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Wars of Religion

Wars of Religion. France at 1550. Fragmented: 18 million people in 300 distinct areas with own legal systems Major areas (Brittany, Burgundy, Provence, Languedoc) had autonomy, laws, courts, etc Kings already distanced from Pope, so Lutheranism offered them no nationalist appeal

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Wars of Religion

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  1. Wars of Religion

  2. France at 1550 • Fragmented: 18 million people in 300 distinct areas with own legal systems • Major areas (Brittany, Burgundy, Provence, Languedoc) had autonomy, laws, courts, etc • Kings already distanced from Pope, so Lutheranism offered them no nationalist appeal • Protestantism then became more radical than in Germany: Calvinist Huguenots

  3. Final Valois Monarchies • Catherine de Médici: wife of Henry II, and power behind throne of her sons • Henry II died in horrible jousting accident • Sons of Henry II: Francis II (died of earache), Charles IX, Henry III • Moderately Catholic Catherine tried to balance Huguenots against fervent Catholic Guise family • More than a third of nobles were Protestant: influenced peasants on their lands • Weak kings, courtly infighting: even small towns maintained armies for protection from looters Charles IX

  4. Civil War and Henry IV • Henry of Navarre married Henry II’s daughter, Margeurite (“Margot”) • 1572: St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre: during marriage celebration, Catherine ordered massacre of Paris Huguenots: 3,000 killed, then 20,000 throughout France • After War of 3 Henries, Henry of Navarre became Henry IV in 1589 (Publicly Catholic, privately Huguenot) • Henry of Navarre: figurehead of Huguenot faith, abjured Protestantism to become Catholic • Henry IV = “Politique” concerned with pragmatic ruling of state, not extremism • This era saw rise of the idea of absolute “state” maintained through moderation and compromise

  5. Edict of Nantes: 1598 • Legalized Protestant faith in France, allowing worship in Protestant towns • Forbade Protestantism from Paris or other Catholic French towns • Allowed for fortified Protestant towns • Allowed for equal civil rights for Protestants and Catholics • King had to enforce Edict: local Catholic populations refused to recognize Protestants • Unlike Germany, France was not fragmented; instead, compromise between populations • Repealed by Louis XIV in 1685 to unify country under Catholicism

  6. The Thirty Years War: 1618-1648 • German civil war • Protestantism and Catholicism • Constitutional issues (emperor vs independent member states) • Both Protestant and Catholic areas fought against emperor for independence • First large-scale war fought with gunpowder (and swords) • International war • France vs Habsburgs • Spanish vs Dutch • Involvement by Denmark, Sweden, and Transylvania

  7. Phases 1 & 2 of Thirty Years War • Bohemian • Bohemians (Czechs) deposed HRE and elected Calvinist Frederick V of Palatine • With Spanish Hapsburg assistance, HRE Ferdinand II defeated Bohemia and Catholicized the area • Danish • hope to restore Protestantism to HRE and gain land for son’s kingdom • Danish forces, with Dutch and English, were defeated

  8. Phases 3 & 4 of Thirty Years War • Swedish • HRE’s Edict of Restitution (1629) returned Catholic church lands to Catholic control • Sweden, with money from France and Netherlands, swept south in Germany • HRE annulled Edict of Restitution and war seemed about to end • Swedish-French • French invaded to aid Swedes; Spain attacked to repulse French • International struggle on German soil

  9. Treaty of Westphalia 1648 • HRE, German states, Spain, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Swiss, Portuguese, Venetians, Pope • Created first sense of international law in Europe • Renewed terms of Peace of Augsburg, allowing Calvinism as option • Edict of Restitution lands were returned to Protestant ownership • France took western HRE provinces (Lorraine and Alsace) • Switzerland recognized as sovereign and independent • Virtual end to HRE • Over 300 Independent states • No central taxes, or central soldiers; all diplomacy required ratification by states

  10. Results of Thirty Years War • As much as 1/3 of Germany died • Violence terrified Europe of pan-European warfare • Germany ceased for a long time to play a significant role in European affairs • Disintegration of HRE led to rise of Prussia and Austria • Some argue that the 30YW “ended” the Renaissance: • End of the heroic individual • Realization of the destructive capacity of man • Heralded the importance of scientific progress, rather than study of classical texts

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