The Significance of the Peace of Westphalia

After reading the second chapter of Hagen Schulze’s Germany. A New History,  I think the Peace of Westphalia is intriguing because it was influential to European and German history. The treaty was significant to European history because it established nation-states through out Europe and recognized multiple denominations within the empire. The treaty was important to Germany because it put an end to the decades of devastation caused by the Thirty Year’s War.

            The Peace of Westphalia was comprised of the ratification of the Treaty of Münster and the Treaty of Osnabrück. This treaty helped to put an end Thirty Years’ War in 1648. This war was raged through out Europe but was especially devastating to the German population. Through out the war, roughly 7 million people of the 17 million people died as a result of the war, famine, or the plague. The signing of this treaty allowed for the start of the rebuilding of the German population, economy, and culture. Without this treaty, the population of Germany may have further plummeted and may not have recovered.

This painting is The Ratification of the Treaty of Münster, Gerard Ter Borch (1648). The Treaty of Münster and the Treaty of Osnabrück make up the Peace of Westphalia. source

 

This peace treaty is significant to European history because it established the sovereignty of nation-states through out Europe. A treaty with a weak and fragmented system was established so that states would be able to govern themselves and coexist peacefully. This system is similar to the establishment of states within the United States' government. Though the central government plays a vital role in the nation, the states within the nation maintain sovereignty and establish laws for its citizens without the interference of the federal government or other states. This treaty was important because it granted the independence and sovereignty of several nations. Switzerland and the Netherlands gained independence, while other nations, including Germany, gained more independence. This is important because it allowed for many of the modern day nation states to be established and allowed states to operate without interference from other states within the empire.

This map represents the boundaries of European nation-states after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. The Netherlands and Switzerland gained independence through this treaty. source

This treaty is compelling because it established that the empire was multidenominational. This treaty declared that Protestants and Catholics would both be represented in the empire and would be represented equally. The treaty also recognized Calvinism within the empire. The recognition and acceptance of different denominations of Christianity was important at the time because it allowed for regions to determine their own denomination. This allowed for some religious freedom among the heads of territories through out Europe.  This is similar to the establishment of the freedom of religion in the United States’ Constitution. While the American Constitution allowed for the freedom of religion for all citizens, this treaty allowed only the imperial princes the freedom to choose denominations. While this treaty did not grant religious freedom to all, it was a starting point for religious freedom through out Europe and Germany.

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