CRISIS OF THE 17TH CENTURY

- Amelia (21/0727)
 17TH CENTURY EUROPE

A period of revolution and wars

The Thirty Years War

The Deluge

Decline of Spain and Italy

Series of revolts and rebellion

A period of crisis
 16th CENTURY EUROPE

A period of vigorous growth

Renaissance and Reformation

Upward demographic trends

Increased in trade

A shift in the center of economic activities

Birth of various religious movements

 Why was the 17th century a period of crisis?

A period of an economic crisis in

Europe marking a shift from
feudalism to capitalism, and
coined it as a ‘general crisis’.

Eric Hobsbawm

Emphasized that the main

causes of this crisis were
religious and political conflicts.

Trevor Roper
 The Thirty Years War (1618 – 1648)

‘’The religion of the Ferdinand II attempted to

ruler of the land will impose Roman Catholic
be the religion of the absolutism on his domains, The Thirty Years War
people’’ and the Protestant nobles of
both Bohemia and Austria
rose up in rebellion.

Peace of Augsburg
 Devastating Aftermath of the War

Economy

decrease in the the devastation of the ruin of German

German German commerce and
population; agriculture; industry;

towns and cities being

disrupted trade and
destroyed and trade
commerce
routes being disrupted.

devastation in the inflation,

economies of many unemployment, and
European countries, poverty
 SOCIETY

causing the death of

widespread famine
millions of people
and disease
across Europe

4 to 12 million lives lost

Around 450,000 people died in

combat.

20% of Europe’s people perished

Some areas see their population fall

by as much as 60%.
 DECLINE OF SPAIN AND ITALY

high cost of
decline in trade weakening of the
maintaining the economic strain
and agriculture economy
military

Internal rise of
political weakening of
political regional
instability the kingdom
problems powers
 CLIMATE CRISIS

"Little Ice Age," a period of colder-than-average temperatures.

A fall in temperature across Europe of 10°C.

Increased rainfall, lack of sunshine, and lower temperature

decreased or ruined harvests.

Birthrate dropped and famine became more common.

crop failures social unrest peasant

food shortages
and disrupted and political uprising and
and famines
trade instability revolts
 DEMOGRAPHIC CRISIS

The climatic change and its impact on agriculture across Europe are echoed in
the population statistics.

Spain - losing around 1/3rd of its population from 1600 to 1650.

England, actually continued to see population growth but at a much reduced rate.

In Germany, in the aftermath of the 30 years war, the population losses were as high
as 40% in the countryside and 35% in the towns.

The demographic growth of every country in Europe was slowed or retarded in the
17th century.
The 17th-century crisis was characterized by
• a series of wars, revolts
• climate crisis
• decline of population
• political and social changes

Europe was undergoing political absolutism.

Close relation between the church and government, made

it impossible to avoid the conflicts.

The numerous caused the first creating social

wars aided by decline in the and economic
plagues and population after problems in the
diseases the middle ages, region.