Transcript Crisis and Absolutism in Europe

Chapter 7
 Conflict between Catholics and Protestants was at the
heart of the French Wars of Religion.
 1560- Both Catholicism and Calvinism had become
very militant religions.
 Converts and destroying the oppositions authority
were at the base of the conflicts between the two forms
of Christianity.
 French kings persecuted protestants but were unable
to stop the spread of Protestantism.
 Huguenots were French Protestants that were
influenced by John Calvin.
 Huguenots only made up a small percentage of the
French Population but 50% of the nobility was
Huguenot.
 The House of Bourbon, next in line for the French
throne, were all Huguenots.
 This large majority of Huguenot nobles made
Protestants in France a large political threat to the
Crown in France.
 Catholics vs. Protestants
 Monarch was Catholic and persecuted Protestants
 Growing number of the French population did not like
the growing power of the French Monarch.
 Many towns and Provinces were willing to assist the
Protestants against the Monarchy.
 Since so many nobles were Huguenots, it created an
important base of opposition for the king.
 Political leader of the
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
Huguenots
Member of the House of
Bourbon
Became King Henry IV
Converted to
Catholicism when
crowned king in 1594
Fighting stopped in
France
 Henry IV issued the
Edict of Nantes in 1598
 The edict recognized
Catholicism as the
official religion in
France.
 Also gave the Huguenots
right to worship and
enjoy political privileges.
 Son of Charles V
 Reign of King Philip II
1556 to 1598
 Age of Spanish greatness
both politically and
culturally
 Consolidate the lands he
had inherited from his
father.
 Strict conformity to
Catholicism.
 Strong Monarchical
Authority.
 Spain, the Netherlands
and possessions in the
Americas and Italy
 Philip II attempted to
strengthen his control in
the Netherlands by
crushing Calvinism, but
was resisted by a
rebellion led by William
the Silent.
 Philip II had exhausted
Spain’s money on war
and Spain was not eh
Empire everyone had
thought.
 Elizabeth Tudor became
Queen of England in
1558.
 During her reign
England became the
leader of Protestant
nations in Europe.
 This also laid the
foundation for a world
empire.
 Elizabeth solved the religious problem that she
inherited from her half-sister Mary.
 Repealed the laws that favored Catholics.
 A New Act of Supremacy-named Elizabeth “the only
supreme governor” of both church and state.
 The Church of England became Protestant under
Queen Elizabeth.
 Elizabeth feared war
would be devastating for
England and her rule.
 Prevented Spain and
France from becoming
too powerful by
supporting whichever
was the weaker nation.
 Allowed Francis Drake to
raid Spanish ships in the
Caribbean.
 Philip II wanted to invade England for years.
 Overthrow of England would allow him to put
Catholicism back into place in England.
 In 1588, Philip ordered preparations for an armada to
invade England.
 Armada- fleet of warships.
 Spanish ships were defeated by quicker and better
equipped English ships.
 What was left of the Spanish Armada was bounded by
storms of the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. Many
Spanish ships were sunk.