Final answer:
The Thirty Years' War was a devastating conflict centered in the Holy Roman Empire, involving multiple European powers and marked by religious as well as political strife, resulting in the Peace of Westphalia which recognized German Protestant victory and established France as a dominant power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648)
The Thirty Years' War was a protracted and bloody conflict that ravaged the Holy Roman Empire from 1618 to 1648. Initially fueled by religious divisions between Catholic and Protestant states, it evolved into a wider European struggle for power. The war saw German Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists clashing, and as the war dragged on, countries like Sweden, Denmark, the United Provinces of the Netherlands, and France also entered the war. France's involvement was particularly strategic, seeking to diminish Habsburg power and establish its own dominance in Europe.
Despite being a multinational conflict, the battles took place almost exclusively in German lands. This resulted in severe devastation for the local population as mercenary armies destroyed farms and villages. The war concluded with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, bringing about the victory of German Protestants and cementing France's position as the dominant power in western Europe. The peace treaty notably established the independence of the various entities within the Holy Roman Empire, which numbered nearly one thousand.