Thirty-years-war Today

More people died from typhus and plague—spread by marching armies—than from actual combat. 4. The Turning Point: Gustavus Adolphus

France emerged as the dominant power on the continent, while the Holy Roman Empire began a long, slow decline into a loose collection of independent states. thirty-years-war

What started as a clash between and Catholic states within the Holy Roman Empire eventually became a "who’s who" of European powers. More people died from typhus and plague—spread by

The war was brutal. It introduced "total war" tactics where armies lived off the land, seizing crops and burning villages. thirty-years-war

Some regions of Germany lost over 50% of their population .