Salt in Water

The effect the close of the 30 Years War had on the Holy Roman Empire was much like throwing a cube of salt into water. The Empire, like the salt, dissolved into hundreds of smaller independent states. This led to significant political changes, such as the conquering of the Bohemians, the further degeneration of the Peasantry and the destruction of Protestantism in Austria/Hungary. The nobility was reinstalled so it supported the new Habsburg rulers. With Bohemia securely in their hands, they turned their eyes to the complete conquest of Hungary, which for years had been a constant stalemate between the Turks and Habsburgs. The religious war that sprang up from this conflict is one of the most significant political events of the time. The conflict drew together Christian allies in a campaign to drive the Islamic Turks from Europe. With the assistance of many other countries, the Habsburgs succeeded in forcing the Turks back into Arabia. This success promoted unity among the states of Austria/Hungary, and unified the country for the most part.

However, Austrohungarian efforts to create a completely absolutist state failed due to thwarting attacks by Hungarian nobility. Despite their huge successes on the outside, the country struggled heavily on the inside.