It established the "Westphalian System," the idea that a nation has exclusive rights over its own territory and domestic affairs (including religion).
The Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus, the "Father of Modern Warfare," changed the tide. He integrated infantry, cavalry, and mobile artillery, securing a massive victory at Breitenfeld (1361) that saved the Protestant cause from total collapse. 5. The Legacy: Peace of Westphalia (1648) thirty-years-war
Sweden, Denmark, and—most notably— France joined to weaken the Habsburgs. Interestingly, Catholic France fought on the Protestant side, proving that national interest (limiting German power) had become more important than religious solidarity. 3. The Human Cost It established the "Westphalian System," the idea that
What started as a clash between and Catholic states within the Holy Roman Empire eventually became a "who’s who" of European powers. It established the "Westphalian System