The ink had barely dried on the Treaty of Münster and the Treaty of Osnabrück when the continent let out a collective sigh of relief. The Thirty Years' War, which had ravaged central Europe, and the Eighty Years' War, which had drained the Dutch and Spanish, finally came to an end. The Peace of Westphalia, signed on this day, recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic and the Swiss Confederation, and established the principle of sovereignty, acknowledging the autonomy of nations. This milestone treaty drafted the blueprint for modern diplomacy, shaping the course of international relations for centuries to come.