1618

1618 was a year in the early 17th century that is chiefly remembered for a dramatic event in Bohemia and its consequences for European politics and religion. The Defenestration of Prague on May 23, 1618, saw several Catholic officials thrown out of a window at Prague Castle by Protestant nobles. The incident highlighted deep-seated religious and political tensions between the Bohemian estates and the Habsburg dynasty.

The defenestration precipitated the Bohemian Revolt, an uprising against Habsburg authority that quickly became the opening act of a broader conflict. This revolt contributed to the escalation of the Thirty Years' War, a continental war that would absorb much of Europe over the next three decades and have lasting religious, territorial, and demographic consequences.

The events of 1618 thus marked a turning point in Central European history. They shifted the balance of power within the Holy Roman Empire, intensified Protestant-Catholic hostilities, and led to a protracted conflict that shaped the political map of Germany and surrounding regions for generations. The Thirty Years' War would continue through much of the 17th century, drawing in major dynasties and altering the course of European politics and religion.

Beyond Bohemia, 1618 was a period of ongoing political and religious tensions characteristic of early modern Europe, but the defenestration remains the defining event of the year in historical accounts.