What were the events that led to the Thirty Years War?

The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) was primarily sparked by religious tensions between Protestant and Catholic states within the Holy Roman Empire. The immediate catalyst was the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, when Protestant nobles threw two Catholic officials out of a window, igniting a conflict between Protestant and Catholic leagues. Additionally, political power struggles among European powers, including France, Spain, and the Habsburgs, further exacerbated the situation, transforming a local dispute into a broader continental war. The conflict evolved into a struggle for political dominance, leading to widespread devastation across Europe.