The Age of the Hapsburgs Europe: 1500-1800 • Europe in the post Renaissance/Reformation era. • Many of the same battles reamin from the days of the Renaissance/Reformation • Battling Religious indecision and controversy. Center of the era: Spain • Disunified and Muslim controlled during the age of Medieval Europe. • The Spanish will have a dramatic resurgence after the expulsion of the Muslims by the 1400’s. • Ferdinand and Isabella, known for more than simply giving Christopher Columbus a few ships! • They will unite Spain in 1479. Construction of Spanish Power? • Directly related to the dominance of the overseas exploration. • Spanish claimed amazing amounts of land and gold during the period of exploration. Their conquest of the Indian empires in Central America gave them great fortune which would be used to control key aspects of Europe. The Hapsburgs: • Originally dukes of small German states the expanded their control into Austria and quickly gained enough might in the region through warfare and intermarriage to assure themselves control of the Holy Roman Empire. • Cleverly arranged marriages will give them control over much of Europe by the 1500’s. Charles V • Gained control of Spain in 1516 • Elected emperor of Holy Rome in 1519 • Went from Charles I to Charles V with that title. • Amongst Europe's most powerful Monarchs • Similar in size to Charlemagne’s empire. Charles V: Achievements • • • • • Ruled for 37 years Protection from Ottoman Turks in Europe Built a large Naval force Fought wars to advance the interests of Spain. Forced to relinquish present day Hungary to the advancing Ottoman Turks • Retired in 1556: gave empire to his son Phillip II Phillip II of Spain • Made Spain into the pre eminent power in Europe built on power of father. • Made Spain one Europe’s first Nation States • Devout Catholic whose greatest achievement was to rid Europe of Protestantism. • Reinstated the Inquisition. • Map of Phillips Europe: The Inquisition: What is the Inquisition: • A tribunal or court of religious faith based on the intense questioning of ones religious purity and faith. A rigorous examination often ending in torture or death to purge the “heretic”. • Forced conversion or allegiance to Catholicism. The Revolt of the Netherlands • Direct Challenge to the authority of Phillip II. • Netherlands 17 provinces with a history of independent governance. • Violent period emerged over who controls. • Dutch have always had a tradition of liberty and freedom, uncomfortable being ruled. They will win their independence in the North. Two countries will emerge: Netherlands and its catholic south known as Belgium. • Violence captured by Dutch artists. Artistic Representations of the Political Change in the 1500 and 1600’s: Dutch Art • Pieter Brueghel • First of the Dutch Masters • Represented some of the feelings about the era and the warfare. The Spanish Armada: • The main military power of the day. • Epitomized the conflict between Protestant England and Catholic Spain. • England fearing a Spanish takeover after they finished with the Dutch, sided with the Dutch and declared a “pirate” war at sea by giving permission to raid Spanish ships. Phillip II responds to Elizabeth • Elizabeth very much like her dad Henry VIII, powerful, and stubborn! • Phillip decides to punish Elizabeth and England for meddling by Invading the island nation with a huge array of ships called an Armada. • It was made up of about 130 ships with 24,000 soldiers. English response • The English had much smaller, more swift, maneuverable ships that moved in and around the gigantic Spanish ships with ease. • They set old boats on fire and launched them at the Spanish who in response fled to the North Sea only to be vanquished by a huge storm called the “Protestant Winds”. Impacts of Armada • • • • • Established England as a European Power. Victory for Protestantism Brought about continued religious conflicts Decline of Spain Focus on Imperialism Thirty Years War • Controversy had been silenced by the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 in which the Holy Roman Emperor acknowledged the legitimacy of the Lutheran Church…but troubles were beginning. • Involved nearly every nation in Europe bound by religious ties. • Traced back to the decentralization of the German Princes and their Lutheran fiath. Denmark ignites conflict • Bohemian protests against the Catholic Holy Roman Empire, forced the Northern European nation of Denmark to declare war on Holy Rome. The conflict snowballed with all Protestant nations siding with Denmark and Catholics with Holy Rome. Pick a Side? • • • • • Protestants: France (Catholic) Bohemia Germany Denmark Sweden • • • • Catholics: Holy Rome House of Hapsburg Spain Austria Bloodiest battles: • Took place in Wittstock. • The Sweedish, the most powerful nation in Northern Europe led by their mighty King Gustavus Adolphus battered the Catholics in this region. Here are some images of the fighting in this region. Impacts of the War • Amongst histories bloodiest wars. Millions of people were killed and ravaged by the famine and disease of the era. State building: • All of Europe involved in a conflict on Political, Social, Religious and Economic significance. • A turning point of History. Europe becoming independent states Peace of Westphalia • As you can see from the following map the peace radically changed the map of Europe. The big Winner: France. The big loser: Hapsburgs Turmoil in France: Louis XIII • Louis XIII: incompetent, insane? Ruler. • His right hand man Cardinal Richelieu will rule in his stead. • Problems in France: Huegenots or French Protestants. Attacked by CR and lost all rights previously granted by the edict of Nantes • Irony coming out of 30 years war.