France and the Thirty Years’ War

Type:

Book Chapter

Author:

Andrea Bartoletti

Published:

2022

Publisher:

Cornell University Press

This chapter provides an overview of the historiographical debate on the Thirty Years' War (1635–1648). It explores how the Spanish encirclement of France triggered a double security dilemma that led to the formation of a rival-based network of alliances and to the adoption of increasingly aggressive measures that increased the chances of war. It also shows that France decided to launch an attack against Spain as a measure of last resort to prevent actualized encirclement, which would have resulted from an increase in the invasion ability of the Hapsburg. The chapter investigates the logic of war contagion by showing that the Swedish and Austrian interventions on the side of their allies were driven by concerns that their own immediate rival would increase its invasion ability. It discusses how theories that stress hegemonic ambitions or the role of religion cannot explain the outbreak of the Thirty Years' War.

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