Changes

Perhaps two great conflicts were affected by the Little Ice Age. The first is the Thirty Years war, arguably Europe's most devastating religious war, which lasted between 1618-1648. This was a period of great strife and religious wars between Protestants and Catholics in GermanGermany, France, Northern Europe, and other regions across Europe being also affectedby inter-community and state-level strife. This changed the course of European history, changing the religious makeup of the continent and weakening the Catholic Church in much of Northern Europe. It also helped lead to the rise of France as a major power. This was also was partly triggered by increasing crop failures and civil strife caused by climatic events that led to inter-community tensions that pushed the different sides into conflict.<ref>For more on the Thirty Years War and conflict that may have been influenced by a colder climate, see: Helfferich, T., & Helfferich, T. (Eds.). (2015). <i>The essential Thirty Years War: a documentary history </i>. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. </ref>

The second great conflict in this time was the French Revolution. In the late 18th century, increasing crop failures led to the peasants having greater difficulties paying their taxes to the wealth landlords and nobles of France. Soon, the population became fed up with their high taxes and poor harvests. The revolutionary cause gained greater appeal and eventually mass riots could not be curtailed, where eventually the Bastille was overrun and eventually Louis XIII was overthrown. A period of blood conflict followed that eventually led to the rise of Napoleon. In large part, discontent that was created in this period was linked with climatic events that shaped the continent in the late 18th century that led to the fall of the French monarchy and rise of the Napoleonic Age.<ref>For more on the French Revolution and crop failures as a contributor to the events, see: Jones, P. (1988). <i>The peasantry in the French Revolution</i>. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire] ; New York: Cambridge University Press.</ref>