31.10.

14
Tell Me about the Religious Wars!
From the Reformation we learned that Europe underwent perpetual religious clash and struggle. On one event,
crop failures in 1523-1524 heightened the poor economic condition of many German peasants who, distressed
by nobles burdensome rents. They made demands they believed corresponded to the Scriptures, citing Luther,
Zwingli, and other radical thinkers. This series of uprisings was called the GERMAN PEASANTS WAR.
Luther believed that the rebellion would be detrimental to a civilized society so he wrote Against the Murderous,
Thieving Hordes of the Peasants. Unfortunately for the rioters, the nobility took a turn, killing 70,000 of the
peasants and even consolidating their own authority. Approximately 3 decades later, Henry VIII and Anne
Boleyns daughter, ELIZABETH I established religious stability. Despite being Protestant, she did not influence
her country in a direct pact with Protestantism. She instead inaugurated a course that eliminated both a Catholic
aspect of wanting a Roman Catholic ruler and the Puritan aspect of wanting all Catholic elements of the Church
of England. Elizabeth mandated her subjects to attend the Anglican Church but did not restrict with their
individual held beliefs. Elizabeths Catholic cousin and formerly successor to the throne, MARY, QUEEN OF
SCOTS, participated in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth that was thought to have the full backing of SPAINS
PHILIP II. She was consequently executed. The Catholic pope urged Philip II who was also devoutly Catholic to
retaliate with military action. He attempted to do so by sending the SPANISH ARMADA, a vast fleet across the
English Channel to attack England. However, the an amalgamation of tempests, fire ships, spoiled food, rank
water, insufficient Spanish projectiles, and an English fleet of smaller, faster, and more maneuverable caused an
English victory. Perhaps the storms werent so coincidental and spontaneous. The defeat for the Spanish
prevented Philip from reinforcing Catholicism on England. In France, French rulers felt there was no need to
revolt against Rome as they possessed control over appointments and a financial interest in Catholicism. The
number of French Calvinists called HUGUENOTS grew to one-tenth of the French population after the death of
Henry II. Military clashes between Catholic royalist lords and Calvinist antimonarchical, each believing that the
others books, services, and ministers tainted the community throughout France. Recognizing these issues, the
Kings sister, Margaret of Valois and Protestant Henry of Navarre or HENRY IV decided on a marriage to help
resolve the Catholics and Huguenots. Despite their efforts, the marriage ceremony provoked the SAINT
BARTHOLOMEWS DAY MASSACRE on August 24, 1572, in which the Huguenots and other Protestants
that attended were killed. Henry IV ascended the French throne upon converting to Catholicism. In 1598, he
decreed the EDICT OF NANTES, which granted the Huguenots liberty of conscience and worship in 150
fortified, helping restoring internal concord in France. He famously quoted Paris vaut bien une messe or
PARIS IS WORTH A MASS. Meaning that it was worth it to become Catholic and go to mass if it meant he
was king. In the Netherlands, what initially started as a reformation movement of the church turned into a
struggle for Dutch independence. In the Low Countries, corruption of the Roman church and the critical spirit of
the Renaissance provoked pressure to reform. Calvinisms moral gravity, intellectual seriousness, and emphasis
on any form of well-done labor appealed to urban merchants, financiers, and artisans. Calvinism however
tended to inspire opposition to political authorities that were judged to be ungodly. The Spanish authorities
tried to suppress worship presented by these Calvinists and raised taxes in the 1560 which caused the protests
and destruction thirty Catholic churches in Antwerp. Created by the Duke of Alba, a Spanish governor of the
Netherlands, Philip II sent 20,000 Spanish troops under his command. Duke of Alba opened his tribunal called
the Council of Blood which existed to try cases of suspected treason committed by Protestant rebels against
the Catholic government imposed by Spain. In response to not getting paid, the Spanish soldiers killed 7,000
civilians in Antwerp, causing 17 provinces to unite. Seven Northern provinces led by Holland, formed the Union
of Utrecht and in 1581 declared their independence from Spain. Conflicts continued until 1609 when Spain
agreed to a truce that acknowledged the independence of the United Provinces called the DUTCH REPUBLIC.
Europe was eventually drawn into a series of war of religion and politics known as the THIRTY YEARS WAR.
It initially began with conflicts between the Catholics and Protests in the Holy Roman Empire in 1618. However,
the balance of power moved away from the Habsburgs towards the Dutch Republic, France, and England. This
1
st
continent wide war in Europe originated from a combination of religious conflict, political weakness, ad
ethnic competition. The first phase of the thirty years war was the BOHEMIAN PHASE. The Bohemians
(modern-day Czechs and Slovaks) were mostly Calvinists. In 1617, Archduke Ferdinand, the Catholic Habsburg
heir, became king of Bohemia. The Czechs who was the ethnic group majority started and anti-Habsburg and
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anti- Catholic resistance. They feared loss of religious freedoms. During this state, two catholic leaders were
thrown out of a third story window by these Protestants due to their disparagement with Archduke Ferdinand in
Prague. This event was called the DEFENESTRATION OF PRAGUE. Upon being elected Holy Roman
emperor, the resistance got rid of Ferdinand II and chose a new king. Fought near Bohemia, the Habsburg
imperial armies defeated the Protestant Union at the BATTLE OF WHITE MOUNTAIN and allowed
constitutionalism to be replaced by authoritarian government in Bohemia. Ferdinand II ordered the services of a
Protestant Czech named ALBRECHT VON WALLENSTEIN to authorize a MERCENARY ARMY that
murdered much of Protestant Germany with his consent. The Catholics as a result won and took away the land
from Protestant nobles. After the Bohemian phase came the DANISH PHASE. As retaliation to Wallenstein,
KING CHRISTIAN IV of Denmark invaded northern Germany to extend his influence and ensure protection of
Protestants. Much to his downfall, Wallenstein defeated Christian IV, offering Ferdinand II sovereignty over
Denmark and the Protestants there. Ferdinand II mandated the EDICT OF RESTITUTION in 1629 which
prohibited Calvinism in his empire and reclaimed Catholic Church property owned by Lutherans. This restored
all the protestant state back to Catholicism. The next phase was the SWEDISH PHASE. KING GUSTAVUS
ADOLPHUS of Sweden entered the war to protect Protestants and Swedish trade in northern Europe. Adolphus
triumphed and occupied the Catholic parts of southern Germany until his death in 1632. Despite their difference
of religion, Catholic France contributed aid to Sweden, as they wanted to help any enemy of the Habsburg.
CARDINAL RICHILIEU, a regent or Chief Minister to Louis XIII gave financial aid to Sweden for
opposition against the Habsbug. In 1635, German Protestant states reached a compromise agreement with
Ferdinand called THE PEACE OF PRAGUE. It repealed the Edict of Restitution and guaranteed amnesty for all
who fought against the Hapsburgs. The Swedes were defeated but Richelieu still had a desire to lessen the
Habsburg in Germany. Occurring in the same year, France entered the 30 years war by openly declaring war on
Spain. This marked the start of the FRENCH PHASE, the last but longest and violent phase of the wars. Here,
we gradually see the transition from religious motives to politic as Catholic France and Catholic Spain for
dominance of Europe. Holland and Savoy also entered war with France on Swedens side. However, the Spanish
continued to support the Holy Roman Empire. On May 19, 1643, a French army of 22,000 under the Duke
dEnghien later known as the Great Conde beat a Spanish army of 26,000 under Don Francisco de Melo,
marking an end of Spains military dominance Europe. This battle was called the BATTLE OF ROCROI. The
year after the victory, peace talks commenced in Westphalia. Ordinary people such as the bourgeois suffered
immensely during the Thirty Years War as numerous armies destroyed cities and countryside. When unstable
governments neglected to pay their armies, the rebelling soldiers murdered, looted, raped, and tortured large
numbers of civilians. Peasant revolts and plague took place adding havoc during this time. The expenses of the
war were strained as the rulers sought to build larger armies with canons and warships. THE PEACE OF
WESTPHALIA was the first time all the conflicting parties agreed to settlement negotiations and a common
treaty. The model of this treaty is still used today. The peace of Augsburg was reinstated supporting CUIUS
REGION, EIUS, RELIGIO or Whose land, his religion quoted by Pope Urban VIII, but Calvinism still gained
acceptance through Protestant Europe. With over 300 individual rulers in Germany, nation unification was
delayed until the 19
th
century. (The unification of Germany) France and Sweden gained the most from this treaty
as France attained parts of Alsace and replaced Spain as the most dominant country in Europe. Sweden also
attained several territories from the Holy Roman Empire. On the other hand, the Habsburgs lost the most. Each
German ruler acquired the right to choose his states religion and more autonomy (independence) from the Holy
Roman Emperor and the Dutch obtained their independence from Spain. As an overall effect from the Thirty
Years War, Lutheranism would dominate the north of the Holy Roman Empire, Calvinism in the area of the
Rhine River, and Catholicism in the South. States raised taxes necessary to support larger armies and
extravagant courts by increasing bureaucracies. As this system progressed, monarchs relied more on university-
educated officials to manage bureaucracies and advice on state affairs. All ranks of society begrudged the rising
demands for taxes. Moderating the growth of the state, monarchs created an image of power, requiring its
courtiers to follow meticulous rituals in lavish settings intended to display the monarchys dynamism and
esteem. The Thirty Years War practically altered the political landscape of Europe for eternity. Wars would now
be fought over political and economic rather than religious ones. Furthermore, the modern age of sovereign
states began in Europe as the Balance of power politics prevailed in Europe. This meant the nation states and
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dynasties went to war to prevent any one power from dominating the continent. As the Thirty Years War
concluded, the age of religious wars came to a close.