Once upon a time, over a hundred years ago, in 1618, our great nation fell into chaos, into war. This war was one of, if not the worst war to ever plague our nation, if not the continent. This bloody war, taking the lives of millions, earned its name after its gruesome length, the Thirty Years War. All of this occurred because of one man over a hundred years before the war began, his name, Martin Luther. He dared to challenge the Church, he began the Reformation. Though he died long before the war, he was the cause of it. We, faithful Catholics, watched in disbelief as this new religion emerged, challenging the Church, built on anger from the flaws of the Church. It was known as Protestantism.

Martin Luther 

(1483-1546)

The beginning of the Protestant Reformation

The War, the Thirty Years War

    The Protestants split Europe apart in their beliefs. There were those who stayed loyal to the Church but there were also those who began to question its authority. This division between us and them led to the rise of several conflicts, such as the one being told now. This conflict mainly began when future emperor Ferdinand II attempted to impose Roman Catholic absolutism which faced rebellion by Protestants. The war was marked begun when religious tensions broke out and both sides clashed in the Battle of White Mountain, the first major battle of this war. The Catholics won the battle but the war had just begun. It was suppose to be a prideful Catholic victory but it ended up causing the long and devasting war.