Chapter 12: Age of Religious Wars

• Renewed Religious Struggle– shift from central to western

Europe; Lutherans/Zwinglians to non-Lutheran Protestants

– equally dogmatic, aggressive, and irreconcilable church systems

– religious pluralism• first adopted by intellectuals;

eventually by politicians and leaders – politiques

– wars of religion were internal national conflicts and truly international wars

• The French Wars of Religion– persecution of French

Protestants – Huguenots• appease Charles V• reaction to anti-Catholic

rhetoric; Edict of Fontainebleau and Chateaubriand

– power shift from France to Spain because of death of Henry II and competition between the Bourbon, Montmorency-Chatillons and Guises families for political dominance

• Appeal of Calvinism– ambitious aristocrats and discontented townspeople

joined Calvinist churches; secular and religious motives mixed

• Catherine De Medicis and the Guises– Queen mother Medicis tried to

reconcile Protestant and Catholic factions

• January Edict; massacre at Vassy starts French wars of religion

– The Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

• Acknowledged the power of Protestant nobility, granted Huguenots religious freedoms within their territory and the right to fortify their cities

• Crown caught between fanatical Huguenot and Guise extremes

• The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre – made the religious struggle in Europe an international struggle for survival

• Protestant Resistance Theory– Calvin condemned willful disobedience

and rebellion against constituted governments as un-Christian unless one was a lawful part of a tyrannical government

– John Knox – First Blast of the Trumphet against the Terrible Regiment of Women

• Francois Hotman – Franco-Gallia; Theodore Beza – On the Right of Magistrates over Their Subjects; Plessis Mornay – Defense of Liberty against Tyrants

• The Rise to Power of Henry of Navarre– Henry III steered a middle

course between the Catholic League and the Huguenots; sought alliances with people who put political survival above religious unity

• Peace of Beaulieu fails; Day of the Barricades fails; alliance struck with Henry of Navarre

• Henry of Navarre becomes Henry IV and eventually brings peace to France

• The Edict of Nantes– Treaty of Vervins ends hostilities between Spain

and France– Granted Huguenots freedom of public worship, right

of assembly, admission to public offices and universities, and permission to fortify towns

• Imperial Spain and Philip II: Pillars of Spanish Power– Philip II – son of Charles V; heir to

Habsburg kingdom– New world riches– Increased population

• Inflation; large gap between Spanish classes

– Efficient Bureaucracy and Military• Organized lesser nobility; “pen”

management; pious Catholic; patronage of arts

– Supremacy in the Mediterranean• Catholic Europe’s champion against

Islam• Union with Portugal

• The Revolt in the Netherlands– Cardinal Granvelle – Council

of State in Netherlands; continue Spanish dominance and political centralization

– Count of Egmont and William of Nassau (Prince of Orange) – led opposition to Spanish plans

– The Compromise• Compromise – pledge to resist

Council of Trent and Inquisition

• The Duke of Alba– Sent to crush Protestant

rebellion in Netherlands (with Papal support)

– Council of Troubles (Blood) – Reign of Terror; “tenth penny tax”

• Resistance and Unification– Led by William of Orange;

independence movement merge with Calvinists

– Rebellion sparked by anti-Spanish sentiment; flooding of country

• Pacification of Ghent– Spanish Fury led to

united front against Spain; all provinces unite under Union of Brussels

– Perpetual Edict ended Spanish dominance of Netherlands

• The Union of Arras and the Union of Utrecht

• Netherlands Independence– Orange bounty; Apology– French Duke of Alencon becomes “sovereign”; ends after

overreach– Spanish efforts to reconquer fails because of preoccupation

with England and France– Twelve Year Truce; Peace of Westphalia

England and Spain (1553-1603)

• Mary I– Married Phillip of

Spain; lost Calais.

– Reverted to Catholicism and persecuted Protestants; refugees exposed to more radical ideas.

• Elizabeth I – Assisted by Sir

William Cecil--built true kingdom

– Subordinated religious to political unity; Anglican church

– Act of supremacy; Act of uniformity

– Thirty-nine articles--moderate Protestantism (Thomas Cramner)

• Catholic and Protestant extremists– Elizabeth focused on middle

way; helped by Archbishop Matthew Parker

– Used possibility of royal marriage as political tool; never married.

– Showed little mercy to those who threatened her rule.

– Puritans--two grievances. • Retention of Catholic ritual;

continued Episcopal system of governance.

• Worked through Parliament for reform (Presbyterians)

– Congregationalist faced exile or death.

• Deterioration of relations with Spain– Spanish Duke of Alba

occupies the Netherlands; Pope Pius V excommunicates Elizabeth

– English pirates occupy port of Brill; England signs defense pact with France.

– Elizabeth sole protector of Protestants in France/Netherlands--Treaty of Nonsuch

• Mary, Queen of Scots– Mary Stuart becomes Queen

of Scotland; watched by reformer John Knox

– Public scandal forces her to flee to England; caught up in conspiracy and beheaded

• The Armada– Pope Sixtus withdrawals opposition to Spanish invasion of

England.– Sir Francis Drake attacks Spanish ports delaying Spanish

Armada's movement.– England crushes the Spanish Armada

• Impact– Spain weakened; France dominates continent; England is

set to be a global empire

Preconditions for the 30 Years War

• Fragmentation

• Religious Division

• Calvinism

• Catholic League

Four Periods of War• Bohemian Period

• Danish Period

• Swedish Period

• Swedish-French Period

Treaty of Westphalia• Major Provisions

– Rescinded Edict of Restitution and reasserted the major features of the Peace of Augsburg

– Ruler determines religion– Calvinists recognized.– Independence of Swiss confederacy– Independence of the United Provinces of

the Netherlands– Bavaria becomes an elector state

• Pope opposed to the treaty but could do nothing; France and Sweden continue to meddle in German affairs; German division and weakness continues but Prussia and Austria attain international significance during 17th century; Treaty of Pyrennes--France defeats Spain