Advanced Placement (AP) World History Practice Exam 2025 - Free AP World History Practice Questions and Study Guide

The Thirty Years' War is recognized as one of the longest and deadliest conflicts in European history, lasting from 1618 to 1648. It began as a struggle between Catholic and Protestant states within the Holy Roman Empire and expanded into a broader European conflict that involved many major powers of the time. The war was characterized by its complex political and religious dimensions, leading to immense devastation across central Europe, particularly in Germany, where large parts of the population perished, and the landscape was ravaged.

This conflict not only had profound social and economic impacts but also resulted in significant changes to the political landscape of Europe, leading to the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which marked the beginning of a new order in European state sovereignty and diplomacy. The sheer scale of loss, both in human terms and the destruction of communities, establishes the Thirty Years' War as a pivotal moment that revealed the destructive potential of religious and political strife during this era.