Huh? The 30 Years' War? This is a pretty random war to highlight, I admit, but it's one that deserves a bit more scrutiny, if only to add some color to your week and small talk at your next cocktail party. Fought between numerous polities from 1618-1648, the 30 Years' War is infamous for its high rate of civilian casualties and the devastation it wrought on the area that is now known as Germany.
Here are 10 facts about the 30 Years' War you probably didn't know:
1. Let's get the big one out of the way: The 30 Years' War was not a religious war. Most history textbooks, if they mention the 30 Years' War at all, lump it in the category of one of the many “religious wars” to plague Europe in the early modern era. Conservatives, at least in the Anglo-American sphere, are okay with this narrative because it can play to a distinct and almost subtle anti-Catholic narrative. And Leftists like it because of their continued confusion between “secular government” and “secular society.” But make no mistake: the 30 Years' War was all about power and money.
