Question 1

True or false: The treaty recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic from Spain.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, Spain formally acknowledged the United Provinces as a sovereign state, ending the Eighty Years' War.

Question 2

True or false: The treaty banned all future wars between European states.

Accepted Answer

False. No such ban existed; Westphalia focused on territorial adjustments and sovereignty, not perpetual peace.

Question 3

True or false: The Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman Empire.

Accepted Answer

True. It actually comprised two treaties—Münster and Osnabrück—ending both the Thirty Years' War and the Eighty Years' War.

Question 4

True or false: The treaty established the principle of cuius regio, eius religio across all of Europe.

Accepted Answer

False. That principle came from the 1555 Peace of Augsburg; Westphalia expanded religious tolerance but didn't introduce it.

Question 5

True or false: The treaty created a single unified German nation-state.

Accepted Answer

False. It actually fragmented the Holy Roman Empire further, strengthening hundreds of semi-sovereign German states.

Question 6

True or false: The treaty introduced the modern concept of state sovereignty.

Accepted Answer

True. Westphalia is often credited with establishing the principle that states have exclusive authority over their territory.

Question 7

True or false: The treaty granted Switzerland full independence from the Holy Roman Empire.

Accepted Answer

True. Switzerland's de facto independence had existed since 1499, but Westphalia made it official under international law.

Question 8

True or false: The treaty forced France to surrender all its territory east of the Rhine.

Accepted Answer

False. France actually gained territories like Alsace and Metz; it was a major victor, not a loser.

Treaty of Westphalia Trivia Questions