The Peace of Westphalia, the name given to the multiple treaties, marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years' War. Signed on 24 October 1648, it aimed to secure political autonomy for the multitude of small states that made up the Holy Roman Empire, allowing religious freedoms across the divided realm.
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24 Oct 1648The Peace of Westphalia, an umbrella term for two treaties signed on 24 October 1648, ends the Thirty Years' War in Europe which had claimed the lives of an estimated eight million people.
