René Descartes, the Thirty Years' War, and the Scientific Revolution

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing the key people, events, and terms discussed in the lecture on Descartes and the Thirty Years’ War.

René Descartes

French philosopher–mathematician who, after serving as a soldier in the Thirty Years’ War, turned to mathematics for certainty amid the era’s chaos.

Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648)

A series of intertwined religious and dynastic conflicts fought mainly within the Holy Roman Empire between Catholic and Protestant states.

Scientific Revolution

17th-century intellectual movement that emphasized systematic observation, experimentation, and mathematics as alternatives to religious explanations.

Religious Wars

Violent conflicts in 16th- and 17th-century Europe in which Catholics and Protestants fought over faith and political power.

Protestant Reformation

Religious movement that began in 1517 with Martin Luther’s criticism of the Catholic Church, leading to new Protestant denominations.

Holy Roman Empire

Loose federation of 300+ German states where both the Reformation and the Thirty Years’ War unfolded.

Bohemia

Region (in today’s Czechia) where the Thirty Years’ War erupted over a disputed imperial succession and religious tensions.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

Treaty granting each Holy Roman prince the right to choose Catholicism or Lutheranism for his territory, temporarily easing religious conflict.

Martin Luther

German monk whose Ninety-Five Theses posted in 1517 ignited the Protestant Reformation.

Wittenberg Castle Church

Site where Martin Luther famously nailed his Ninety-Five Theses, challenging Catholic practices.

Spanish Habsburgs

Powerful Catholic dynasty that ruled Spain and held claims in the Holy Roman Empire; key players in the Thirty Years’ War.

Dutch (Eighty Years’) War

Conflict in which Calvinist Netherlands fought the Spanish Habsburgs for independence, overlapping with the Thirty Years’ War.

Calvinists

Followers of Protestant reformer John Calvin; influential in the Netherlands’ struggle against Habsburg rule.

Dynastic Succession

The inheritance of a throne; disputes over this issue in the Holy Roman Empire helped trigger the Thirty Years’ War.