Lands of the Bohemian Crown (1526–1648)

The Lands of the Bohemian Crown during the period 1526–1648 refers to the composite state ruled by the Habsburg dynasty from 1526, following the election of Ferdinand I as King of Bohemia, until the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. These lands primarily consisted of the Kingdom of Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic), the Margraviate of Moravia, the Duchy of Silesia (divided into numerous smaller duchies), and the two Lusatias (Upper and Lower). Occasionally, other territories were temporarily or loosely associated.

The Habsburgs, originally elected kings, gradually consolidated their power, diminishing the Bohemian Estates' influence. The period witnessed religious tensions between Catholics and Protestants, especially Hussites, culminating in the Defenestration of Prague in 1618, which triggered the Bohemian Revolt and the wider Thirty Years' War.

The initial phase of the Thirty Years' War saw the Bohemian Estates defeated at the Battle of White Mountain in 1620. This defeat resulted in the suppression of Bohemian autonomy, the implementation of Counter-Reformation policies, and the exile of many Protestant nobles and intellectuals. German became increasingly dominant alongside Czech.

The Peace of Westphalia in 1648, while officially ending the Thirty Years' War, effectively confirmed Habsburg control over the Bohemian Crown lands and ratified the religious and political changes that had been implemented during the conflict. The Bohemian Crown lands remained within the Habsburg Monarchy (later the Austrian Empire and Austria-Hungary) until the end of World War I in 1918.