Wars of Religion summary and notes

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Wars of Religion summary and notes

Wars of Religion

The reformation resulted in a hostile, often hateful, relationship between Catholics and Protestants.
France:
The Concordat of Bologna: an agreement between France and the pope that allowed the French King to appoint Church officials in France if the first years’ income of the appointed officials went to Rome.
Because of the Concordat of Bologna, the French government held close ties to Rome and most Frenchmen were Catholic.
Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre: In 1572, Parisian Catholics killed 20,000 Huguenots (French Calvinists) to prevent the possibility of a Protestant coup. This threw France into a bitter civil war between Catholics and Protestants.
In 1589, Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot noble who converted to Catholicism, became King of France. Henry IV issued a decree called the Edict of Nantes, which made Catholicism the nations official religion but let also Huguenots worship freely and participate in politics. (“Paris is worth a mass”)
England
In 1534, parliament passed the Act of Supremacy, which made Henry VIII the official head of the Church of England. He seized Catholic Church lands and wealth. He closed the English monasteries. Yet he did not change the liturgy (form of service) or sacraments. Each of his three children ruled after him and each was caught up in this complex religious situation. (“The Defender of the Faith” & “Head of the Anglican Church”: self-interest)
First Edward VI increased the power of the Protestants.
Then Mary I restored the pope as head of the English Church. (“Bloody Mary”)
Finally, Elizabeth I influenced Parliament to declare her the head of the Church of England. England settled into a very moderate Protestant identity during the reign of Elizabeth I. The queen ‘s policies were a compromise, between Protestant and Catholic practices. Her cautious reforms were later called the Elizabethan Settlement.
The Puritans did not believe that the English Reformation had gone far enough and wanted to purify the Anglican Church.
The Catholic Reformation (Essay topic)
The Thirty Years War
The final and most devastating war of religion was the Thirty Year’s War (1618-1648)
The tensions that led to this continental war dates back to the Peace of Augsburg, an agreement that allowed German Princes to choose the religion of their territories. The only two religions that were recognized were Catholicism and Lutheranism. The disenfranchised Calvinists took part in the Thirty Years’ War.
The War begins. The war began in Bohemia (present day Czech Republic.) Ferdinand, the Hapsburg King of Bohemia, sought to suppress Protestants and assert royal power over nobles. In 1618, a few Protestant noblemen tossed to royal officials out of a castle window in Prague (The Defenestration of Prague). This act sparked a general revolt, which Ferdinand sought to suppress. Both the Catholic Hapsburgs who ruled the Holy Roman Empire and Protestants sought allies. What began as a local conflict widened into a general European war.
Germany was divided into two main groups, the Protestant Union and the Catholic League of German States. The English, French, and Dutch supported the Protestant Union while the Holy Roman Empire (ruled by the Hapsburg dynasty) and Spain supported the Catholic League of German States …wait a minute…why is France, a predominant Catholic monarchy supporting the Protestant Union?
Cardinal Richelieu (Prime Minister of Louis XIII) was a Catholic Cardinal. But he decided that his country’s best interest lay in weakening the rival Catholic Hapsburgs who ruled the Holy Roman Empire. Before long political motives outweighed religious issues.
Results of the Thirty Years’ War.
The Peace of Westphalia reinstated the Peace of Augsburg, except Calvinists were given consideration. The Edict of Reinstitution (1629) which outlawed Calvinism within the Holy Roman Empire was revoked.
Switzerland and Holland gained independence.
France and Sweden both received territories.
The Hapsburgs were the big losers: German princes gained almost total independence. (360 separate states, “one for everyday of the year.”)
Germany was devastated.
Protestantism established itself in Europe for good.
More details on the Thirty Years’ War are found in the quiz answers of the AP Book (You will receive a “free copy”, but I assure you that you will see these questions on the next Test…remember to read the detailed answers…understand the answer not just memorize…)

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