provinces the new owners, if not German by race, soon adopted the language of their tenants; in a generation or two there was no racial difference felt. Above all the old social structure lived on in spite of confiscation.[1]
In Bohemia, however, we find a close parallel to Ireland. There we find a revolt, based largely on religious motives, terminating in the complete conquest of the rebels after a struggle which is said to have reduced the population from 3,000,000 to 800,000.[2] The victorious sovereign held that this rebellion and its repression had involved the loss of all the ancient rights and privileges of the nation. The lands of all rebels were confiscated. Going farther the Emperor Ferdinand decreed the expulsion from the country of all who did not submit to the Church of Rome, even if they had never resisted his authority. A delay of six months was given to the nobles to see whether they would conform. If they did not, they were allowed another six months within which to sell their estates.[3] Count Lützow declares that more than half the landed property of Bohemia thus changed hands and that of the larger estates in the country only one hundred and forty-seven remained in the hands of their previous owners.[4] The estates
- ↑ In all the Alpine lands the existence of the communal organisation gave a certain amount of independence to the peasants. Many if not most of the communes owned and still own mountain pastures, forests, etc. A free peasantry, too, survived in many districts. There are still some Protestant communities in Styria and others of the Austrian lands.
- ↑ This is for the whole period of the Thirty Years' War 1618 to 1648.
- ↑ This at least is Lützow's account.
- ↑ No doubt much of the land that did not change hands belonged to the towns, the communes or the Church.
