What significant event occurred in Prague in the year 1618?

The defenestration of Prague in 1618 is a significant historical event that marked the beginning of the political and religious conflicts that would escalate into the Thirty Years' War. During this incident, Protestant nobles threw two Catholic officials out of a window of Prague Castle in protest against Habsburg rule and the imposition of Catholicism in Bohemia. This act of defiance symbolized the tensions between Protestant and Catholic factions and set off a chain reaction of events leading to a broader conflict across Europe.

The defenestration event itself was pivotal as it represented not only the immediate grievances of the Bohemian nobility but also the larger struggles between various European powers over issues of religion and governance, culminating in one of the longest and most destructive wars in European history. Understanding this event is essential for grasping the complex historical dynamics of early 17th-century Europe.