Editing History of Europe (section)

====Thirty Years' War 1618–1648====
{{Main|Thirty Years' War}}
The [[Thirty Years' War]] was fought between 1618 and 1648, across Germany and neighbouring areas, and involved most of the major European powers except England and Russia,<ref>Peter H. Wilson, ''Europe's Tragedy: A History of the Thirty Years War'' (2009)</ref> involving Catholics versus Protestants for the most part. The major impact of the war was the devastation of entire regions scavenged bare by the foraging armies. Episodes of widespread famine and disease, and the breakup of family life, devastated the population of the German states and, to a lesser extent, the [[Low Countries]], the [[Crown of Bohemia]] and northern parts of Italy, while bankrupting many of the regional powers involved. Between one-fourth and one-third of the German population perished from direct military causes or from disease and starvation, as well as postponed births.<ref>{{Cite journal|jstor=649855|title=The Economic and Social Consequences of the Thirty Years' War|journal=Past & Present|issue=39|pages=44–61|last1=Kamen|first1=Henry|year=1968|doi=10.1093/past/39.1.44}}</ref>
[[File:Europe map 1648.PNG|left|thumb|Europe after the [[Peace of Westphalia]] in 1648]]
After the [[Peace of Westphalia]], which ended the war in favour of nations deciding their own religious allegiance, [[Absolutism (European history)|absolutism]] became the norm of the continent, while parts of Europe experimented with constitutions foreshadowed by the [[English Civil War]] and particularly the [[Glorious Revolution]]. European military conflict did not cease, but had less disruptive effects on the lives of Europeans. In the advanced northwest, [[the Enlightenment]] gave a philosophical underpinning to the new outlook, and the continued spread of literacy, made possible by the [[printing press]], created new secular forces in thought.

From the Union of Krewo, central and eastern Europe was dominated by [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]] and [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]. In the 16th and 17th centuries Central and Eastern Europe was an arena of conflict for domination of the continent between [[Swedish Empire|Sweden]], the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (involved in series of wars, like [[Khmelnytsky uprising]], [[Russo-Polish War (1654–67)|Russo-Polish War]], the [[Deluge (history)|Deluge]], etc.) and the [[Ottoman Empire]]. This period saw a gradual decline of these three powers which were eventually replaced by new enlightened absolutist monarchies: Russia, Prussia and Austria (the [[Habsburg monarchy]]). By the turn of the 19th century they had become new powers, having [[Partitions of Poland|divided Poland]] between themselves, with Sweden and Turkey having experienced substantial territorial losses to Russia and Austria respectively as well as pauperisation.

[[File:Vienna Battle 1683.jpg|thumb|right|The defeat of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman Turks]] at the [[Battle of Vienna]] in 1683 marked the historic end of [[Ottoman wars in Europe|Ottoman expansion into Europe]].]]