Causes of conflicts

Causes of conflicts

Causes of Early Modern Wars (1500-1750)

Religious Factors:

• Conflicts such as the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) were fueled by religious differences, predominantly between Catholics and Protestants in the Holy Roman Empire.
• Catholic Spain’s attempt to suppress Protestantism in the Netherlands, leading to the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648).

Political Ambition and Power Struggles:

• Habsburg-Valois Wars (1519-1559) were initiated due to political ambition and rivalry between France and Austria.
• The overthrowing of Portuguese rule in Brazil by the Dutch in the Dutch-Portuguese War (1601-1661).
• Colonial rivalry between European powers leading to conflicts including the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

Economic Causes:

• Struggles for control of trade routes and colonies in the Americas, Africa, and Asia sparked wars, such as the Anglo-Dutch Wars (1652-1674).
• The quest for control over important resources like silver and sugar, seen in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs and Incas.
• Piracy by England and the Netherlands contributed to conflicts with Spain in the Caribbean.

Social Unrest and Revolts:

• The Peasants’ War (1524-1525) in Germany, fuelled by rising taxes and social inequality.
• The English Civil War (1642-1651) was catalysed by tensions between the monarchy and parliament and the evolving structure of society.

Remember, multiple factors often interacted and overlapped to lead to these wars, and not all factors were present in each conflict. Always carefully consider the specific historical context surrounding each war.