The Peace of Prague

The Peace of Prague was signed in May 1635. It stated that:

The Edict of Restitution would be repealed for 40 years after which the emperor would decide on the issues that it covered. This was a way of repealing it for good but with the emperor not losing face.
Lutherans would retain those possessions they held on November 12th 1627.
There would be no amnesty for the Bohemian exiles of the family of Frederick of the Palatinate. However, there would be a general amnesty for all those who fought against Ferdinand.
The Palatinate remained the possession of Maximillian of Bavaria.
The dukes of Mecklenburg and Pomerania regained their territories.
Ferdinand promised to revive the Reichskammergericht - the symbol of Imperial justice. All disputed cases could be referred to it.
Alliances between the separate states of the Holy Roman Empire were to e forbidden.
All armed forces in the empire were to be integrated into an Imperial army. This would be financed by the states but would be under Imperial control.
Only the Electors could lead troops in the Imperial army as Imperial generals.

This peace enabled German princes to unite behind the Holy Roman Emperor on the basis that "German liberties" were now protected especially concerning land rights. The major states signed the peace - Saxony, Bavaria, Brandenburg etc - but the Heilbronn League did not, though they were unimportant at this time. Maximillian went as far as dissolving the Catholic League as a sign of good faith and keeping in line with the Peace of Prague. The peace was a major victory for the ‘politiques’ in Germany - those who put the well-being of Europe above the individual gains of just one nation.

In 1635, it seemed as if the German princes were behind Ferdinand and that stability had been restored to central Europe.

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