Ch. 14-The
Wars of
Religion
(1560s-1648)
#13 & 14. Habsburg-Valois Wars
• A series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 between
the leading European powers for control of the
Italian states. The wars involved most of the
Italian states, the papacy, Spain, the Holy Roman
Empire, France, and Switzerland. Principally, the
conflict was between France and Spain, with the
changing allegiance of the rival Italian states and
of the pope being determined by their own
immediate interests. The final outcome was the
victory of Spain. Culturally, the wars were
significant for spreading the influence of the
Italian Renaissance throughout Europe.
#13 & 14-Habsburgs…Valois
• Habsburgs:
Ruling house of Austria
1282-1918!!
• Valois:
Royal house of France
from 1328-1589
#15. Concordat of Bologna
• between King Francis I
(France) of France & Pope
Leo X
• Francis I agree to recognize
the supremacy of the
papacy over a universal
council. Crown gained the
right to appoint all Fr.
Bishops & abbots.
• Crown would decide who
would lead the Church a
victory for the Monarchy
• Catholic Church in France
was known as the Gallican
Church.
noblesse de robe, (French: “Nobility of
the Robe”)
• 17th- and 18th-century
France, a class of
hereditary nobles who
acquired their rank
through holding a high
state office. Their name
was derived from the
robes worn by officials----------
• nobles who derived
their rank from military
service (noblesse
d’épée)
Civil War
In France
(1562-1598)
The Valois Family:
The Beginning of the End
 Henry II (ruled 1547-59) was the last powerful
Valois. Married to Catherine de Medici
 Three weak sons followed:



Francis II(r. 1559-60)
Charles IX(r. 1560-74)
Henry III(r. 1574-89)
 Catherine de Medici controlled the sons:



Was mother to the boys
Played both sides in the civil war
Developed a reputation for cruelty
Catherine de Medici
Bon in Florence,
Italy. The daughter
of Lorenzo II,
grandson of
Lorenzo the
Magnificent!
Catherine de Médici:
• Very important political figure in the French Wars of Religion.
• When King Francis II died, she became the regent for her underage
son and assumed temporary power over France.
• Her main goal was to keep her son on the throne and to keep the
monarchy alive.
• Suffered a failed attempt at reconciling the two factions of
Protestants and Catholics.
• In 1562, she allied herself with the Protestants, giving them rights
to worship publicly outside of towns and privately within them in
the January Edict.
• This edict was followed by three periods of conflict known as the
French Wars of Religion.
The French Civil War
 There were two sides:



Guise family led Catholics in North
Bourbon family led Huguenots in South
Fighting for the royal inheritance
#16.Huguenots:A name by which the French
Protestants are often designated. Its etymology is
uncertain.
 Catherine supported the Guises in the first phase.
 #17. St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre



August 24, 1572
20,000 Huguenots were killed
Henri of Navarre, a Bourbon, survived
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
#18. War of Three Henry’s 1584-89; eighth and final
conflict in the series of civil wars in France known as
the Wars of Religion..resulted from the St.
Bartholomew’s day massacre
• Henry III
• 1574-89
• 4th son of Henry II &
Catherine de Medici
• Leader of the royal
army in the Fr. Wars of
Religions vs. Huguenots
• Assassinated!
Henry III
2nd Henry: Henry: 3rd Duke of Guise
• Duc de Guise: title of
nobility
• Leader of the Catholic
faction who formed the
Catholic League in 1576
to keep the new heir,
Henry of Navarre off
the throne
• Assassinated!
The Catholic League
• A radical Catholic group formed by Henry of Guise in 1576.
• They fought for unity under Catholicism in France, and forced
Henry III to pursue their goal.
• They took power in Paris in the 1580’s, and the King was
forced out after a failed attack on the League.
• They were dispersed in 1596, after Henry IV took the throne,
and the people were too tired of religious war.
3rd Henry-Henry IV(Navarre)
• Henry Bourbon
• Protestant: led the
Huguenot forces
• Winner(by default)!
Becomes the 1st Bourbon
monarch of France
• #9. “Paris is worth a mass”
• Converts to Catholicism in
effort to unify the country,
but gives Huguenots
freedom of worship!
The French Civil War
 Catherine started supporting the Bourbons.
Catholic
League
CIVIL
WAR
Protestant
Union
 Henri of Navarre defeated Catholic League & becomes
Henry IV(Bourbon) 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(#19) [the interest of the
state comes first before any
religious considerations]
 Passed Edict of Nantes(#8) in 1598:
 Granted religious rights to
Huguenots
 Did not grant religious freedom for
all
(#20)The Edict of Nantes-1598
• April 13, 1598, Henry IV made a formal religious settlement and
instated the Edict of Nantes.
• According to this edict, while Catholicism was to remain the
official religion of the country, minority religions were given
religious tolerance.
• It did not end the conflict between the religions but it stopped
open warfare between the opposing powers.
• However, as significant as this edict was, it would only transform
the long hot war between the Catholics and the Huguenots into a
long cold war.
• Henry IV was assassinated in 1610 by a Catholic fanatic.
The Fall of the Edict of Nantes
• Edict of Nantes subdued religious warfare.
• Henry’s political and economic policies laid the
foundations for a new France.
• Stability within the region remained until the rise to
power of Louis XIV.
• Revoked(by Louis XIV) the Edict of Nantes in 1685
and sent France back into a state of religious
turmoil.
Dutch War of Independence
1568 - 1648
Phillip II
Historical Background
• Spain becomes world power
• Netherlands(#22) was the richest area in
all of Europe (center of trade)
• Charles V had inherited the 17 provinces
that compose modern-day Belgium & the
Netherlands (provinces were self
governing).
MAJOR CAUSES
• Emperor Charles V was succeeded by his two sons
Philip II (Spain and Netherlands) and Ferdinand
(Austria, Hungary, imperial title.)
• Church Reform of the Netherlands (Catholicism –
Calvinism/Protestantism)
• Location-The Netherlands were extremely far away
from their central government located in Spain.
• The spread of Calvinism encouraged opposition to
ungodly political authorities & led to a wave of
iconoclasm
THE WAR: The Duke of Alva-Fernando
Alvarez de Toledo
• The Duke was a regent of Philip II.
• Spanish general & governor of the Sp.
Netherlands
• Sent to the Netherlands to persecute Protestants.
• Started the Council of Troubles (#12)Council of
Blood)
• Know as the “Iron Duke”
• 1st example of “Black Legend”-depiction of Spanish
as blood thirsty, cruel, greedy, & fanatical
• Imposed the Spanish alcabala (tenth penny).
THE WAR: PHILIP VS. WILLIAM
PHILIP II
•
•
•
•
King of Spain
Hard Core Catholic
Conformity and unification
Control over Netherlands
WILLIAM OF ORANGE
• Leader of Netherlands
opposition
• Catholic, Lutheran, and
Calvinist
• Independence from Spain
• Will be assassinated!
THE WAR: Spain Loses Power
• William of Orange came out of exile to
lead revolt.
• Queen Elizabeth I refused to admit the
“Sea Beggars” into her port
• Regarded as real beginning of Dutch
independence.
• Spanish Fury (7,000 people killed)
THE WAR: Independence from Spain
• Defeat of Philip II, Spanish Armada(1588).
• Spanish preoccupation with England and
France made Spain weaker.
• All Spanish soldiers were out by 1593.
• In 1596 independence was recognized by
France and England.
• Twelve Years Truce 1609.
• Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
“The Dairy Cow” 1580-95
Elizabeth of England
is feeding her.
• Philip of Spain is
attempting to ride her.
• William of Orange
is trying to milk her.
• The King of France
holds her tail.
1629-Edict of Restitution("Ecclesiastical
Reservation”)
• on March 6, 1629 following
Catholic successes at arms
• a belated attempt by Ferdinand
II, Holy Roman Emperor to
impose and restore the religious
and territorial situations reached
in the Peace of Augsburg (1555)Cuius regio, eius religio
• Cuius regio, eius religio is a phrase
in Latin translated as "Whose
realm, his religion", meaning the
religion of the ruler dictated the
religion of the ruled...
•
.
• All Church property taken
by Protestants over the
past 70 years had to be
returned!
Finally….
• Division of Netherlands settled in 1609, with 7
northern provinces as an indep. nation known
simply as the “Dutch.” Official religion->Calvinist
Protestantism. Amazingly…they were tolerant of
other religions!!
• 10 Southern provinces remained Catholic under
control of Spanish Habsburgs as the Spanish
Netherlands. They remained a Spanish
possession until 1713.
EFFECTS OF THE WAR
• Dutch Golden Age.
• Dutch Republic became
world power and Southern
Netherlands lost all significance.
• Became a republic (with Stadtholder).
• Spanish empire started to decline.
• Challenged the concept of the divine right
of kings.
HISTORICAL IMPACT
-Started the eventual separation between north and
south (Netherlands/Belgium).
• Precursor to English Civil War and French
Revolution.
• Predecessor to liberalism in modern day
governments.
Challenges from Spain
• Phillip II and the (#26 & 27) Spanish Armada(1588)”la felicissima armada”(the most formidable fleet!)
The
Thirty Years(#29)
War-1st Continent wide war!
(1618-1648)
5 W’s of the Thirty Years War!
• WHO
• Ferdinand II was head of the Habsburg family
(Catholic!)
• He ruled the Czech kingdom of Bohemia. The
protestants in Bohemia didn’t trust him, because he
was a Catholic and, to them, a foreigner (Habsburgs
had dominated Austria)
• Ferdinand closed Protestant churches; Prot. Revolt!
• The War begins!!!!!!!!
Ferdinand II-Holy Roman Emperor
• devout and very pious
Catholic
• House of Habsburg
• Holy Roman Emperor from
1619-1637
• religious intolerance
toward protestants
• Ruled during the Thirty
Years War
WHEN, WHERE, WHY
• 1618-1648
• HRE=Holy Roman Empire
• Ferdinand II closed Protestant churches and the
Protestants revolt!
The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622
 Ferdinand II inherited Bohemia.



The Bohemians hated him.
Ferdinand refused to tolerate Protestants.
Defenestration of Prague(# 18) May, 1618
(#31)“Defenestration of Prague”
• Defenestration is from Latin “de” meaning “out of”
and fenestra, “window.”
• May 23, 1618-Estates(Parliament) of Bohemia
threw 2 Catholic emissaries appointed by the Holy
Roman Emperor, out a window 70’ above the
ground…defenestration!
• landed on a large pile of manure in a dry moat and
survived!
5 W’s…WHAT
• Conflict over Religion, Territory & for power
among European ruling families!
• First 12 years Habsburgs are winning
• 1630-due to leadership of Gustavus Adolphus(#32)
of Sweden, the tide shifts as Habsburg armies are
driven out!
• Protestants will make their comeback under
Adolphus
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 invaded the HRE.


Ferdinand II brought back Wallenstein.
Swedish advance was stopped.
 German princes still feared Ferdinand II.
 Wallenstein assassinated to appease them.
WHAT, con’t
• FRANCE(#34/35) will dominate the remaining
years with the leadership of Cardinal’s
Richelieu(minister to King Louis XIII) &
Mazarin(successor to Richelieu)
French Involvement
• ***FRANCE, although CATHOLIC, feared the
expansion of the Habsburgs rule more than they
feared the Protestant…so, they enter on the side of
the Protestants!!
• 1635:
Richilieu sent Fr. Troops to help the Swedes & German
protestants vs. Habsburg armies
1648: Habsburgs are defeated!!
Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
(#33)Treaty of Westphalia-1648
• 1. It weakened Spain &
Austria(Habsburg states)
• 2. It strengthened
France(by awarding it
German territory)
• 3. IT ENDED RELIGIOUS
WARS IN EUROPE!
• 4. it made German
princes independent of
the HRE
• 5. It introduced a new
method of negotiating
peace whereby, all
participants meet to
decide the peace terms
• 6. it began the modern
state system in which all
states are independent &
equal.
Nobody Was Happy!
 Many Protestants felt betrayed.
 The pope denounced it.
 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.