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The
Wars of
Religion
(1560s-1648)
Late 16th and early 17th century.
Wars of Religion- conflict between the Protestants and Catholics across Europe.
Genuine religious conflict and bitter dynastic rivalries fueled the wars.
• France, the Netherlands, England and Scotland in the second half of the 16th
century, Calvinists fought their Catholic rulers for the right to practice their
religion openly.
• Lutherans, Calvinists and Catholics marched against one another in the 30
Years War
• By the mid 17th century, the Puritans in England had successfully revolted
against the Stuart monarchy and the Anglican Church
Civil War
In France
(1562-1598)
•
•
•
•
•
•
First half of the 16th century, religious conflict was confined to central
Europe as Protestants fought to secure rights and freedoms for
themselves.
Second half of the century shifted the focus to Western Europe, as
Calvinists fought to be recognized.
REMEMBER- the Peace of Augsburg (what was it)?
After 1563-Council of Trent and the Jesuit led counter offensive to the
Protestants VS. Geneva (refuge for persecuted Protestants and an
international school for protestant resistance, with leaders equal to
the new Catholic challenge.
Who do you think monarchs and people who favored hierarchal rule
went with?
Who do you think people opposed to centralized government and
monarchies went with?
One More Note About Art…
Baroque art reflected the opposition between the two religions.
Remember Baroque Art presented life in grandiose, three
dimensional displays of raw energy.
Ruebens, Bernini and Caravaggio were Catholic
By contrast, the Protestant artists were more restrained, as can be
seen in the gentle portraits of the Dutch Mennonite and Rembrandt.
One is meant to inspire worshippers and the other to keep worshippers attention on God’s
Word and their own souls.

The Valois Family:
The
Beginning
of
the
End
French Protestants known as Huguenots- first persecution began

Henri II was the last powerful Valois- died in a freak accident

Three weak sons followed: (Guise family controlled the monarchy
through Mary Queen of Scots and were militant, reactionary
Catholics)

Francis II- died after reigning a year, married to Mary

Charles IX- Queen Mother Catherine is regent

Henri III

Catherine de Medici controlled the sons:

Was mother to the boys

Played both sides in the civil war

Developed a reputation for cruelty
after Francis I was captured by Charles VIII. Second wave a decade
later, driving Calvin out of France.
 In 1540 Edict of Fontainebleau subjected French Protestants to
the Inquisition.
Catherine de Medici
Francis II & His Wife, Mary
Stuart
The French Civil War
There were two sides:

Guise family led Catholics in North

Bourbon family led Huguenots in South(direct blood line to the
throne, Henry Bourbon, if Charles and his 2 brothers die)- led
by Conde

Fighting for the royal inheritance


First War of Religion 1562-163- the Duke of Guise was assassinated.
 Edict of Amboise ended the war
Second War of Religion 1567-1570- Conde killed and Coligny
succeeded him.
 Peace of Saint Germain-en-Laye ended the third war and the
crown acknowledged the power of the Protestant nobility and
granted the Huguenots religious freedoms in their territories.
 After this peace, Coligny became Charles IX most trusted
advisor
Catherine feared a Protestant France and began plotting
with the Guises (Even though she also feared a Guise
controlled monarchy)
St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
• Coligny convinced Charles IX to invade the Netherlands and support
the Dutch Protestants, which Catherine knew would pit them against
the mighty Spain, which they could not defeat.
• Catherine was part of a failed plot to assassinate Coligny, fearing the
fall out she blamed the assassination on the Protestants and urged
her son to execute the Protestant leaders.
• On Saint Bartholomew’s Day August 24, 1572- Coligny and 3000
other Huguenots were murdered in Paris. Within three days across
France, 20,000 Huguenots were dead.
• Pope Gregory XIII and Philip II of Spain held celebrations for the
massacre of Protestants.
• This changed the nature of the religious wars, no longer was it an
internal civil war in France between two factions (Guise and
Bourbon) , nor was it a simple campaign to win Protestant freedoms,
now it for Protestants it was an international struggle for survival
against an adversary whose cruelty justified any means of
resistance.
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
The French Civil War
 Catherine started supporting the Bourbons.
Catholic
League

CIVIL
WAR
Protestant
Union
Henri of Navarre- legal heir to the French throne (found support
among more moderate Huguenots and Catholics who put the unity of
France over religion) defeated 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

Triumphal Entry of Henry IV Into
Paris – Peter Paul Reubens
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,
right to assemble, worship, admission to
public office and university within their
own territories.

Ended a hot war and began a cold war

Did not grant religious freedom for all

Henry IV assassinated in 1610 by a
Catholic fanatic.
Henry IV Sets the Stage
• Remembered for the Edict of Nantes
• Also memorable for his economic and
political policies that laid the foundation
for France to become an absolute state
under Cardinal Richelieu and Louis XIV.
Imperial Spain and Philip II
• Europe is in a time of increased population and wealth (Age of
Exploration) but this triggered inflation. Wages stagnated and prices
doubled and tripled.
• Until 1588- no one stood taller in Europe, during the second half of the 16th
century than Philip II of Spain and his peasant class became the most
heavily taxed in Europe.
• What was the Peace of Augsburg?
• Who was Catherine de Medici?
• What was the Bartholomews Day
Massacre?
The
Thirty Years
War
(1618-1648)
30 Years War was the last and
most destructive of the Wars of
Religion.
Occurred in the Holy Roman
Empire.
1618-1648
Characteristics of the Thirty
Years War
 The Holy Roman Empire was the
battleground.
 At the beginning  it was the
Catholics vs. the Protestants.
 At the end  it was Habsburg power
that was threatened.
 Resolved by the Treaty of Westphalia
in 1648.
Pre Conditions for the War
1. Fragmented Germany- 360 politically autonomous entities to which the
PEACE OF AUGSBURG had given each of them significant sovereignty.
The HRE only ruled to the degree he was willingly to use armed forces
against his subjects.
2. Religious division- HRE population equally divided between Protestants
and Catholics. There was also warring within Protestantism (Lutherans vs.
Calvinists…)
3. Calvinism and the Palatinate- Calvinism is not a recognized religion.
Gained popularity when the Emperor of the Palatinate became Calvinist.
Lutherans came to fear them as much as Catholics.
4. Maximilian and the Catholic League- Bavaria, was the Catholic stronghold
of the HRE under the Jesuits. Maximilian, leader of Bavaria, formed a
Catholic League with a standing army.
The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622
 Ferdinand II inherited Bohemia.





The Bohemians hated him.
Ferdinand refused to tolerate Protestants.
Defenestration of Prague May, 1618
Ferdinand becomes HRE in 1619
Bohemia defied him and elected Frederick
V (Calvinist ruler of the Palatine) as their
ruler.
The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622
 Ferdinand II is Holy Roman Emperor.
Spain sends troops to support him


Frederick II borrowed an army from
Bavaria (Catholic) as well.
Frederick V (Bohemia) lost his lands in the
fighting and Bohemia was catholicized.
 The rebellion in Bohemia inspired others.
Bohemian Phase
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):
 Ordered restoration 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.
Danish Phase
Albrecht
von
Wallenstein
The Swedish Phase: 1630-1635

France & Sweden now get involved.

Both want to stop Habsburg power.

Sweden led the charge.

France provided support.

Gustavus Adolphus II invaded the HR Empire. He was controlled by 2
bystanders
 Cardinal Richelieu (France) wanted to protect French interest
by keeping Hapsburg armies tied down in Germany
 Dutch- who had not forgotten what Spain did
 Ferdinand II brought back Wallenstein after Adolphus
defeated him at Breitenfeld.
 Swedish advance was stopped.

German princes still feared Ferdinand II.


Wallenstein assassinated by Ferdinand II’s orders.
Peace of Prague (1635) German states compromise with Ferdinand,
but the Netherlands continue to support Sweden starting the 4th
phase of the war
Swedish Phase
Gustavus
Adolphus
The French Phase: 1635-1648


France openly entered the war in 1635
France & Sweden switched roles.

All countries in Europe now participated.

This phase was most destructive!

German towns decimated.

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.

Been called the worst European catastrophe since the Black
Death
Loss of German Lives in 30
Years’ War
The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
 Political Provisions:







Each Ger. prince became free from any kind of
control by the HR Emperor.
The United Provinces [Dutch Neths.] became
officially independent  so. part remained a Sp.
possession.
Fr. rcvd. most of the Ger-speaking province of
Alsace.
Sweden  got lands in No. Ger. on the Baltic &
Black Sea coasts.
Switzerland became totally independent of the
HR Emperor  Swiss Confederation.
Sweden won a voice in the Diet of the HR Emp.
Brandenburg got important terrs. on No. Sea &
in central Germany.
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.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
1688-1700
Nobody Was Happy!
 Many Protestants felt betrayed.
 The pope denounced it.
 Confirmed territorial sovereignty of Germany’s many
political entities, perpetuating German division and
political weakness into the modern period.
 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.
What were the
long-range
effects of the
Thirty Years’
War?