Bro this channel is amazing. Basically getting an undergraduate education. So many videos so long so in depth. Thank you sir

Intro was so good that it gave me goosebumps

I was a political science major in college. Undergrad. When we study the history of war, nations and armies , we inevitably start with the treaty of Westphalia. My best professor always referred back to this treaty which essentially outlined nation- states as we understand them today. With standard professional armies.

Chesterton said the Reformation was near to “unmixed evil” or something to that effect

The Thirty Years War always has and always will make my head hurt. It also makes want to grab my Austrian Branch and hit John Calvin.

From one feudal struggle to the next local conflict german nobles transferred the empire into an international battleground. Here is an  example: At the beginning of the 17th century the duke of Cleves-Juelich-Berg had no male heir but two sisters, one was married to the count palatine of Neuburg and the other to the margrave of Brandenburg. When the duke died both of his brothers-in-law send delegations to the orphaned dukedoms to demand an oath of fiefdom for their rulers. The cities closed the gates and refused to welcome this delegations as there was an inheritance in contest. Each time both parties met in open terrain they started a fight. Both possible heirs were Lutherians. To make matters worse the margave switched over to Calvinism to recieve support from the more radical protestants. Shortly afterwards the count palatine of Neuburg switched to Catholicism in order to recieve support from the Habsburgs. To prohibit a local civil war in the orphaned dukedoms the emperor send troops to this area to secure peace. As this dukedoms had a common border with the Netherlands who were fighting for their independence the enemies of the Habsburgs feared the emperor may create a second catholic front againts the Dutch. The king of France raised an army and the thirty years war may have started already in 1610. But the french king was assassinated and the struggle calmed down.

As late as this is I would like to add that Rudolf II is still one of the favoured historical figures to this day in Czechia. His reign is remembered as the time before the fall in a way, the last big boom of culture and freedoms up until 1918 and formation of Czechoslovakia.
Also there are some pretty cool legends surrounding the Prague castle and city as the ocult influences brought to the forefront lot of folk tales which are remebred to this day

I may have missed it in the narration, but there is an interesting film set. In the Thirty Years War, titled The Last Va!lley (1971).

love the lectures. more please in this format.

Another great video in a great series. Finding out that Maximillian went beyond just forming a Catholic league but also trying to make himself an imperial candidate was very interesting to learn, it especially helps explain how after the next Ottoman war, the Bavarians will go back into being the rivals of the Hapsburgs. Your criticism of the term 'Westphalian state' was also very well articulated at showing how the states of the late 17th century still had stark differences to those of the 20th and the 21st.

Am presently reading CV Wedgwood's Thirty Years War considered the definitive work on the subject. Just started.

Not addressed formally, but I cannot help but wonder how much destructive Khazarian forces were at work through that 30 years nightmare... During my childhood, my beloved Oma Lily, (an Evangelical Lutheran born in Bremen, March 1872) was still deeply immersed in Schiller's analysis of that war...
In my adulthood, have chosen a Traditional Catholic path - but still am deeply concerned about ...not only what caused such wretched devastation - but also what hidden forces fueled it 🤔

super fascinating stuff. thank you for all the effort that went into this

What a brilliant and informative lecture!

This is amazing!!!

Nice job

Great video!

Implying that Brandenburg wasn't harmed that much because it becomes a great power later on is kind of like saying a natural disaster wasn't that bad because it only made 1 victim.

Great series thanks

I'm just fulfilling the second half of liking and commenting, AM. Didn't really have anything to say, but I suppose it helps with the algorithm.

I suppose just a general 'thank you' comment. I've had this one on the to-watch list for a while now. Great stuff as always and no doubt a one I'll re-listen to at some point. I'd subscribe and/or donate but I'm struggling financially at the moment.

Keep it up, if you'd be as so very kind and generous to us!