The Pete Quiñones Show Episode 1303: The Thirty Years War - Part 1 - w/ Thomas777
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Dec 9, 2025 Thomas777, a revisionist historian and fiction writer, explores the pivotal Thirty Years' War, emphasizing its legacy as Europe's defining pre-20th-century conflict. He challenges the notion of it being merely a 'religious war,' delving into complex political motivations and confessional rivalries between Lutherans and Calvinists. The discussion highlights the devastating human cost, including civilian suffering and societal disruption, while linking the historical peace settlements to the emergence of modern state systems. Thomas also touches on the Habsburgs' influence and the era's revolutionary war reporting.
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War That Reshaped Europe
- The Thirty Years' War was Europe's deadliest pre-20th-century conflict and reshaped the continent.
- It killed 8–12 million people and devastated German lands culturally and demographically.
Not Just A Religious War
- The war is often mislabeled purely religious but confessionalism intertwined with high politics.
- Lutherans and Calvinists differed sharply and sometimes fought each other despite shared opposition to Rome.
Birth Of The Modern State
- The Peace of Westphalia marked the end of the old feudal order and the start of the modern state system.
- Its multiple treaties collectively created a new European political order, not a single document.
