The
Wars of
Religion
(1559-1648)
I. Renewed Religious Struggle
• 1st half of the 16th c the religious
struggles had been Lutherans gaining
freedoms in Germany (central Europe)
• 2nd half became about Calvinist gaining
freedoms in France, the Netherlands,
England, and Scotland (Western
Europe)
II. Hapsburg – Valois Wars
1519-1559
• Fought between Francis I (Valois) and
Charles V (HRE, King of Spain, King of
Austria)
• Occurred b/c Francis wanted a better
balance of power – he helped the
protestant princes in N. Germany,
League of Schmalkalden
II. Hapsburg – Valois Wars
1519-1559
• Not considered a holy war because both
were Catholic
• Ended with the Treaty of CateauCambresis in 1559
• Outcome of the War:
– Prevented HRE from gaining too much
power in Germany
– Inadvertently helped Lutheranism spread
II. Hapsburg – Valois Wars
1519-1559
• This war prevented Germany from
being able to develop as a nation state
• France’s goal was achieved
III. Religious Concerns of
Nations from 1560 – 1648)
• From 1560-1648 wars would be fought
largely over religious issues
• Spain sought to squash Protestantism & the
spread of Islam
• French Catholics sought to squash the
Huguenots
• HRE sought to re-impose Catholicism in
German States
• Calvinist in Netherlands wanted to break with
Spanish rule
IV. Civil War
In France
(1562-1598)
A. Death of Henry II, The Valois Family:
The Beginning of the End
 Henri II was the last powerful Valois
 Three weak sons followed:
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Francis II
Charles IX
Henri III
 Catherine de Medici controlled the sons:
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Was mother to the boys
Played both sides in the civil war
Developed a reputation for cruelty
Catherine de Medici
Francis II & His Wife, Mary Stuart
The French Civil War
 There were two sides:
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Guise family led Catholics in North
Bourbon family led Huguenots in South
Fighting for the royal inheritance
 Catherine supported the Guises in the
first phase.
B. St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
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August 24, 1572
20,000 Huguenots were killed
Henri of Navarre, a Bourbon, survived
St. Bartholomew Day Massacre ( August 24,
1572)
1.
Marriage of Margaret of Valois to Protestant
Huguenot Henry of Navarre – marriage arranged to
reconcile Catholics and Protestants
2.
Henry of Guise had a Huguenot leader murdered
the night before the wedding (Henry of Navarre
was to be murdered as well) - rioting broke out in
Paris
3.
Catherine de’ Medici ordered the massacre of
Calvinists - 20,000 Huguenots killed on October 3rd
4.
The massacre initiated the War of the Three
Henrys:
Henry Valois vs. Henry of Guise vs.
Henry of Navarre
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre
The French Civil War
 Catherine started supporting the Bourbons.
Catholic
League
CIVIL
WAR
Protestant
Union
 Henri of Navarre defeated Catholic League &
becomes Henry IV of France.
 Effects of Civil War:
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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
C. Henry IV of France
 Ended Spanish interference in
France
 Converted to Catholicism :
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Did this to compromise and make
peace
This was an example of politique
[the interest of the state comes
first before any religious
considerations]
Paris is worth a mass.
Privately remained Catholic
 Passed Edict of Nantes in 1598:
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Granted religious rights to
Huguenots
Did not grant religious freedom for
all
V. Spain’s Catholic Crusade
A. Philip II
• Led by King Philip II (1556-1598)
• “Golden Age” period of artistic
achievement and great wealth from the
Americas
• Built the Escorial – in memory of St.
Lawrence & as a symbol of Philip’s
power and commitment to the Catholic
crusade
Escorial
Escorial
Escorial
V. Spain’s Catholic Crusade
B. Spain vs. Ottoman Turks
• Philip II waged a war against the Turks
for control of the Mediterranean
• Med. Very important for trade
• Battle of Lepanto (1571) – ended war
granting Med. Control to Spain
• Ottoman Turks no longer threat to
Europe
V. Spain’s Catholic Crusade
C. The Dutch Revolt
1. William I (William of Orange) (15331584)
- Ruled the Netherlands (Calvinist)
- Led revolts against Philip II
2. William formed the Dutch Republic
thanks to help by Elizabeth I of
England
D. Spain Vs.
England
A. Mary I (Bloody
Mary)
B. Elizabeth I
D. England & Spain
Mary I
Elizabeth I
D . England & Spain
A. Mary I
• very hostile to Protestants (executes
great Protestant leaders, hundreds are
burned at the stake and others flee to
the Continent)
• marries into militant Catholicism by
wedding Philip II of Spain
D. England & Spain
2. Elizabeth I
settled religious differences by merging
broadly defined Protestant doctrine with
traditional Catholic ritual, later resulting in the
Anglican Church
• all anti-Protestant legislation repealed and
Thirty-Nine Articles is issued in 1563 making
moderate Protestantism the official religion of
the Church of England
• animosity grows between England and Spain
over dominance of the seas
D. Spain & England
Spanish Armada 1588
D. Spain & England
Spanish Armada 1588
VI. The
Thirty Years
War
(1618-1648) p. 72-76
1618-1648
Characteristics of the Thirty Years War
 The Holy Roman Empire was the
battleground.
 At the beginning  it was the
Catholics vs. the Protestants.
 At the end  it was Habsburg power
that was threatened.
 Resolved by the Treaty of Westphalia
in 1648.
The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622
 Ferdinand II inherited Bohemia.

The Bohemians hated him.
Ferdinand refused to tolerate Protestants.
Defenestration of Prague May, 1618

Bohemia named a new king, Frederick V.
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Defenestration of Prague
The Bohemian Phase: 1618-1622
 Ferdinand II becomes Holy Roman
Emperor.
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Frederick V borrowed an army from
Bavaria.
Frederick lost his lands in the fighting.
 The rebellion in Bohemia inspired others.
 Bohemians won region from the HRE,
present Cezch Republic
Bohemian Phase
The Danish Phase: 1625-1629
 Protestants led by Christian IV – Lutheran King of
Denmark
 Ferdinand II tried to end all resistance.
 Tried to crush Protestants in the northern Holy
Roman Empire.
 Ferdinand II used Albrecht von Wallenstein to lead
the Imperial army
 Wallenstein defeated Protestants in north.
 Edict of Restitution (1629):
 Restored to Catholics all lands lost since 1552.
 Deprived all Protestants, except Lutherans,
of their religious and political rights.
 German princes feared Wallenstein’s power and forced
the Emperor to remove him from power and reduce the
size of the Imperial army
Danish Phase
Albrecht
von
Wallenstein
The Swedish Phase: 1630-1635
a. Protestants liberated territory lost in the
Danish Phase
b. France & Sweden now get involved.
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Both want to stop Habsburg power.
Sweden led the charge.
France provided support.
c. Gustavus Adolphus (Swedish King) invaded
the HR Empire.
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Ferdinand II brought back Wallenstein.
Swedish advance was stopped.
Battle of Breitenfield: Gustavus successful
but died on battlefield
The Swedish Phase: 16301635
d. Outcome
• German princes still feared Ferdinand II.
• Wallenstein assassinated to appease
them.
• End of war HRE know Ferdinand III –
revoked the Edict of Restitution and
issued the Peace of Prague did not end
war
Swedish Phase
Gustavus
Adolphus
The French Phase: 1635-1648
a. France & Sweden switched roles.
b. All countries in Europe now participated.
c. This phase was most destructive!
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German towns decimated.
Agriculture collapsed  famine resulted.
8 million dead  1/3 of the population
Caused massive inflation.
Trade was crippled throughout Europe.
The French Phase: 1635-1648
d. Cardinal Richelieu of France allied with
the Protestant forces to defeat the
HRE (as had occurred in the earlier
Hapsburg-Valois War
e. If the Hapsburgs had won in Germany,
France would have been confronted with
a more powerful German state on its
eastern border.
Loss of German Lives in 30
Years’ War
The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
1. Political Provisions:
a. Peace of Augsburg renewed(but added
Calvinism as a politically accepted
religion)
•
•
In effect, it ended the Catholic Reformation
in Germany
Guarnteed that Germany would remain
divided politically & religiously for centuries
The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
1. Political Provisions:
b. Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire
confirmed – END!!
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The United Provinces [Dutch Neths.] became
officially independent  some. part remained a
Spanish possession.
France rcvd. New lands and status as a power
Sweden  got lands in Northern Germany on the
Baltic & Black Sea coasts.
Switzerland became indp. Swiss Confederation
Germany free of HRE
The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
C. The
two Hapsburg Branches were
weakened
(Charles V divided Emperor at
death)
Spain – Declined
Austria – lost control of Germany
The Peace of Westphalia (1648)
 Religious Provisions:
Calvinists would have the same privileges
as the Lutherans had in the Peace of
Augsburg.
 The ruler of each state could determine
its official religion, BUT [except in the
hereditary lands of the Habsburgs],
HRE must permit freedom of private
worship.
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Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
1688-1700
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.
What were the
long-range
effects of the
Thirty Years’
War?