Review of Units I & II The Renaissance and the Reformation

Renaissance Europe Rediscovers and Regains Cultural Heritage of the Classical Times Economic Factors –Trade routes to Asia taken from the Ottoman Constantinople controlled by Venice –Trade  Wealth to Italy in late Middle Ages –Wealth  Cultural Explosion Patronage of the arts Increased interest in the human and the secular

Intellectual –Rejection of Scholasticism in favor of critical, rational, logical scholarship Textual criticism Revised translations of classical works –Humanism Focus on the importance of this life in addition to the afterlife

Italian Renaissance –Sparked by legacy of Classical greatness, trade wealth, vibrancy of city-states –Eventually falls apart under pressure from the Habsburg-Valois Wars Northern Renaissance –Where the Renaissance survives after fall of Italian Renaissance –Christian Humanism Focus on Christian education, literacy, to reform society Less secularly minded than Italian Renaissance

Secular rulers begin to consolidate power –Rise up above 1 st among equals –Machiavellian –Side with burghers –Seek to weaken Rome’s influence –New Monarchs/Renaissance Princes –Habsburgs –Seek non-tax sources of wealth

The Reformation Church Abuses Due to Bloated Bureaucracy and ‘Only Game in Town’ Mentality –Critics like Hus and Wycliffe Usually secular leaders and Rome team up to crush dissenters –Both have an interest in hierarchy –Even when kings want to challenge Rome, they don’t want this challenge coming from the bottom

Luther Manages to criticize the Catholic Church and Live –HRE Stays weak and divided –Anger at Indulgences –Printing Press Doesn’t Hurt Protestantism Branches –Calvinism Most important/influential –Anabaptism –Etc. Many of these Branches Have a Political Element –See- Anglican Reformation Counter-Reformation Stage Set for Wars of Religion

Next Unit- Wars of Religion The Rest of the 16 th century is filled with Wars of Religion… let’s look at the opening situation Catholic ‘team’- Spain- filthy rich (New World) France- Medium rich (some trade, angry peasants) Papal States- medium rich (merchant wealth, but in disarray) Eastern Europe- mostly poor Protestant ‘team’- England- medium rich (church lands, later trade) Netherlands- Medium rich (rising trade) H.R.E. Poor (but large population) Scandinavia- mostly poor