1. Chapter 15 Part 1
Wars of Religion

2. Wars of Religion 1559-1648 Hapsburg-Valois Wars (1519-1559)
The last of the purely dynastic wars of the 16th Century
Considered political rather than religious since both the French and Hapsburgs were Catholic
France believed that a divided German State on its eastern border was more important than Western European religious hegemony

3. 1560-1648 Wars will be fought over religious issues
Spain will try to end Protestantism in Western Europe and the spread of Islam in the Mediterranean
French Catholics will try to squash the Huguenots
The HRE will try to re-impose Catholicism in Germany
A Civil War in England between Puritans and Anglicans

4. Spain Under Philip II Spain will enjoy its Golden Age
Philip will try to re-impose Catholicism in Western Europe
Built the Escorial: A palace, monastery and mausoleum in the Baroque style
Symbolized the power of Philip AND his commitment to Catholicism

5. The Escorial

6. Spain v the Turks
Spain waged war against the Turks in the Mediterranean to benefit the Christian merchants
The Battle of Lepanto (1571) Spain defeated the Turkish navy off of the coast of Greece
Crusade-like religious fervor
Ended the Ottoman threat in the Mediterranean

7. Spain and the Dutch Revolt 1566-1587
The Spanish Netherlands were 17 sovereign provinces each led by a Statholder
Each were self-governing: Made own laws, collected own taxes
Were connected economically and by a common ruler (Spanish monarch) BUT no sense of Federation

8. The Spanish Netherlands
All provinces sent representatives to the States General BUT important decisions were made in home provinces
In the South 10 provinces spoke French and made their $ through textiles: wool and linen
In the North 7 provinces spoke Dutch and made $ through fishing, shipping and international Banking

9. Antwerp Was the chief European financial and commercial center
Antwerp was at the center of many intersecting trade routes
Stuff came from all over the world
Harbor could accommodate 2500 ships at one time
5,000 merchants from all over the world gathered daily at the Bourse (the stock exchange)

10. Other Dutch trading Centers
Bruges
Ghent
Brussels

11. The Netherlands and the Church
Corruption in the Church and Renaissannce ideas prompted a call for reform
1520’s and 1530’s: The Bible was translated into Dutch and the spread of Luther’s ideas
The Netherlands was urban (unlike the rest of Europe) and ideas spread rapidly

12. The Netherlands under Charles V
Charles was born in Ghent
Was Flemish. Spoke language, knew customs
Charles V identified with the Netherlands and they with him
When the Dutch embraced Calvinism (Dutch Reformed) Charles reacted with mild repression and condemnation…not effective

13. Philip II and the Netherlands
Philip was Spanish
No identification with the Dutch
When young was a wild child
When older pious, religious, intolerant

14. Remember Lutheranism was no threat to existing political authority
Calvinism was. They encouraged opposition to what they believed was “illegal authority”
By 1560’s most Dutch cities had strong militant minorities of Calvinists

15. The Dutch A big middle class population Calvinism had appeal:
Intelligent seriousness
Moral gravity
Emphasis on hard work
Working class in the North converted because the bosses would only hire Calvinists
Were well-organized and had financial backing

16. 1556 Philip II appointed his ½ sister, Margaret as Regent of the Netherlands
She was supposed to impose the Inquisition
But lacked money so raised taxes
Dutch resisted…pointed out that the Dutch paid more taxes than the Spanish
She raised taxes anyway

17. Revolt August 1556 Grain prices went way up
Hurt poorest classes the most
The Dutch attacked: not people but religious idols in churches
Was incited by Calvinist preachers
First target: Cathedral of Notre Dame (Antwerp) Built Was huge, beautiful
Was totally dismantled by mobs in 6 days
Then 30 more churches and libraries were burned

18. Philip II sent 20,000 Troops under command of the Duke of Alva
Ruthless extermination of religious and poliltical dissidents
Now…inquisition AND tribunal
Called the Council of Blood
: executed
Margaret was revolted and resigned

19. Alva levied a 10% sales tax on ALL transactions
Caused widespread hardship

20. Civil War
Provinces united under William the Silent (of Orange)
Catholics v Protestants
The Provinces v the Spanish

21. 1578 Philip sent nephew, Alexander Farnese with German mercenaries
To crush revolt
Farnese fought patiently…one city at a time
One city after another fell to the Spanish
THEN at Antwerp, William the Silent opened the dikes and flooded the city
Drove the Spanish out
Stalemate

22. The Union of Utrecht Was formed by the 7 northern provinces
1581 Declared independence from Spain
North had many canals
Was highly defensible
Could break dikes and flood invaders out

23. The 10 Southern Provinces
Remained under Hapsburg control
Land was flat
Not defensible
Power and influence : landed Nobility
In the North: commercial aristocracy

24. The Northern Provinces asked for English help
Chief market for English wool
War in the Netherlands hurt the English economy
Elizabeth hedged
Then William the Silent killed…
If the Provinces failed was England next?

25. 1585-1587 Elizabeth sent help 2,000 troops and 250,000 English lbs
In the meantime…
Philip was getting old and was distracted
Turks again in the Mediterranean
Wives # 3 and 4 died
Heir died
Revolt of the Moriscos in Grenada

26. Philip wanted to bring England back to Catholicism
Philip had earlier proposed to Elizabeth and was rebuffed
Now Philip backed a plot to assassinate Elizabeth and replace her with Mary Queen of Scots
Plot was discovered
Mary Queen of Scots was executed by Elizabeth

27. Pope Sixtus V Outraged by death of Mary Queen of Scots
Sent Philip II one million ducats ($) to send a fleet to England and crush Elizabeth

28. May 9, 1588 The War of the Spanish Armada
Spain 130 ships to the English Channel
England 150 ships: smaller but more maneuverable and more fire power
Storms and squalls in the Channel
Only 65 ships made it back to Spain

29. Elizabeth’s Speech

30. Spain Will rebuild fleet and continue with Golden Age
BUT truce with the Netherlands providing for independence of the Northern provinces
The independence of the United Provinces will not be formally acknowledged by other European powers until 1648

31. Note Johan van Oldenbarneveldt took over for Wm the Silent
HE got English help
HE arranged the truce with Spain
HE helped to for the Dutch East India Co. in 1602
Purpose of the DEIC was to protect Dutch trade in the East and to damage the Spanish at sea
The DEIC even had the authority to govern territory