Johannes Burkhardt provides an informative yet concise overview of the groundbreaking achievements of the Early Modern Period in Germany, the effects of which are still felt today. He analyzes, among other things, the federal structure of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, examines the societal changes brought about by confessionalization, explains the causes of the Thirty Years' War, and describes the significance of fundamental scientific and cultural discoveries such as the invention of the printing press.