The Thirty Years War

www.tomrichey.net
The Thirty Years' War was fought from 1618-1648 (Thirty Years!) in the Holy Roman Empire. It began as a conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Bohemia, but grew to involve Denmark, Sweden, and France. After the French began helping Gustavus Adolphus, the Protestant king of Sweden, the lines became blurry and the war became more about the balance of power in Europe than about religion. The Peace of Westphalia paved the way for France to become the dominant power in Western Europe and for the permanent decline of the Holy Roman Empire as a political institution.
If you like this lecture, check out my other lectures for AP European History and Western Civilization!

[@kumppi]

I never knew Matt Damon was so knowledgeable about history.

[@mayherrera8539]

omg he looks so much like him!

[@dodec8449]

+kumppi I never knew he was Southern.

[@TheMapman01]

+kumppi and he sounds like ernest p worrel

[@rivsol]

+kumppi I never knew he was a Martian

[@yashdeshpande2733]

He looks like Mark Wahlberg though :o

[@NikkyElso]

Honestly I'm surprised the 30 years war lasted for 30 years since the 7 years war lasted for 9 and don't even get me started on the 100 years war.

[@rudde7918]

Elso Wasn't more like 90 years with periods of peace in between the fighting periods?

[@Weebusaurus]

1337 to 1453, so actually more than 100 years, but yes, periods of peace separating phases.

[@snappy452]

Well its a good thing all this silliness ended with the War of 1812, which went until 1814, whose most famous battle was fought after a peace was agreed upon, but hey at least it was short.

[@auspiciouspotato3515]

Tom Sanders That's actually interesting I didn't know about that. 🇮🇪

[@polyarchzealot305]

Tom Sanders Get stuffed, maple midget. Canada has been rightful American clay since the revolutionary war; it only exist now because of the crumpet munchers wanting an easy vantage point to reclaim their former subjects if the opportunity ever presented itself.

[@quique7764]

I love the fact that King Gustav II was one of the few Kings who actually fought along side his soldiers & can certainly see why his solider loved, fought & died for him.

[@noradora23]

oml tsar nicolas ii of russia also ended up fighting alongside his soldiers but no one liked him :///

[@nategamer9184]

@@noradora23 prior to that he was heavily disliked by his country and he only did that to oversee the war and lost many battles while fighting with them

[@SuperCcbby]

*watches Tom Richey videos at midnight to prepare for a euro test the next day* O-o

[@benchen4966]

im doing that right now lol

[@MalarkeyMan]

How did it go 4 years later? Lmao

[@chiarawedd1621]

I have mine in 20 minutes

[@joshuajaiyeola4965]

@@chiarawedd1621 This I feel deeply

[@luvjisoo-cd7dn]

Me at the moment😭

[@JohnSmith-ee8ni]

I just realized the video is 15:55 long... and it involves the Peace of Augsburg. Coincidence?

[@NikMP99]

LOL XDXDXDXDXDXD

[@justinsankar1164]

I think not!

[@surakshyabaral3775]

Hotel? Trivago

[@Malikin]

There's no coincidence, only Theresa

[@Grivian]

Gustavus Adolphus didn't just introduce mobile artillery (although that was very significant). He completely changed the formation of the armies, going away from the tradition spanish squre formation. He introduced platoon fire, and made the soldiers wear lighter armor among many things

[@Your_President_Kanye_East]

He and his generals introduced and / or copied many innovations from other militaries creating a unique tactical model. However, I believe the reason why Gustavus Adolphus has been dubbed the father of the modern warfare is the emphasis on cooperation between infantry and artillery and between infantry and cavalry. He was arguably the first commander since Alexander the Greate who implemented the concept of *combined forces* so successfully.

[@N332]

This was literally a months worth of classes perfectly summarized. Thank you! Hopefully the exam goes well

[@tomrichey]

I hope your exam goes well, too!

[@johnlainekunkle]

I'm a history fan. It was my favorite subject in school, but my father insisted I study a "practical subject" (Economics and Accounting). I'm not sorry I did because a lot of what happens in history is really caused by economic conditions so understanding economics and finance is not a bad thing. However, I've never lost my love of history. I have to congratulate you as being the most succinct, clear, organized presenter of history I've ever heard. If I was your student, I would be worshiping at your feet. As the kids say today, I'm a "fanboy" of yours. I'm going to subscribe to your channel as I would like to hear your dissertations on other parts of history. Thanks so much for taking a so called "boring" subject like history and explaining it in very succinct terms. You're the greatest.

[@tomrichey]

+John Kunkle Thank you very much! I'm grateful to have subscribers who watch these videos for their own edification. Your encouragement is much appreciated! I dabble in economic history here and there - my lecture on mercantilism would be an example.

[@johnlainekunkle]

You do a great job of simplifying the key elements to understanding a complex subject for easy understanding and remembrance. Most historians do just the opposite. They get into the nuances, which is important for an in depth understanding. But it's nice to have an over view of the subject material before you drill down into the details.

[@kathrynmoore524]

y'all this is actually really helpful. since we started doing online school it's not as fun and engaging and class is an hour long, but this dude explains so much in just 15 minutes, it's literally saving my grade in ap euro lmaooo

[@uigyeomjeon8042]

thanks I am an Korean student. I was looking for information about 30 years war. you really did organized it well you talk slow so foreign people can understand thanks so much

[@TheReMorseCode]

영어로 역사에 대해서 배우는거 정말 대단하시네요! 영어 잘 하셔나 봐요

[@michaelacanete47]

Sir, where have you been my whole life. You saved me from the AP European test.

[@milasquid3130]

rip to all the people who came across this in their DBQ

[@prestonheit1582]

Im half a year in and still can't get a B on my DBQ's, dang it

[@Fridgemasters]

☹️☹️☹️

[@citronvand]

I was never really interested in history until I started playing Europa Universalis IV. I love discovering historical events that happens in-game and later read up upon what really happened. I just lead the Protestant league to victory as Sweden and gained the Lion of the North achievement. After that I knew I had research this which is why I'm watching this video, very interesting topic to say the least. I just wish your video was longer, I could have easily watched 2 hours.

[@valrossenOliver]

Indeed, for some reason that game makes things very intereting. First i just wanted to rule the world... but the game made a complete turn of thinking.

[@Marius2Rocker]

+valrossenOliver Yeah. After a while you end up prefering to release nations as part of a peace deal, rather than taking land, simply for more political intrigue.

[@ThejollyFrenchman]

As a former employee of Paradox and a developer of EUIV, I can't explain to you just how glad it makes me feel to hear that we helped you gain an interest in history. I hope you follow this pursuit, it really is a great subject.

[@stormcrusher13]

+ThejollyFrenchman Oh my gawd EUIV is life but history is even more life. Thank you for developing the greatest game of all time in terms of grand strategy history.

[@SANTI--ez9nw]

Same here!

[@annakisker3301]

finally after spending the entire school year trying to figure out this war, i finally get it :D good luck to everyone else cramming for the AP euro exam tomorrow!

[@HerrReinhard]

It's simple, Doctor Luther with his patron wanted to steal Pope's property and then it all started.

[@HansDunkelberg1]

​@@HerrReinhard No, it's much more complicated. After all, you basically have two Catholic superpowers fighting each other. The leader of one of these powers (Ferdinand II of Austria) tries to restore a religious intolerance that recently has been given up through a predecessor. The leader of the other power (the Frenchman Richelieu) with a certain success exploits an unwillingness of the suppressed ones to reconcile themselves to that restoration of intolerance. That's pretty pale a constellation, for a child. Already the beginning, with the Letter of Majesty of 1609 that had allowed protestant worship in Bohemia being revoked by Ferdinand II, isn't simple. A pupil won't care much about an edict of 1609 which only has relaxed matters of worship in Bohemia having been revoked, a few years later. Then, another problem: into this apparently religious war there is mingled a confusing question of the geopolitical equilibrium of secular powers. The Catholic France appears as a helper of the Protestant Sweden (see 8:19), because a cardinal de facto reigning it feels that his country begins to be surrounded by regions controlled from Vienna, too much (9:40). To entangle things even more, Gustavus Adolphus has to die in battle, with the consequence of a Swedish military pullback and an inversion of the constellation that France has paid and Sweden fought. You could summarize: "The Catholic France exploited a suppression of Protestants in the Hapsburg empire for an adjustment of the European balance of power, by supporting military resistance of those Protestants, after the Protestant countries Denmark and Sweden had been doing the latter before. It has achieved a certain, but altogether only an insignificant success. The ideological gist has been that a dawning of religious tolerance was battled by the Austrian leaders within their territories, while the French have supported it, from outside." Quite an amount of complexity for a pupil of an age at which you typically will hear about the Thirty Years' War, at school! The insignificance of the outcome of the whole thing will have to render moot most hopes for an average pupil to keep in mind much of the reasons.

[@mosquitobight]

Sweden's invention of mobile artillery was the IKEA of modern war.

[@chrisnoname4808]

The need for firepower .....when fighting the polish winged husars, it was important to kill them Before they could reach the Swedish forces

[@chrisnoname4808]

Sweden in the 1600s was the fathers of modern warfare .......we could kick ass everywhere ....Poland, Russia, Germany, Denmak ...we could take them on all, at the same time

[@Citroen_2cv]

You win the internet for this comment.

[@jothompson8362]

Such an apt description😅

[@amponbayan]

@@chrisnoname4808 Did they have instructions for the artillery in diagrams? I am sure this was the start of IKEA.

[@Tabbytututheawesome]

Thought you were great in The Martian! You deserved that Oscar

[@easonchen6267]

Tabia Schmidt honestly most clever thing I've heard all day. I didn't notice till I saw this comment lolol

[@karolanethibault587]

I am taking a class about the modern Europe and to be honest, history is really not my cup of tea. I'm more into art, philosophy and litterature, and this class is killing me. I have an exam tomorrow morning, and even if I did study about 50 hours, and I do not exagerate at all, I don't understand a single thing. Don't know why, to me it's so vague and complicated and god knows why I suck at this, but I do. And then I listened to your video. This war is not the main subject of my exam, but you vid' do help me a lot. Maybe it's too soon to scream hallelujah but for now, I'm really grateful.

[@tomrichey]

It's never too soon to scream hallelujah. Good luck on your exam!

[@calebjohnson4128]

Wow, Martin Luther not only reforms Christianity itself, but then went on to help end awful racial problems in America, all in the span of 500 years!

[@dafuqmr13]

he have genetic mutation if im not wrong, as you can see in tv

[@andrewkennedy-reagan3289]

Idiot

[@angeloachmedmerkel5462]

Yes what a King !

[@harrymills2770]

Rejuvenation generates extra melanin. Hence the saying "Black don't crack."

[@thatone_nugget6353]

Martin Luther and Martin Luther King Jr. are two different people!!

[@omarelhosseni695]

Mr.Richey, I have just discovered your channel and am feeling I will be indebted to you over the next few years. It's like finding a gold mine of studying information.

[@laila6812]

you don't even understand how much this video SAVED ME on the AP Euro dbq on friday!! i remember so many details from this video THANK YOU SO MUCH TOM💓💓

[@teaves8251]

You are more like a story teller with humor than a history teacher. I enjoy learning something new/old from your special delivery and charm. Thanks for making history fun.

[@Philtopy]

exactly how a techer should do it: Spark interest and give the tools so people can learn more for themselves.

[@SpiderkillersInc]

Switzerland is also really hard to invade. It's a very mountainous country, with a population of skilled riflemen. Basically, it's guerrilla warfare country.

[@adventureinc1568]

Plus every adult over 18 must have a gun permit.

[@itsjohnnyboi3214]

*must have a gun or two, or three... And be extremely proficient with it

[@SpiderkillersInc]

itsjohnnyboi dear lord. It's like a gun supporters wet dream.

[@tomashize]

+Spiderkillers, Inc They rigged all the routs into the country to explode in case of invasion plus the roads can turn into runways and they have bunkers everywhere!

[@asdewrt]

Fun Fact: Switzerland is gettimg smaller by a few millimeters every year because of continental drift

[@logster99]

This really helped me with my studying for our first historical period test. Thank you, Tom Richey!! This was one of the few topics that I didn't fully grasp due to all the content it contained. Thanks again!

[@Marina-lo3hp]

Wow. I loved this video. It really does provide a brief and clear summary of the events leading to the 30-year war, how it unfolded and its relevance. Outstanding summary. Thank you for posting this.

[@Dennan]

i feel like i wanna play eu 4 now

[@yashdeshpande2733]

Lol I was searching the whole comments section for someone to say this! XD

[@albertobombardelli6971]

me too

[@bronynexgen]

In my game, Austria kind of dominated the HRE and there was no America. England mostly ruled the Old World and Africa, and the Spanish were being crushed by the Portuguese, the British and the Dutch.

[@gerryj313]

I just watched this and were like "fuck this imma play an eu4 campaign where the good ol Catholics will win"

[@triplesharigan]

In my game Bohemia dominates the HRE and is Austria is praying 24/7 that i won't have to fight bohemia, france, ottomans and russia at the same time.

[@diegovillarroel8222]

Blue Bohemian Dank Danish Shrek Swedish Fries French

[@muhammadahmed3588]

Diego Villarroel Big Dick Small Feet

[@ikepaul4536]

BDSF

[@sebastiaandewit159]

BDSM. With the M for Mongloid French.

[@henrybarreras5505]

Balls Deep in a Sissy's Fanny

[@djmills2040]

Whatever, basically in plain English the black nobility was overrun by the-new coming albinos who didn’t want to be ruled by the black kingdoms. The start of racism and white supremacy.

[@user-nw3cn3gm1c]

Explaining such a complex war simply and thoroughly. Good review for AP Exam.

[@vasilikichaintini722]

Sir, you are an amazing teacher! You can make a complicated topic seem not so complicated. It is obvious that you have a talent in explaining and trasmiting information. Thank you for the video and keep up the good work!

[@bhuikjh987]

THANK GOODNESS FOR YOU! It's thanks to teachers like you that help kids with teachers who don't teach, pass their exams!

[@tomrichey]

bhuikjh987 I'm glad these videos I'm making in my spare time are making you feel like you're heading toward success on your exam! WOO!

[@lolasogm]

Nice, I don't even study history, but I like to learn history as a hobby. Glad to have found this

[@steveblevins8793]

Thank you for making this complicated subject comprehensible!

[@seanbaz1423]

Your videos are fantastic. You make clear connections between historical events that make following along a simple exercise. Thank you.

[@andreluisguzman123]

Really helped me and my understanding of the thirty years war thank you !

[@tomrichey]

+Andre Andre You're welcome!

[@mariocassina90]

Why don't you take the single parts of it analyzing them one by one? It is impossible to find anything about the Thirty Years War

[@tmsantos_]

Currently taking up a Christian civilization history class and I find this video super helpful. :D Makes me understand the wars better thanks to the language you use and the mnemonics (?) to help remember the phases. Thank you so much!

[@mariaeduardamazza9025]

thank you SO MUCH for that video. i'm on my first period of IR and extensive lectures are tiring and often not engaging. this helped me so much in understanding major concepts in a quick and dynamic way, and i will definetly reccomend your channel to my classmates. keep up the great work! beyong thankful!

[@yerlinb5843]

Truly appreciate your videos Professeur. Keepem' coming. You do a great job. Short simple understanding and plus, my favorite factor, quite humourous.

[@fredrikemilsson4848]

First of all, this is a wonderful video that is very educating and at the same time hilarious. A big thanks for you Tom Richey for producing this content. The one thing I would criticize, and I don't know if its been said before, is that you did not point out the massive loss of life that the war caused. Of course always assume wars cost lives but one third of the german population perished in this conflict, 8 million people. Perhaps they deserve a mention.

[@thenewfire]

Probably closer to 2/3rds. I agree, that should have gotten a line or 2. The war was basically all fought within German grounds and it brutalized the land and dehumanized/demoralized a huge part of the peasant class.

[@brianrice3065]

Haven't fully grasped the concept of the thirty years war all year until I saw this video. AP Exam is tomorrow and this video helped me extremely, thank you for helping me understand!

[@karthagoontuhottava6115]

What is AP exam?

[@raktimbarua6973]

Asshole Penetration

[@kylefelder8851]

basically

[@kylefelder8851]

^^

[@Tina06019]

Karthago On Tuhottava Advanced Placement - they are exams that high school students take to be able to start college classes at a higher level.

[@daiwiksahoo92]

This was a very good video to help students prepare for the exam! Love the content and plan on watching more of your videos. Before watching this, every other video/article I looked at did not give me as solid of an explanation as you did. Thank you!!!

[@FrostyFeet2018]

You.... are the reason I have an A+ in my AP Euro class. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[@yorkieandthecat]

Awesome lecture! Thank you, Tom!

[@tomrichey]

+What do you desire? Glad I could help you!

[@sparkyjohan]

Matt, not Tom. Matt Damon.

[@the_grass_roots_0fold_hick550]

*See E Michael Jones to learn more in detail.*

[@drc4320]

Was the test for his blind students @11:00?

[@mmaatttttttt]

@What do you desire? Thank YOU, Alan

[@alexanderreynolds9053]

Just happened to watch this video before the exam. God bless Tom Richey.

[@nestiray8056]

Alexander Reynolds lucky...

[@c-beam3670]

Brilliant!!! this is probably the best "In a Nutshell" video of any topic, I've had the pleasure of viewing on KZbin.

[@LeenMar08]

you explain everything so well. I was able to understand and grasp the importance of this period. thank you!

[@mikesnel1013]

Thanks for this, i have to write a 3 argument essay on the 30 years war, this video helped me alot.

[@tomrichey]

Bonecrusher1997 Glad I could help you get started!

[@ImmaterialDigression]

Freaking great lecture! Subbed. Genuine humour combined with knowledge and images = awesome

[@jahnneycantrell1247]

I was cramming for the apeuro test the night before and I came across this video. Honestly best decision I've had to watch it. You actually saved my LEQ. Thank you so much.

[@ray-raywilliams9377]

Thanks for making this video...you helped me write a large portion of my research paper by understanding European history

[@eabn87]

Excellent, I have just learned A LOT of interesting stuff. I learned more about Western Europe's history in 15min than in my high school (considering my country basically teaches almost no European history whatsoever). Thank you for the lecture. I've just subscribed. It's the first time I see any of your videos. Keep it up! ;-)

[@eliasmontesdeoca9945]

It's so much to remember to it was a really good video and I like how the slides show on screen cuz I just screenshot and study the pics tomorrow before the live stream. Plus, now I know where all those things came from, like the war with Spain and the Dutch or the evolution of the HRE

[@atbundros]

Great video, thank you! I'm a history freak. Got here because I've started Simplicissimus. You're a great historian. I wish I could sit down with you over coffee and have conversation about history!

[@janolianna9926]

I had to watch this for school and wasn't super excited about it, but it actually ended up being totally awesome. I love Tom's sense of humor. XD

[@brandonbennett944]

Your students are extremely lucky to have a teacher (Professor?) like you. Your ability to relate history within modern times, using phrases such as "riding thirty", is absolutely amazing; a feat that can be difficult at times, to say the least. I'm currently a college student, majoring in history and minoring in secondary education, hoping to be a 10th grade history teacher on day. This video enlightened me to some fun and new ideas on how to relate historical information to my future students. I really appreciate that and thank you so much for this informative video!

[@tomrichey]

Brandon Bennett Thanks a bunch for the kind words! I'm a high school teacher by day and a part-time adjunct professor by night, so both are correct. You may want to think about going ahead and doing a double major in history and education so you can qualify for a teaching certificate. I had to get a M.Ed. in order to get certified because I didn't do an education major the first time around. Of course, grad school is always an option!

[@lawrencebrannan4197]

Tom Richey Hi Tom. I really love your video's. Larry Brannan here. I'am adjunct history professor at the College of Southern Md. teaching Western Civilization and US. history. Use them all the time for my classes. I also taught high school history before starting at CSM 6 years ago, Keep them coming. [e-mail]

[@bencornell8300]

Tom Richey what a fucking savage.

[@shmrnt5996]

Ben Cornell Matt. Not Tom Richey, or Tom Damon . Matt Damon !

[@vallagunas655]

Hello from Chicago, Illinois.I can't tell you how much YOU make history so much easier to understand :)Thanks for all your awesome help.

[@xdippyx]

honestly have been dreading history because my grades really count this year and there's just so much to memorize but this video actually was super helpful. I'm always glad when videos like this have some sort of personality and aren't just monotone renderings of boring shit. Thanks for making this!

[@kevindevoe7338]

I watched this and need to blast Sabaton now!

[@andrewlain6092]

Thank you for making these videos! They are very detailed and informative, which are different from what I've learned from school in Taiwan. They really help, thank you!

[@tomrichey]

+Andrew Lain Always glad to help and I'm very thankful to have an international audience!

[@aleattorium]

I'm just a late-night student from Brazil :) and liked this video too. Keep 'em coming

[@klokanmacho5571]

Great lecture, this really helped me to put this war in a larger perspective. Props to you for taking the time to put the pictures as well.

[@tomrichey]

Thanks! It takes a lot of extra time and effort to create the slides and include them in the video production so I'm glad to hear it's appreciated!

[@PeteJones81]

Great job Tom! I have a bachelor's in history and a master's in polysci but I didnt know much about the 30 years war and learned a lot from this! Very concise and informative, thanks a lot!

[@1945joshuaruiz]

This helped me 2 years ago when I was in AP euro . Thank you so much! :) class of 2015!

[@rookas6274]

I'm taking this as a freshman of the class of 2020, any advice?

[@TheAznSnakeTAS]

read the book

[@rookas6274]

Thanks for that

[@TheAznSnakeTAS]

im taking that right now, that was my teachers advice

[@rookas6274]

My teachers advice was go to the counselor if you cry when you see your grade.

[@zoatheperson3012]

History has been my least favorite subject for a while, but my parents made me take AP Euro this year. It's been really difficult and I've been worried because of the midterm coming up, but thanks to you I think I have a chance to do well on it. Thanks for making history more fun and interesting :)

[@tomrichey]

+Zoa ThePerson Glad I can help!

[@paulnavara7127]

Have to say, very nice video on this subject! Informative without being frenetic, like those trying to present a crash course in a few minutes. I'm researching some genealogy that might show the possibility of a Spaniard soldier getting together with a Bohemian woman during this time frame. Your video shows there could be such a connection during the 30 years war. Thank you Tom!

[@that2cutegirl]

I have my AP Euro exam tomorrow and I was watching this to study, and I found this super helpful!

[@NapoleonBonaparti]

Tthe swedes actualy never stoped fighting . The war was led by diffrent generals but in 1648 they invaded parts of Prag. Sweden also got alot of north german land in this war leading to their rise as a great power.

[@tomrichey]

Albin Rudal Good to know! I should have talked to you before I recorded.

[@linkola2930]

Do you mean the Finns never stopped fighting? Sweden just led the war, the warriors were mostly Finnish Hakkapeliitas.

[@NapoleonBonaparti]

Tha_Be£a$t0011​ Well there were hakkapelitas but they where not that meny and since we where at war with poland aswell some where there. Most of our army towords the end where mercenarys ftom Scotland and Germany anyway. Hakkapelitas are only cavalry aswell so groundtropes where onother thing and conscription where evenly in the kingdom. I did not mention Finland anyway since it was a part of Sweden and I ment them aswell.

[@linkola2930]

Yeah but even though Finland was a part of Sweden geographically, the people have always concidered themselves as Finns, not Swedes, and spoken Finnish language, not Swedish. So I'd just like people to give some respect to the brave warriors from Finland, at least by calling them Finns, not Swedes. But yes i know, there were also many warriors from Sweden.

[@NapoleonBonaparti]

Tha_Be£a$t0011​ Yes of course Finland dhould get alot of glory and they did consoder themselfs qs ethnic finnns but finnish nationqlism did not exist and they also conciderd them self as swedish citisens snd did not have the decire for an independent Finland. But as I said the finns are worth mentioning and they play a huge role in the kingdom of swedens rise as a great power.

[@sofiamazari]

I've learned more in 15 min watching this than a full semester with my witch of a prof

[@tomrichey]

Glad I could help!

[@stratant.8722]

Teachers know a lot about history but they don't know how to teach the students in a way that they can understand.

[@jimivey6462]

Great research, analysis, and presentation! Thanks for doing this!

[@dalerupert9019]

Tom, great explanation of this protracted conflict that was very complex on different levels. Thanks!

[@joshrussell4242]

It's weird how few people study the Thirty Years War... I've been studying it as a "free choice" topic in high school and I've been hard pressed to find historians' views on it! Great video, I'd love to chat to you about this some time :D

[@dv5873]

Thank the lord for this video, I watched this last night and the DBQ today was over it

[@aj0e419]

Willow I wish that I watched this video 😭

[@andre31601]

Thank you so much, I wrote notes on your lecture and using it as a study guide for a timed essay. Thank you so much!!

[@bronynexgen]

I wish I had your videos while I was studying AP Euro! Now that I moved to the Netherlands as a student, I should brush up on my European history. Thank you for the videos!

[@scottishbananaclan]

Most of Europe in 1648 getting together and creating one of the most disruptive treaties in European history: Sweden still trying to kill Bohemia and capture Prague:

[@kev3d]

Fun! I learned a lot!

[@tomrichey]

kev3d Glad to hear it!

[@Sara866873]

Thanks you very much for sharing this video, it was super helpful! Love your style of presenting information in an interesting and humorous way, as well as providing some images ;)

[@vkorchnoifan]

At last another video series of historian lectures with presentations. Kenneth Clark and Eugene Weber were the pioneers in this genre, I am happy to see these introductions of history continues today.

[@mycabbages-pr7rr]

Wow, thank you so much for this video! You made the content engaging and easy to understand... Saved me from reading a ton of readings!

[@tomrichey]

That's what I like to hear!

[@lichking3711]

+Tom Richey too bad you left out a bunch of excellent army commanders. Like Raymond Montekukulle.

[@samk1491]

This video, my friends, got me a 5 on the AP test

[@johannesschadenfreude7288]

Great video. I learned more about The Thirty Years War in a few minutes than I did in all my years of schooling.

[@summerzavalza4089]

one of the areas I spent the most time understanding, your videos really help, thank you!!!

[@Lalalanddddd]

dream came true! finally have a teacher who looks like mat damon ! hahaha

[@historicalwalrus589]

but what if the Matt Damon is the teacher ? O.o

[@LeahJade87]

Aysenur Akay but he sounds like Ernest lol.

[@bigmack8307]

Oh my gosh, I thought so too XD

[@harrymills2770]

I object to the objectification of men as sex objects.

[@dagmarvandoren9364]

Who is mad damon?

[@1931Tre]

I would like to know where are you from Tom Richey, USA? And it's really interesting to watch these historical youtube videos because I can learn a lot more extra about them, while learning about these things in college too. In Finland we have really good education and we are going a lot trough these things which involves Sweden in them, because Finland was part of Sweden in those times, but these videos are always littlebit more extra to that, so thanks for making these.

[@tomrichey]

I am from the USA. Sweden is one of my top ten countries in terms of viewership soI hope to study up on Swedish history a bit more at some point and make a few more lectures about it!

[@jason41a]

+Tom Richey clearly from the south! Your videos are really great and you're an amazing teacher. Kinda wiped out my preconceptions of the south. I've lived in New England and New York so that's why!

[@garretphegley8796]

+N/A N/A No place in the USA is better than the Midwest

[@bubbstube8309]

Garret Phegley meeeh😂😂

[@oussematrabelsi9429]

This is an american high school course

[@powerblo5019]

I don't know if you get this often, but I watch to study history as a hobby. You don't know how many places I've searched for an informative and detailed series like your AP euro. Personally, it was a little weird hearing you talk about so much religion, but it was an interesting viewpoint of European history for an Asian like me. Thanks for you hard work; I hope you're still making this stuff these days.

[@LasseSrnes]

Brilliant lectrue:) Did not knew a lot about the 3 year war before this. Thanks!

[@kit_kat_hi]

I FREAKIN SKIPPED OVER THIS VIDEO THINKING I WOULDN'T NEED IT FOR THE AP EXAM BUT HERE WE ARE IN 2018 AND THE FREAKING DBQ WAS ON THIS

[@notkatelyn8734]

What did you get on the ap exam?

[@devinchandler3000]

I know I'm late by like 4 years, but I'm 95% sure he said " Swedish Swords French Fists" when he was supposed to say Swedish Stacks French Fists...

[@Gaheku]

The ancestor who began to document my family tree fought - and died - in this war as a mercenary not unlike the famous Landsknechts. He was a mercenary pikeman from the Netherlands who died in battle in 1630. Through the money he was making as a mercenary, he was able to pay for my family tree registration, enabling his descendants to document their family history through the ages.

[@warlord95Sweden]

May Gustavus The great rest in peace as the brilliant king and warrior he was. Loved by his people and respected by his enemies.

[@tomrichey]

Indeed!

[@NikkoYM]

+William .Thorén I don't want to be a buzz kill, but I think there are some people who see warfare as sentimental patriotism. I don't. OK, I get that he was ahead of his time with terrestrial tactics, and so in this sense his greatness;. But, knowing just a little bit about the history of this war, it was still hell. I would never sugar-coat war or soldiers or how they participated in warfare. The consequence of the Swedish incursion into the German arena was pillaging, and depriving peasant farmers of their harvest and foodstuffs. During this time Germany had a plague… people were no longer strong enough (malnourished) to fight off disease and infection. So, I have no issue with Sweden in and of itself, so pls. don't take this personally. I prefer to take a non-romantic look at war, battles, and the consequences. @Tom Richey

[@warlord95Sweden]

i don't take a romantic look to war either. but when millions of people are being killed because they don't follow the catholic faith. and then a man risk it all to save innocent people, for me that's someone to be grateful for.and he was not just a man that wanted power, if he was he wouldn't have died with his men in battle And he was not only a warrior, he was the founder of Gothenburg (My home) and he was modern for his time. but i totally understand and respect your point..

[@jayevergarden4695]

I’m glad this has also helped me write my essay six years ago and now 🙏

[@LeahLaBarre]

Thank you for the video! I'm in a comparative politics class and this information is exactly what I need.

[@jarjr2229]

Thank you for the 5

[@laurengwyn3322]

THANK YOU!!!😭😭😭

[@derik2nicolai584]

You covred the thirty years war in 15 minutes with showing the maps, SUPER GREAT, thank you very much.

[@collinbreit]

Hey Tom... You are totally awesome. I majored in history but ended up becoming a video producer. Your lectures are succinct and entertaining while still being accurate and educational. Bravo!!

[@beansbaby1501]

I WATCHED THIS RIGHT BEFORE THE EXAM BLESS

[@notkatelyn8734]

This must've really helped with the dbq lol

[@Nerddough]

I hate that one Voltaire quote that talks about the "Not Holy, Not Roman, and Not Imperial: Holy Roman Empire". If the leader of your country lives in Spain, and you live in Argentina, you live in an empire. And, for a great chunk of time, the hapsburgs controled Rome, thus making it Roman. You can debate wether it was holy or not all day long, but it was certainly an empire.

[@sventibaldo]

It wasn't called "Roman" because they controlled Rome....in fact they didn't, i don't know what you mean by that. Perhaps the influence they had over the Papacy? That can't be defined as "controlling Rome", or you mean the fact that Rome was nominally part of the Empire? That meant basically nothing in terms of actual control. That's why it was more an empire in name than in facts, as Voltaire noted. So it wasn't Holy (what does that even mean in concrete?), it wasn't Roman (not even a little bit, it was Germanic) and it wasn't an Empire since, at the time of Voltaire, the imperial authority was very weak in general and in some of its parts it was merely nominal. Austria had even been defeated by her imperial subject Prussia. So it was an empire only in the name, just like the holy and the roman part.

[@rickysanchez8709]

Thanks Tom for the simple explanation for the 30 years war.

[@kaylaouerbacker8111]

I WISH I'd found these videos earlier... So so helpful!

[@britneynguyen724]

less than 24 hours left..

[@keatonmuench4996]

+Britney Nguyen yup... the countdown begins... Good luck fellow AP Euro students!

[@karthagoontuhottava6115]

Nguyens are Asia's Habsburgs.

[@britneynguyen724]

That was the best comment I've ever read Karthago On Tuhottava

[@jason41a]

Fewer

[@joshuading764]

Less than 24 hours left.... again.

[@youDivine]

when the form o dbq was about the thity years war