A Multi-Causal Approach to the Thirty Years’ War

Authors

Ethan Haan, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow

Abstract

The Thirty Years’ War was arguably the most consequential war of the Wars of Religion and of the wider European conflicts in the 17th century. The historiography on the causes of the war has been present ever since literature on the conflict became available shortly after its cessation. Since 1900, the debate over the underlying motivations has intensified and has become muddied in some areas. This study aims to summarize and clarify the previous positions that historians have taken on what caused the war, from religious urges to socio-economic and political factors. This study also attempts to clearly define where the historical field is headed in regards to the current analysis of what powered the conflict. Using the research and positions of recent historians, this study has discovered that current historians concluded that a myriad of factors including political, religious, and socio-economic, contributed to the ignition of the Thirty Years’ War. The conclusion reached in this study helps to clarify the complicated scenario of historical research in the topic and allows the field in some way to build on this discovery of a multicausal Thirty Years’ War.

Creative Commons License

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Recommended Citation

Haan, Ethan (2017) "A Multi-Causal Approach to the Thirty Years’ War," Grand Valley Journal of History: Vol. 7: Iss. 1, Article 6.
Available at: https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gvjh/vol7/iss1/6