Wars of Religion
Background on France
• Habsburg-Valois Wars – Ended in 1559.
– War between Spain and France over control of Italy.
(We didn’t talk about this much)
– Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis
• French Monarchy remained loyal to Rome and
Catholic Church.
– Concordat of Bologna – Treaty with Pope to allow
French Crown to appoint all bishops and abbots.
• Significant portion of French were Calvinists.
– Known as Huguenots
– 10% of population – Mostly in urban areas
Weak Leadership leads to War
• King Henry II gets shot in the face.
• 3 successive heirs proved feeble and weak.
• Lords and Nobles rebelled against this weakness by
adopting Protestantism.
• Wars broke out between Protestants and Catholics in
France.
– Over use of sacred images, sacraments, etc
• Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
– King Sister Margaret Valois (Catholic) married Henry of Navarre
(Protestant)
– Attempt at reconcilation
– Resulted in massacre of Huguenots by Catholic mobs
• Civil War broke out for 15 years
Politiques and Savior of France
• French agriculture, commerce, and trade were on the
brink of total collapse.
• Politiques – Moderates who wanted a strong monarch
to emerge and take control.
– Wanted religious tolerance of Huguenots
• Catherine de’Medici – Wife of Henry II dies.
• Henry III – Assassinated.
• Henry of Navarre emerges as heir. (also a politique.
Also guys whose wedding caused a Civil War)
• Henry converts to Catholicism (Becomes Henry IV)
• Issues Edict of Nantes – Religious liberty to Huguenots.
Netherlands – Religious Conflict
• Charles V – Holy Roman Emperor abdicates the throne
following the Peace of Augsburg.
• Leaves control of the Spanish Empire to his son Phillip II.
• The Netherlands (Low Countries) were loosely associated
cities.
• Protestant ideas, especially Calvinism took hold.
– Riots and revolts against Catholic Church
• Phillip II – Super Catholic Spaniard decides to fix this.
– Sends Duke of Alva to handle situation.
– “Council of Blood” – Tribunal that led to the death of 1500 Protestants.
– He’s also engaged in war with Elizabeth I in England with the Spanish Armada
• These actions reaffirmed Catholicism was bad and also
Spanish rule was bad.
– Civil War Breaks out
– 10 Southern Provinces (Modern Day Belgium) stays under Spain
– 7 Northern Provinces (Modern Day Netherlands) stays Protestant and declares
Independence as the Union of Utrecht.