. Today's episode describes the situation on the continent leading up to the conflict. Pictured: Emperor Ferdinand II and Frederick V of the Palatinate. Music: Giovanni Palestrina

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from A History of Europe, Key Battles

  1. 20:3274.19 Treaty of VersaillesOct 20, 2023
  2. 21:3274.18 Endgame, 1918Sep 29, 2023
  3. 20:4074.17 The Final Gamble, 1918Sep 08, 2023
  4. 24:0074.16 War of Attrition on the Western Front 1917Jul 28, 2023
  5. 21:5574.15 The Russian Revolution 1917Jul 14, 2023
  6. 26:3974.14 Battles of Verdun and The Somme 1916Jun 30, 2023
  7. 21:4974.13 Eastern and Western Fronts 1915Jun 16, 2023
  8. 20:0674.12 Turkey and Italy Enter the War, 1915Jun 02, 2023
  9. 25:5074.11 The Eastern Front 1914May 26, 2023
  10. 17:4274.10 The Western Front 1914May 12, 2023