Germany, Spain and Sweden after 1648

Germany had been ravaged by the Thirty Years' War. Trade and industry were non-existent; towns and cities were in ruins and starving peasants even resorted to cannibalism. It is estimated that half the population died.

Spain suffered greatly. The war with France continued until 1659 (The Peace of the Pyrenees). Under the terms of this treaty Spain had to give Artois and Roussillon to France, as well as the hand of the Infanta Maria Theresa to the young Louis XIV. Having lost control of the Atlantic Ocean, Spain rapidly declined into a poor second, then third-rate power.

Despite the death of Gustavus Adolphus in 1632, Sweden was established as the great power of northern Europe. It also became a cultural center. The University of Uppsala became famous for literature and philosophy, especially during the reign of Gustavus' remarkable daughter, Queen Christina (1632-1654).

• 17th Century Europe : Homepage
• The Thirty Years' War (1618 - 1648)
• The Conflict Begins
• Sweden and France
• The United Provinces
• Beginning of the Decline
• Prussia
• Russia
• Social Conditions
• Peter the Great and the Rise of Russia (1682-1725)
• Top of Page