The History of the Thirty Years War is a five volume work, which followed his very successful History of the Revolt of the Netherlands. Written for a wider audience than Revolt, it is a vivid history, colored by Schiller’s own interest in the question of human freedom and his rationalist optimism. Volume 3 covers the period from Gustavus Adolphus's victory at Leipzig (fall of 1631) until his death in the battle of Lutzen in November of 1632.