Peter Wilson

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the war in Europe which begain in 1618 and continued on such a scale and with such devastation that its like was not seen for another three hundred years. It pitched Catholics against Protestants, Lutherans against Calvinists and Catholics against Catholics across the Holy Roman Empire, drawing in their neighbours and it lasted for thirty gruelling years, from the Defenestration of Prague to the Peace of Westphalia of 1648. Many more civilians died than soldiers, and famine was so great that even cannibalism was excused. This topic was chosen from several hundred suggested by listeners this autumn.The image above is a detail from a painting of The Battle of White Mountain on 7-8 November 1620, by Pieter Snayers (1592-1667)WithPeter Wilson Chichele Professor of the History of War at the University of OxfordUlinka Rublack Professor of Early Modern European History at the University of Cambridge and Fellow of St John’s CollegeAndToby Osborne Associate Professor in History at Durham UniversityProducer: Simon Tillotson

Peter Wilson, a history professor at the University of Oxford and author of 'The Thirty Years War: Europe’s Tragedy', takes us through the catastrophic Thirty Years' War. He explores the brutal devastation of cities like Magdeburg and the war's shattering impact on Europe's political landscape. Hear about key moments like the Defenestration of Prague and the pivotal role of Gustavus Adolphus in rallying Protestant forces. Wilson also discusses the significance of the Peace of Westphalia, which reshaped alliances and marked a turning point in European diplomacy.