Peace of Westphalia

Participants in these treaties included the Holy Roman Emperor, who at the time was Ferdinand III of Habsburg, the Spanish Monarchy, the kingdoms of France and Sweden, the United Provinces (now known as the Netherlands), and each of their respective allies from among the princes of the Holy Roman Empire.

The process of bargaining was drawn out and involved a lot of moving parts. Because both parties desired to hold the meeting on land that was under their own control, the negotiations took place in two different cities. The warring states were represented by a total of 109 delegates, however not all of the delegations were present at the same time. 

Both the Treaty of Münster and the Treaty of Osnabrück were ratified in order to bring an end to the war that had been raging throughout the Empire. The Protestant powers (Sweden and certain Holy Roman principalities) allied with France, which was Catholic but strongly anti-Habsburg under King Louis XIV, fought against the Catholic Habsburgs and their Catholic allies during the Thirty Years’ War in the Holy Roman Empire. 

These treaties brought an end to the conflict.The Habsburgs, who ruled Austria and Spain, and their Catholic allies were on one side of the conflict. The Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the United Provinces was finally settled with the separate Peace of Münster in 1648.

Main points of the Westphalian Peace

The Peace of Westphalia is still considered to be very significant in today’s world.In fact, many scholars believe that it was the Peace of Westphalia that laid the foundation for the contemporary international order. Both the foundation and the result of this view have been criticised by revisionist academics and politicians alike. 

Revisionists have questioned the significance of the Peace, and commentators and politicians have criticised the “Westphalian System” of sovereign nation-states. Both of these criticisms have been made in response to this view. 

The United Nations was established on the principle that every nation-state, regardless of its size, possesses the same amount of legal worth. As a result, each state that is a member of the United Nations has one vote in the General Assembly.

The four most important aspects of the Peace of Westphalia are as follows:

• Autonomous decision-making at the national level
• precedent for the use of diplomatic congresses to bring an end to conflicts
• The normative practise of harmonious coexistence between sovereign states
• Maintained by the recognition of the concept of non-interference in the internal affairs of other sovereign states and a power balance between sovereign states that are independent of one another

Visit to know more about UPSC Exam Pattern

The Importance of the Treaty of Westphalia for Maintaining Peace

The Peace of Westphalia came to a close with the signing of two treaties between the empire and the emerging major powers, Sweden and France, and it resolved the problems that had arisen inside the empire thanks to the guarantees that were provided by those nations. A new electorate was created specifically for the elector Palatine’s son, who was living in exile at the time of the revolution. Bavaria was allowed to maintain the electorate it had been granted in exchange for its assistance to Emperor Ferdinand II throughout the insurrection. This compromise in 1648 represented a change of the fundamental Golden Bull of 1356, and it was a symbol that all conflicts that had occurred since 1618 were settled. 

It was also a symbol that those who made peace did not resist making extreme cutbacks, and instead devised new ideas in order to establish peace.

Read about How to Prepare for UPSC without Coaching

The effects of the Peace of Westphalia

The Thirty Years’ War was a series of wars waged by European states for various reasons. It began in 1618 as a result of an attempt by the king of Bohemia (the future Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand II) to impose Catholicism throughout his lands. This was the spark that started the war. In the 1630s, most of continental Europe was at war as a result of a rebellion headed by Protestant aristocrats.As a direct consequence of the Treaty of Westphalia, the Netherlands won their independence from Spain, Sweden took control of the Baltic region, and France was recognised as the dominant force in the Western world. After the Holy Roman Emperor’s control was shattered, the German states were once again empowered to choose the religion that would be practised inside their territories.

Also Read about UPSC Question Paper

Conclusion

The Peace of Westphalia came to a close with the signing of two treaties between the empire and the emerging major powers, Sweden and France, and it resolved the problems that had arisen inside the empire thanks to the guarantees that were provided by those nations.

A new electorate was created specifically for the elector Palatine’s son, who was 

living in exile at the time of the revolution.Bavaria was allowed to maintain the electorate it had been granted in exchange for its assistance to Emperor Ferdinand II throughout the insurrection.