Ferdinand II (July 9, 1578 – February 15, 1637), of the House of Habsburg, ruled as Holy Roman Emperor (1619-1637), King of Bohemia (1617-1619, 1620-1637), King of Hungary (1618-1625). A devout and very pious Catholic, Ferdinand's recognition as King of Bohemia and suppression of Protestantism precipitated the early events of the Thirty Years' War, and he remained one of the staunchest backers of the Anti-Protestant Counter Reformation efforts as one of the heads of the German Catholic League, prolonging the Thirty Years' Wars by insisting the Edict of Restitution be enforced. The duration of his reign was occupied by confessional and military concerns, and some historians blame him for the large civilian loss of life in the Sack of Magdeburg in 1631, as he'd instructed Count Tilly to enfo