Also considered the "Peace of Westphalia", it was a series of peace treaties that effectively ended Europe's religious wars and this negotiation lasted approximately 5 years. This was and still is a very significant treaty as it ended the Thirty Years' War and this war was considered one of the most distracting of its time. This treaty also ended the Eighty Years' War between the Spanish and the Dutch. It could be argued that this treaty could have influenced our modern cred in international relations by providing the basis of the modern state system and articulating the concept of territorial sovereignty, due to how sophisticated this treaty was for its time and no wonder because we continue to learn and apply this treaty in our modern international relations and international law. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay What this treaty did in more detail is that, under the terms of the peace treaty, a number of countries received territories in their sovereignty over the territories. There is a territorial clause that favors Sweden, France and their allies, Sweden gets Western Pomerania and the port of Wismar, the archbishopric of Bremen and the bishopric of Verden; with this Sweden had control over the Baltic Sea and the estuaries of the Oder, Elbe and Weser rivers since this is what is considered along or in Swedish territory and creating this equal division between the lands. France also got its few pennies, such as sovereignty over Alsace and was confirmed in its possession of Metz Toul and Verdun, which had previously been conquered a century earlier, but France got a solid frontier west of the Rhine River. Two other important results of the territorial divisions was the confirmation of the United Provinces of the Netherlands and the Swiss Confederation as independent republics, formally recognizing a status that those two states had actually held for many decades. In addition to these territorial changes, a universal amnesty was declared for all those who had been deprived of their property, and it was said that all secular lands, with specific exceptions, should be returned to those who had had them in 1618. The main reason why all this division of lands is due to what is considered the "Holy Land". This treaty brings out the ownership of spiritual lands and this was decided by compromise and during this period these territories were considered to be in Roman Catholic or Protestant possession. These important provisions meant that the Prince would have to lose his lands if he changed his religion. The declaration that all protests or vetoes against the Peace of Westphalia by those who pronounce it must precede the intervention of the Roman Curia in German affairs. Please note: this is just an example. Request a personalized document from our expert editors now. Get a custom essayThe treaty is recognized as a fundamental law of the German constitution and formed the basis of all subsequent treaties.