WESTPHALIA, PEACE OF. The treaty which closed the Thirty Years' War (q.v.) in 1648 and gave a new adjustment to the religio political affairs of Europe. It is so called from the fact that the envoys met in the cities of Slhinster and Osnabritek, in the Circle of West phalia. It is sometimes spoken of as the Treaty of Minister. The minor German States had long sought relief from the devastations of war, and in 1641, at a convention held at Hamburg, preliminaries regarding the conduct of aegotin tion, for peace were agreed upon. In 16-14 a congress which had been called to meet in March, 1642, opened. The representatives of France, the Empire, Spain. and the German Catholics met at Minister, and those of Sweden. the Em pire, and the German Protestants at Osnabriick. Portugal, the United Provinces, Savoy, 'Tuscany, Lorraine, Mantua, and Switzerland were also represented. The negotiations were long drawn out, but Torstenson's decisive campaign in 1644 45 and the successes of Turenne and Wrangel in Southern Germany, together with the capture of part of Prague by 1finigsntai•k in July, 1648, forced the Emperor Ferdinand 111. to give nu his dilatory taeties. After the signing of treaties at Osnabriick and Allinster the Osnabriick diplo mats went to Mtinster in October, 16-18, and the general l'eaee of Westphalia was signed there on the 24th. Its terms, as regafds the German Empire, were as follows: The soverei,tuity and independence of the different States of the Em pire were fully recognized, and liberty was given them to eontraet any allhinees with each other, o• with foreign powers. if these were not against the Emperor or the Empire. All religious perse cution in Germany was interdicted. The Treaty of Passau of 1552 and the religious Peace of Augsburg of 1555 were eonfirmed. With respect to the secularization of ecclesiastical benefices, everything was to remain in Austria as it was in 1624. and in the Palatinate, Baden. and Wfirttemberg as it was in 1618, The power of putting under the han of the Empire was only to be exercised with the consent of the Diet. The Reformed or Calvinist Protestants were put on a footing of equality as to privileges with the Lutherans. In every State the religion of the Prince might be made incumbent on his subjects, but the right of emigration for dissenters was guaranteed. The territorial changes were as follows: The Lower Palatinate was restored to the eldest son of Frederick V., Elector Palatine,
and an eighth electorate was created in his favor, but the Upper Palatinate was confirmed to Ba varia, on condition that, should the two States become united, one electorate was to be abolished. France was confirmed in the possession of the bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun, and ob tained possession of the Austrian territories in Alsace with the suzerainty over the ten Impe rial cities of that region; Breisacb, on the right bank of the Rhine, remained in French hands. Sweden obtained Hither Pomerania, with Stettin. the island of Mtge)), Wismar, and the secularized sees of Bremen and Verde)), with minor terri tories. These remained fiefs of the Empire, and Sweden was given three deliberative voices in the Diet. Brandenburg obtained, as compensation for its cessions in Pomerania, the secularized bishoprics of Halberstadt, Minden, and Cammin, together with the succession to the see of Magde burg. Mecklenburg was enlarged by the secu larized sees of Schwerin and Ratzeburg. Hesse Cassell obtained the rich abbacy of Hirschfeld. The Elector of Saxony was allowed to retain Lusatia. The see of Osnabriick was to he alter nately in the hands of a Catholic bishop and a prince of the House of Brunswiek-Liineburg. The independence of the United Provinces was recog nized by Spain, and they, together with Switzer land, were declared independent of the Holy Ro man Empire. France and Sweden became guar antors for the execution of the provisions of the treaty. The Peace of Westphalia, by weakening the central authority of the Empire, destroyed its unity, and afforded France. as one of the guarantors. a pretext for continual interference with its internal affairs. France now became the chief power of the Continent, taking the place formerly occupied by Spain. The Peace of Westphalia marks the close of the period of re ligious wars. Henceforth European contests were mainly for political ends.
Consult: Von Meiern, Seta. Paris Westplialiric Publica (6 vols., (iiiAtingen, 1734-36) ; Walt mann, Geer/tic/Mc des ZITSEphalisehru Fricfltns (Leipzig, 1808) ; Ogicr, Journal du congrt's de Iliinsfer (Paris, 1893) ; Philippi. Der n•est phalischr Frierlc (Miinster, 1898). See also ref erences under To MTN' YEARS' WAR.