Transcript THE RELIGIOUS WARS: 1560-1660

THE EUROPEAN WARS OF
RELIGION
c. 1560-1660
Philip II (r. 1556 – 1598)
Son of Charles V
 Ruled Spanish &
Portuguese
Empires,
Netherlands and
Southern Italy.
 Strongest military
power in the world.
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El Escorial
 New royal palace/fortress (and monastery
and mausoleum) in shape of grill, reflected
Philip’s religious and military convictions.
Catholic Crusade
Philip II fanatically seeks to reimpose
Catholicism in Europe.
 Takes on Calvinists in his Netherlands
territories.
 Fights against Protestant England due to
Elizabeth I’s support of the Dutch
 Takes on Muslim Turks power in the
Mediterranean.
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Battle of Lepanto
Encouraged by Pope Pius V, Philip used combined
Spanish and Italian fleets to fight the Turks.
 Spain defeated Turkish navy off coast of Greece.
 Turkish navy severely weakened as result.
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The Dutch Revolt
Calvinist Netherlands
resented foreign rule by
Spain (both on religious,
economic, and political
grounds).
 Philip II sends the Duke of
Alva to suppress revolt.
1567-1572 reign of terror
killing thousands of rebels.
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Duke of Alva
The Dutch Revolt
1579, seven northern provinces form
Union of Utrecht to continue fight.
 William I (William of Orange) (15331584), led 7 provinces against Inquisition
and revolt against rule of Philip II. He was
assassinated in 1584.
 Struggle continued to 1609; 12-year truce
enacted; Defacto Dutch independence
formally recognised in P of W in 1648.
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England v. Spain
Queen Mary Tudor (Philip’s wife)
reimposes Catholicism in England.
 Alliance with England ends with death of
Mary in 1558 and the accession of
Elizabeth.
 Queen Elizabeth I reverses Mary’s edicts
Elizabeth helps Protestant Netherlands
gain independence from Spain.
 Philip plots to reimpose Catholicism in
England
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Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603)
championed Protestant causes in Europe.
 England was an unlikely foe to Spain (lost
possessions in Europe, had no overseas
possessions)
 Elizabeth carefully crafted her image to instill the
love of her people.
 Elizabeth supported the Dutch Revolt and
English privateers regularly attacked Spanish
colonial shipping.
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The Armada, 1588
Philip II attempts to
invade England to end
Protestant resistance.
 Fleet attempts to pick up
Spanish troops in the
Netherlands for invasion.
 Armada is harassed by
smaller, better armed
and more manuverable
English fleet
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The Armada, 1588
The combination of better
English seamanship and bad
weather (“the Protestant
Wind”) defeated the Spanish.
 Forced to return home via
northern route, half the fleet
lost.
 Marked the beginning of the
end of Spanish power; leads
to rise of Netherlands,
England and France.
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The French Wars of Religion Catholic and Huguenots
Despite the spread of Reformation ideas,
France remained a largely Catholic nation.
 Of a total of 16 million (in the late 16th
century) 1.2 million embraced Calvinism.
 A large portion of French nobility were
Calvinists.
 Conflict between the groups led to three
decades of civil war on religious and
political issues.
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Henry II (r. 1547-1559)
Son of King Francis I of
the Valois line.
 Henry married Catherine
de Medici fourteen years
old.
 When his older brother
Francis died in 1536 after
a game of tennis, Henry
became heir to the
throne.
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Henry II (r. 1547-1559)
Henry was a large, powerful man; but a
weak-willed king.
 Even so, he persecuted Huguenots.
 Henry II severely punished them, burning
them alive or cutting out their tongues for
speaking their Protestant beliefs. Even
those suspected of being Huguenots could
be imprisoned for life.
 He was killed in a jousting tournament.
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Catherine de’ Medici
After Henry II’s death in a
jousting match, Catherine
used her position as Regent to
influence her three sons who
would serve as king.
 Francis II (r. 1559-1560),
Charles IX (r. 1560-1574) and
Henry III (r. 1574-1589) ruled
under the influence of
Catherine, but could not stop
the spreading Huguenot
influence.
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St. Bartholemew's Day Massacre
Open warfare began between the Catholics lead
by the Guise family and the Huguenots lead by
the Bourbon family in 1562.
 First eight years of fighting ended in 1570.
 Catherine still feared Huguenot power and
ordered their massacre on Aug. 24 1572.
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War of the Three Henrys (1585-89)
Following the massacre, Henry of Navarre
(a Bourbon) emerged as Huguenots
leader.
 Henry III attempted to form a moderate
Catholic faction as an alternative to the
radical Guise faction.
 Conflict erupted between Henry III, Henry
of Navarre and Henry, Duke of Guise.
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War of the Three Henrys (1585-89)
Regarding him as a serious threat, Henry
III had Henry of Guise assassinated in
Dec. 1588.
 Guise faction retaliated and had Henry III
killed July 1589.
 Henry of Navarre was the only one left
with a legitimate claim to the throne. He
became Henry IV in 1589.
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Henry IV (r. 1589-1610)
First Bourbon king of
France.
 Was a Huguenot, but
converts to Catholicism.
 Brings peace to the
warring factions.
 Issues the Edict of
Nantes in 1589, granting
limited toleration to the
Huguenots.
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Henry IV and Duke of Sully
Henry IV of France begins the process of
restoring royal power.
 Appoints the Duke of Sully as finance
minister
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 Sully
introduces sound accounting practices to
increase the crown’s income.
 Did not attempt any major reforms (such as
revoke tax-exemptions of nobility & clergy).
 Neglected industrial development in favor of
agriculture. Built roads and canals.
 Promoted mercantilist polices.
Mercantilism
Mercantilism was the primary set of
economic theories that drove international
trade in the 17th and 18th centuries.
 Government control of the economy was
an essential feature.
 Mercantilism assumed that there was only
so much wealth in the world and the way
a nation got wealthy was through a
favorable balance of trade or through
the accumulation of bullion (bullionism).
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Louis XIII
In 1610, Henry IV was
assassinated.
 Louis XIII was only 10
yrs old, his mother
Marie de Medici acted
as regent.
 In 1621, Cardinal
Richelieu became king’s
chief minister.
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Cardinal Richelieu
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Richelieu served as chief minister from 1621 until
his death in 1642.
He gradually reduced the influence of the nobility
in government.
He established the office of indendant.
When the Huguenots attempted to take
advantage of the new king, he defeated their
forces at LaRochelle and denied them to the
right to fortified cities.
Richelieu revived French animosity toward the
Habsburgs, involving France in the 30 yrs. War.
Mazarin and Louis XIV
Mazarin succeeded Richelieu
as chief minister and
continued in the position
when the 5 yr old Louis XVI
came to the throne.
 Along with Queen Anne of
Austria he served as regent.
 He continued most of
Richelieu’s policies.

Cardinal Mazarin
The Fronde (1648-1653)
A series of revolts by nobility and
townspeople broke out against royal
power led by the Parlement of Paris.
 Infighting led to the revolt withering away.
 Its failure demonstrated the successful
strengthening of royal institutions.
 The disorder of the revolt convinced
people that strong central power was
needed.
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Economic Crisis in Spain
Influx of silver into Spain from the New
World caused rampant inflation; when
flow stopped in early 1600’s economy
suffered.
 Philip II entangled Spain in costly
international wars.
 Tax based depleted through series of
plagues.
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Count of Olivares
Attempted to lift the
burden on Castile
through Union of
Arms.
 Provinces felt
independence was
being taken away.
 This provoked a
series of revolts.
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Revolts against Spain
In the 1640s there were a series of revolts
in Catalonia, Portugal, Naples and Sicily.
 Olivares was dismissed by Philip IV.
 Catalonian revolt lasted 11 yrs, thwarted
by infighting between peasants and
nobles.
 Portuguese revolt was peaceful; gained
independence in 1668.
 This period ended Spain as a world power.
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United Provinces
Dutch economic and political power grew
as conflict between the Estates General
(pro-business) and the House of Orange
(pro-war) continued.
 Amsterdam financial capital; biggest
international shippers; religious toleration.
 Jan De Witt led Dutch through golden age
from 1653-1672.
 French invasion put power back in the
hands of the House of Orange under
William III.
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Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus (r. 1611-1632)
established an efficient gov’t and
bureaucracy.
 Nobles took more land and power after
the death of Adolphus.
 Queen Christina abdicated in favor of her
cousin Charles X, using the Riksdag to pull
power away from the nobles.
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Eastern Europe
Ottoman rule in Eastern Europe began to
weaken after their defeat at Vienna in
1683.
 Poland’s power continued to decline.
 In Russia, following the Time of
Troubles (1584-1613) the Romanov
dynasty came to power; nobles and
church brought under control of tsar
(czar) and serfdom firmly restablished.
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The Thirty Years War Origins of the Conflict
Peace of Augsburg of 1555 brought truce to
warring religious factions in the Holy Roman
Empire.
 The agreement only recognized Catholics and
Lutherans (leaving out Calvinists).
 Calvinists began to make gains in a number or
states and began demanding rights.
 Direct cause of the fighting was a conflict in
Bohemia.
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Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
In 1617, The Bohemian Diet elected Ferdinand
of Styria (a Hapsburg) king. Two years later he
elected HRE Ferdinand II.
 His election alarmed Calvinists in Bohemia since
Ferdinand was a strong supporter of the Catholic
cause.
 Roman Catholic officials ordered the end of
construction of some Protestant chapels on land
which the Catholic clergy claimed belonged to
them. Protestants, who claimed it was royal
 They interpreted this as a violation of the right of
freedom of religious expression as granted in the
Letter of Majesty issued by Emperor Rudolf II in
1609.

The Defenestration of Prague
On May 23, 1618, an
assembly of
Protestants tried two
Imperial governors for
violating the Letter of
Majesty.
 They were found
guilty, and thrown out
of the high windows
of the Bohemian
Chancellery.

The Defenestration of Prague
They fell some 50 ft, and they landed on
a large pile of manure. They all survived.
 Roman Catholic Imperial officials claimed
that they survived due to the mercy of
the benevolent angels assisting the
righteousness of the Catholic cause.
 Protestant pamphleteers asserted that
their survival had more to do with the
horse excrement in which they landed
than the benevolent acts of the angels.
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Bohemian Phase, 1618-1625
Taking control of Prague, the Calvinists
deposed Ferdinand and elected a new
king, Frederick V.
 Emperor Ferdinand II won the support of
Maximilian I of Bavaria.
 Under the leadership of Baron Tilly, the
Catholic League forces defeated the
Protestants in Bohemia at the Battle of
White Mountain in Nov. 1620., ending the
Bohemian phase
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Danish Phase, 1625-1629
King Christian IV intervened
on the side of the Protestants
against Ferdinand II.
 Albrecht von Wallenstein
and Tilly defeated the Danes
in 1626 with a independent
army of 50,000 men.
 In 1629, Ferdinand II issued
the the Edict of Restitution.
 The Treaty of Lubeck in 1629
restored Holstein to Christian
IV while he pledged to stay
out of the war.
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Albrecht von Wallenstein
Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
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Swedish King Gustavus
Adolphus became the new
defender of the Protestant
cause.
In 1630, the Swedes invaded
Germany.
Later that year, Catholic
France signed a alliance with
Protestant Sweden, entering
the war against the
Hapsburgs.
What had begun as a
religious war now took
political overtones.
Gustavus Adolphus
Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
During the early stages the Swedes won
several victories
 Tilly fell in battle in 1632 and Wallenstein
formed a new army.
 In Nov. 1632, Wallenstein was defeated at
the Battle of Lutzen, but Gustavus
Adolphus was killed.
 Wallenstein entered into secret
negotiations with the French and Swedes,
Ferdinand had him relieved in 1634, he
was assassinated a few days later.
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Swedish Phase, 1630-1635
In the autumn of 1634, Ferdinand II’s
army defeated the Swedes at the Battle of
Nordlingen.
 Each side in the conflict was exhausted
from years of fighting.
 In 1635, the Treaty of Prague brought an
end to the Swedish phase of the war and
strengthened the position of the emperor
compared to that of the princes.
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French Phase, 1635-1648
Settlement reached in
the Treaty of Prague was
wrecked by the French
decision to directly
intervene.
 Cardinal Richelieu, Chief
Minister of Louis XIII
wanted to weaken
Hapsburg power and
gain territory.
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Cardinal Richelieu
French Phase, 1635-1648
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The French relied on the German princes and
Swedes to lead the fight in Germany, while France
moved against the Hapsburg Philip IV of Spain.
The war continued to ravage Germany, with no side
gaining the upper hand until the French defeated
the Spanish and became more directly involved.
Ferdinand II died in 1637 and was succeeded by his
son, Ferdinand III (r. 1637-1657).
Peace negotiations began in 1641, but made little
progress until the death of Richelieu in 1642 and the
French occupation of Bavaria in 1646.
Peace of Westphalia, 1648
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Treaty of Westphalia ended the 30 yrs. War.
France, Sweden, and Brandenburg (Prussia)
gained territory.
Settlement formally recognized the independence
of Switzerland and Dutch Republic.
Granted German states the right to make treaties
and alliances, further weakening the HRE. 300+
German states became sovereign.
Religious rights guaranteed in Peace of Augsburg
expanded to Calvinists.
Effects of the Conflict
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Germany physically
devastated (as much as
1/2 of pop. in certain
areas perished).
Religious wars come to
an end.
France becomes the
predominant power in
Europe.
New rules of international
affairs established
(modern nation-state
becomes supreme).
The English Civil War Origins of the Conflict
The wars were the outcome of tensions between
king and subjects over religious and civil
issues.
 Religious disputes centered on whether
religion was to be dictated by the monarch or
the choice of the subject.
 Civil questions were to what extent the king's
rule was constrained by parliaments.
 The wars also had an element of national
conflict, as Ireland and Scotland rebelled against
England's primacy within the Three Kingdoms.
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King James VI & I (r. 1603-1625)
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House of Stuart of Scotland.
Belief in “divine right of kings,”
wanted to rule without
Parliament
Leadership of Church went to
those with Arminian beliefs
(predestination but with “good
works”)
Archbishop Laud tried to
impose Catholic-style ritual;
Puritans dismayed.
King claimed “no bishop, no
king” to Puritan demand to end
bishop control.
Charles I (r. 1625-1649)
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Charles sought to rule
without Parliament and to
control the Anglican Church
Petition of Right, 1628:
Parliament attempt to bribe
king (taxes) in return for
accepting Parliament’s right
to tax, habeas corpus, no
quartering, and no martial
law in peacetime
Charles dissolved Parliament
in 1629; ruled without until
1640 using collection of ship
money
Revolt in Scotland
In 1637, English gov’t ordered the use of
Anglican service in Scottish churches
(Book of Common Prayer).
 In 1638, thousands of Scots signed the
Solemn League and Covenant,
pledging to defend the Presbyterianism
(Calvinism)
 In 1639-40, the Scots rose in revolt, in
which became The Bishops War.
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The Short Parliament
Charles needed money to stop the revolt, so he
called Parliament into session in April 1640.
 The session lasted only three weeks as
Parliament demanded concessions from the
king.
 Charles dissolved Parliament and used already
assembled forces in Ireland and Scotland to
suppress the revolt.
 His forces were defeated at Newburn on Tyne in
Aug. 1640, he needed to pay the Scots to keep
peace until settlement was reached, therefore
he recalled Parliament.
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The Long Parliament
Parliament met on Nov. 3 1640 (and did
not dissolve until 1653).
 Parliament impeached and eventually
condemned to death the Earl of Strafford
and Archbishop Laud.
 Parliament barred the levy of taxes
without its approval, that Parliament
should meet every 3 yrs, and the king
could not dissolve Parliament

Civil War Begins
In the Grand Remonstrance of Nov.
1641, Parliament summarized its political
and religious grievances.
 In Jan. 1642, Charles sent troops to
Parliament to arrest 5 of its leaders, they
were warned and escaped.
 Fearing for his safety, Charles left London
and headed North to gather forces.
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Civil War
Cavaliers:
supported the
king, strong in
North and West.
 Roundheads,
Lawyers, doctors,
merchants, gentry;
Puritans opposed
king; strong in
South and East;
allied with Scots.
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Civil War
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Oliver Cromwell
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Oliver Cromwell led “New
Model Army”
Defeat the Cavaliers at
Marstoon Moor in July 1644
and Nasby in June 1645.
King taken prisoner in May
1646.
“Pride’s Purge” creates
Rump Parliament in Dec.
1648.
Rump Parliament executes
Charles in Jan 1649.
The Interregnum:
The Commonwealth (1649-1653)
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Political power held in one-house parliament.
Council of State conducted daily affairs.
Cromwell pushes Puritan religious agenda.
English control established over Scotland; revolt
in Ireland brutally crushed.
Clashed with radicals and lower classes.
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Levellers: Radical religious revolutionaries; sought
social and political reform – proto-communism.
Quakers: believed in “inner light”; rejected church
authority; pacifists.
The Interregnum:
The Protectorate (1653-1659)
Cromwell dissolves the Council of State and the
Rump Parliament in Apr. 1653; he replaces it
with 140-member Barebone’s Parliament.
 In late 1653, he dissolves this and takes title of
Lord Protector (one man dictatorship
supported by the army).
 Cromwell goes to war with the Dutch and Spain
over commercial issues. Dutch were defeated in
1654; in 1655 the English take Jamaica from the
Spanish.
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The Restoration - 1660
Cromwell dies in Sept.
1658. He is succeeded by
his son Richard.
 Richard resigns in May
1659 and the army took
power.
 General Monk moves to
restore the monarchy.
 Charles II (r. 1660-1685)
returns to power from
France
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King Charles II