A European state couldn’t tolerate the presence of two churches, but Reformation had created two churches

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

• Established the responsibility of the local authorities to select religion of an area

  • Created confusion due to Princes switching between religions

Extremists dominated European politics

1550-1650: French Wars of Religion

French had a Catholic Monarchy due to the Reformation

• There was a divided population between Catholics and Calvinists

Huguenots were from all levels of society

• Mostly tradesmen and artisans

• Were a powerful political threat

King Henry II died jousting

King Henry III and Henry of Navarre made a pact to defeat the Ultra-Catholics

• Ultra-Catholics were supported by Pope and Jesuits

• Henry III was assassinated by priests

• Henry of Navarre became King

Charles V of Germany left German Empire to Frederick I and the Spanish Empire to Phillip II

• Phillip II was a militant Catholic

Spain under the leadership of Phillip II

• Catholic (applied force and cruelty)

• Strong control of nobility

• Netherlands were predominantly Protestant

• Very wealthy due to resources from the New World

• Spain was seen as a threat

Phillip II

• Stood against the Ottoman expansion in Mediterranean Sea

• Devout Catholic

• Had a rivalry with England

England became a world power

Netherlands revolted

Protestants resented Spanish rule

12 Years Truce

Poland was the leading power of Europe in the 16th century

• Parliamentary body (Polish Diet)

• Death of the last Jagiellon monarch gave power to the nobility

• Participated in a series of dynastic wars

Romanov Dynasty began

Rise of Sweden

• Developed alliances with England and Dutch

• Faced warfare

• Gustavus Adolphus (expanded the Swedish power)

30 Years War

• There were tensions between the Dutch and the Spanish, Spanish and the French, German Catholics and German Protestants, Swedish and everyone in the Baltic Kingdom, and England and Spanish

• Fought in the Holy Roman Empire

• German succession started the war

• Bohemian Revolt

• Battle of White Mountain

• All European Powers took part in war

Hapsburgs were powerful and were a threat to Protestantism and the free Dutch state

• Phillip III declared war on the Dutch

• Ferdinand attempted to eliminate Protestantism

• France aided in paying for war

• Protestant forces grew stronger under Gustavus’ command

France against Spain

• France declared war on Spain under the leadership of Cardinal Richelieu; Louis XIII

• Fighting was in the Netherlands

• Spain went bankrupt and had to settle for peace

Peace of Westphalia

• War was destructive causing European powers to lose their will to continue fighting

• Peace of Augsburg was restored

• Various wars and conflicts were settled through agreements

Holy Roman Empire was economically destroyed and divided by war

There was an emergence of politics in religion over foreign affairs

France aided the Protestants

30 Years’ War was extremely destructive