The Treaty of Westphalia

WHAT HAPPENED?
IN 1648, ALL HOSTILITIES ENTWINED IN THE HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE WERE BROUGHT TO AN END
THE TREATY ALLOWED RULERS TO DETERMINE THE RELIGION OF THEIR OWN LANDS
THIS GAVE CALVINISTS THEIR LONG-SOUGHT LEGAL RECOGNITION WHILE DENYING IT TO SECTARIANS
THE TREATY ASSERTED THE MAJOR PART OF THE RELIGIOUS SETTLEMENT OF THE PEACE OF AUSGSBURG IN 1555
Painting of the Treaty being signed

A map of Europe after the peace of Westphalia in 1648.

WHO WAS INVOLVED?
THE TREATY WORKED IN FAVOR OF MANY CALVINISTS
THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE SWISS CONFEDERACY AND THE UNITED PROVINCES OF HOLLAND NOW PUT THE TREATY IN FULL EFFECT BY TRANSFORMING IT INTO A LAW

WHO WAS INVOLVED?
THIS TREATY HAD A BIG IMPACT ON GERMANY
BY CONFIRMING THE TERRITORIAL SOVEREIGNTY OF GERMANY’S MANY POLITICAL BODIES, THE TREATY OF WESTPHALIA PERPETUATED GERMAN DIVISION AND POLITICAL WEAKNESS.
AUSTRIA AND BRANDENBURG-PRUSSIA, HOWEVER, GAINED INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE DURING THE AGE OF THE TREATY

WHO WAS INVOLVED?
DURING THIS TIME DISTINCTIVE NATION-STATES FIRMLY ESTABLISHED THE COMPETITIVE NATIONALISM OF THE MODERN WORLD.
Rulers signing the Treaty of Westphalia

HOW DOES THE TREATY OF WESTPHALIA SHOW RELIGIOUS DISUNITY IN EUROPE?
THE TREATY OF WESTPHALIA CONFIRMED THE POWER RULERS HAD OVER THEIR TERRITORY IN GERMANY AND DIVIDED THE LANDS
THE TREATY INCREASED GERMAN DIVISION AND POLITICAL FLAWS INTO THE MODERN PERIOD
AS RULERS WERE ALLOWED TO CHOOSE THE RELIGION OF THEIR CHOICE FOR THEIR LANDS, THE PEOPLE OF GERMANY FOLLOWED DIFFERENT RELIGIONS AND THEREFORE, WERE NOT UNIFIED

DIVISION OF EUROPE
THE PETTY DIVISION WITHIN THE EMPIRE ALSO SHOWED ON A SMALLER SCALE THE DRIFT OF LARGER EUROPEAN POLITICS
DURING THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY, SPECIFIC STATES EACH HAD ITS OWN POLITICAL, CULTURAL, AND RELIGIOUS STATUS
A medal celebrating the
Treaty of Westphalia.