Peace of Westphalia (1648) – International Relations

It is generally agreed that the Peace of Westphalia was a significant turning point in the path of religious pluralism and secularisation. The Imperial Estates were given more power as a result of this agreement, and they were given the ability to participate in critical policy decisions alongside the Emperor. These decisions included matters of peace and war. Because the Franco-Spanish negotiations in Münster did not bring peace between France and Spain and left open conflict areas like Lorraine, the rumoured ambition of the Habsburgs for a “universal monarchy” was thwarted as a result of this. This was especially true due to the fact that the negotiations took place in Münster. In addition, both France and Sweden were able to acquire territorial “satisfaction,” particularly in the regions of Alsace and Pomerania.

After eighty years of war, the United Provinces of the Netherlands finally became recognised as a sovereign state thanks to a separate peace with Spain that was signed in Münster.This peace came about as a result of the Peace of Westphalia, which also confirmed the Swiss Confederation’s legal independence.The Treaty of Westphalia was an extremely significant event in both German and world history.However, its specific function within the European state system and within international law is a matter of question.One example of this is the discussion that took place regarding the “Westphalian System” during the latter half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century.

The significance of the Peace of Westphalia

Tolerance of different religions was a significant factor in the success of the Treaty of Westphalia.Additionally, it brought to a stop more than a century’s worth of fighting between Catholics and Protestants. Historians frequently use the signing of the peace treaty as the event that marks the beginning of the modern period.Both Catholicism and Protestantism were treated equally under the legislation since each monarch would have the ability to choose the religion that would be practised in their own state. 

The wording of the two treaties are nearly identical and both deal with matters pertaining to the Holy Roman Empire’s internal politics and administration.The majority of the war was fought on German territory, which resulted in the country being desolate as armies of mercenaries, many of whom were not paid by their respective owners, subsisted off of the land.

As troops marched across the countryside, they pillaged the cities, villages, and farmland they passed through.This led to widespread famine, robbery, and starvation.

In a depressing passage from a family Bible originating from a Swabian community, the author laments, “We live like animals, eating bark and grass.”

“No one could have ever predicted that something even remotely similar to this would occur to us.”

There are a lot of people who argue that there is no God… In engravings from the 1630s, Wenceslas Hollar documented the devastation in the conflict zone.

In the Rhineland, famine reached such a stage that there were reports of cannibalism due to the lack of food.

The terror became ingrained in daily life, and when the conflict was finally over, the mercenaries and their womenfolk bemoaned the fact that they no longer had a means of support.

The significance of the Treaty of Westphalia in Regard to the Conduct of International Relations

The Treaties of Westphalia 1648, which brought an end to the Thirty Years War, gave rise to the name “Westphalia,” which is now used in the field of international affairs. 

It is generally accepted that it refers to an arrangement of states or a global society that includes aspects of sovereign states that possess the authority to impose their will inside their own borders.

The mechanisms for formalising strategic ties between heads of state and governments guide the manner in which states interact with one another, and international law is comprised of the agreements that are signed (and violated) by sovereign nations. 

Both the Swiss and the Dutch gained their independence from their respective former monarchies as a result of the treaty. 

The German principalities were successful in protecting their independence. France was able to acquire the majority of Alsace-Lorraine while Brandenburg and Bavaria also made territorial gains, and Sweden received a monetary payment in addition to its gains. 

There was no longer any possibility of the Roman Catholic Church retaking control of Europe.

The spread of Protestantism across the globe was inevitable.

Reasons Why the Treaty of Westphalia Was Signed

The treaty that put an end to the Thirty Years’ War, widely regarded as one of the bloodiest and most devastating wars in European history,  was given the name Westphalia after the region of northwestern Germany where it was signed.

The conflict, or a series of connected wars, began in 1618 when the Austrian Hapsburgs attempted to force Roman Catholicism on their Protestant subjects in Bohemia. 

This attempt was the beginning of the Protestant uprising in Bohemia. It pitched Catholicism against Protestantism, the Holy Roman Empire against France, the German princes and princelings against the emperor as well as each other, and the Habsburg dynasty of Spain against the French. 

All of the following nations—Swedes, Danes, Poles, Russians, Dutch, and Swiss—were either pulled in or dove in after everyone else. 

Religion and power politics were also factors, in addition to competing commercial interests and rivalries.

Conclusion

There have always been debates regarding the terms of the Peace of Westphalia. 

The history of its adoption and use has been around nearly as long as the history of its birth and development.

However, there is no doubt that the negotiations marked a significant achievement in the fields of diplomacy and peacemaking. 

The most useful resources for the ever-evolving approaches and points of view of history are the sources on the peace. 

The celebration of the 350th anniversary of the Peace of Westphalia in 1998, which included a number of conferences and exhibitions, led to a significant rise in the amount of research conducted on the subject.