1. Wars of Religion
(1560s – 1648)

2. “The Protestant and Catholic reformers did not work in a social vacuum
“The Protestant and Catholic reformers did not work in a social vacuum. Because it was widely assumed that peoples of different faiths could not live together, one’s allegiance to a religion implied one's support for – or opposition to – a government and the faith that it endorsed. This made religious and political issues inseparable.”

3. Introduction Martin Luther – faith alone is means of salvation
Propaganda spreads (printing press)  Reformation
Inspired Peasant’s War of 1525
Denounced by Luther
Dynastic Wars
The Valois (France) v. Habsburgs (Spain, HRE)
Domination of Europe
Peace of Augsburg – Made Lutheranism a legal religion in HRE, but not Calvinism

4. What was the Holy Roman Empire?
a Germanic empire that began with the coronation of Charlemagne as Roman emperor in 800 C.E.
Ended with the renunciation of the Roman imperial title by Francis II in 1806
was regarded theoretically as the continuation of the Western Empire and as the temporal form of a universal dominion whose spiritual head was the pope.

5. Habsburg-Valois-Ottoman Wars

6. Civil War in France

7. Religious Discontent in France
The Affair of the Placards (1534)
Anti-Catholic signs posted throughout France
End to Francis II’s religious toleration
persecution of Calvinists and censorship of printing
Rise of the Huguenots
French Protestants (mostly Calvinists)
Appear by the 1540’s but they grow rapidly in the 1550’s and 1560s
Largely among elites and city-dwellers
Provided protection for Protestants

9. The Valois Family: The Beginning of the End
Ruled France from
Henry II was the last powerful Valois Three weak sons followed:
Francis II – died at 16
Charles IX – became king at 10
Henry III
Catherine de Medici controlled the sons:
Played both sides in the civil war
Developed a reputation for cruelty
Valois will be replaced by Bourbons (1589)

10. Catherine de Medici Italian (Florence)
Acted as Regent for sons
Tried to play Guise (Catholic) and Bourbon (Protestant) families against each other
Civil War erupts between Catholics and Huguenots

11. The French Civil War There were two sides:
Guise family led Catholics in North
Bourbon family led Huguenots in South
Fighting for the royal inheritance
Catherine supported the Guises in the first phase.
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
August 24, 1572
20,000 Huguenots were killed over several weeks
Henry of Navarre, a Bourbon, survived
Next in line if Valois could not produce a male heir

12. St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre

13. The French Civil War Catherine started supporting the Bourbons.
Henry of Navarre defeated the Guise led Catholic League
Becomes Henry IV of France.
Effects of Civil War:
France was left divided by religion
Royal power had weakened
Valois family now replaced by Bourbons
Catholic League
CIVIL WAR
Protestant Union

14. Henry IV of France Ended Spanish interference in France
Converted to Catholicism
Did this to compromise and make peace
Paris is worth a mass.
This was an example of politique
[the interest of the state comes first before any religious considerations]
Fighting for the royal inheritance
Passed Edict of Nantes in 1598:
Granted religious rights to Huguenots
Did not grant religious freedom for all

15. The Dutch Revolt Phillip II of Spain (r. 1556-1598)
Spain/Portugal
The Americas
Dutch areas of the HRE
Southern Italy
Wants to restore Catholicism (In Europe and against Turks)
Calvinists in the Netherlands attack Catholic churches (1566)
Phillip sends army to put down ‘rebellion’

16. The Dutch Revolt… Continued
Northern Section  Calvinist
wealthy due to trade
Iconoclasm: 1570s
the action of attacking or assertively rejecting cherished beliefs and institutions or established values and practices.
The Spanish Fury (1576)
Antwerp (Wealthiest commercial city)
Northern (Protestant) and Southern (Catholic) provinces unite for independence
William of Orange
The Netherlands independence not officially recognized until 1648

17. The Results of the Revolt
Perpetual edict Northern, Calvinist area is independent: Dutch republic.
Southern provinces return to Spanish control
renamed Spanish Netherlands
Spanish refuse to recognize this agreement (1577s-1640s) until defeat in the 30 Years War
Spanish grant Dutch Republic independence in 1648 (Peace of Westphalia)

18. The Thirty Years War

19. Characteristics of the Thirty Years War
The Holy Roman Empire was the battleground.
At the beginning  Catholics vs. Protestants.
At the end  It was Habsburg power that was threatened.
Resolved by the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648.

20. The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622 Ferdinand II becomes Holy Roman Emperor.
He begins to restrict religious activity
Protestants rebel
Protestants call for outside aid
Frederick II borrowed an army from Bavaria.
Frederick lost his lands in the fighting.
The rebellion in Bohemia inspired others.

22. The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622 Ferdinand II inherited Bohemia.
The Bohemians hated him.
Ferdinand refused to tolerate Protestants.
Defenestration of Prague  May, 1618
Bohemia named a new king, Frederick II.

23. Bohemian Phase

24. The Danish Phase: 1625-1629 Ferdinand II tried to end all resistance.
Tried to crush Protestant northern Holy Roman Empire.
Ferdinand II used Albrecht von Wallenstein for the army.
Wallenstein defeated Protestants in north.
Edict of Restitution (1629):
Restored to Catholics all lands lost since 1552.
Deprived all Protestants, except Lutherans, of their religious and political rights.
German princes feared Ferdinand
He fired Wallenstein in effort to calm them.

25. Danish Phase

26. Albrecht von Wallenstein

27. The Swedish Phase: 1630-1635 France & Sweden now get involved.
Both want to stop Habsburg power.
Sweden led the charge.
France provided support.-Cardinal Richelieu
Gustavus Adolphus invaded the HR Empire.
Ferdinand II brought back Wallenstein.
Swedish advance was stopped.
German princes still feared Ferdinand II.
Wallenstein assassinated to appease them.

28. Swedish Phase

29. Gustavus Adolphus

30. The French Phase: 1635-1648 France & Sweden switched roles.
All countries in Europe now participated.
This phase was most destructive!
German towns destroyed
Agriculture collapsed  famine resulted.
8 million dead: 1/3 of the population
From 21 million in 1618 to 13.5 million in 1648
Caused massive inflation.
Trade was crippled throughout Europe.

31. Loss of German
Lives in
30 Years’ War

32. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Political Provisions:
Each German prince became free from any kind of control by the HR Emperor.
The United Provinces [Dutch Neths.] became officially independent
Southern part remained a Spanish possession.
France received most of the German-speaking province of Alsace.
Sweden got lands in Northern Germany
won a voice in the Diet of the HRE.
Switzerland became totally independent of the HRE
Form Swiss Confederation.
Brandenburg got territory on North Sea & in central Germany.

33. The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
Religious Provisions:
Calvinists would have the same privileges as the Lutherans had in the Peace of Augsburg.
The ruler of each state could determine its official religion, BUT [except in the hereditary lands of the Habsburgs], he must permit freedom of private worship.

34. Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

36. Nobody Was Happy! Many Protestants felt betrayed.
The pope denounced it.
Only merit  it ended the fighting in a war that became intolerable!
For the next few centuries, this war was blamed for everything that went wrong in Central Europe.