ConflictEurope
The Thirty Years' War and the Peace of Westphalia
The war that produced the modern state with fixed borders
See it on the timeline →In depth
Westphalia is a turning point for the map as well: from now on borders are drawn as lines rather than zones, and sovereignty becomes territorial rather than personal. Terra Saga marks this — borders before 1648 are drawn with a soft edge, because that is the honest depiction of what they were. The war also left Germany divided into hundreds of small states for two centuries.
For children
A religious war in Germany grew to involve most of Europe and killed perhaps one German in three. The peace of 1648 established that each state decides within its own territory — the principle still underlying international law.
Connects to
Part of Terra Saga — the story of Earth on a timeline. terrasaga.org