Transcript Slide 1

French Wars of Religion
• Seemed an unlikely place for
religious war
• Henry II accidentally killed
• Catherine de’ Medici
dominated (1519-89)
French Wars of Religion
• Concerned by
growth of Calvinism,
French kings
persecuted them
•Huguenots came
from all levels of
society
French Wars of Religion
• It is possible that 4050% of the nobility
became Huguenots
• Constituted for
apprx. 10% of
population
French Wars of Religion
• Extreme Catholic party—
known as the ultraCatholics
–Led by Guise family
–Had loyalty of Paris, and
N./N.E. France
–Ironically the Guise family
posed a threat to the
Catholic Valois dynasty
French Wars of Religion
• Wars erupted in 1562:
duke of Guise
massacred peaceful
congregation
• During the 1560s:
Huguenots were too
small a group to
conquer France, but
could not be defeated
either
French Wars of Religion
• “Compromise”: marriage of
reigning Valois king Charles IX’s
sister to Henry of Navarre
(Bourbon ruler of Navarre)
• Many traveled to Paris for
wedding
• Guise family persuaded king & his
mother that Huguenots posed a
threat
French Wars of Religion
• St Bartholomew's Day
Massacre: began early on
August 24, 1572
– King’s guards killed
prominent Huguenot
leaders
– Unleashed wave of
violence
– Lasted about 3 days
– Approx. 3,000
Huguenots dead
French Wars of Religion-War of the 3
Henries
• Current ruler was Henry III
(1574-89), succeeded
brother—Charles IX
• Ultra Catholics wanted to
place Henry duke of Guise
on throne
–Seized Paris (through the
pay of Philip II) & forced
Henry III to make him
chief minister
French Wars of Religion-War of the 3
Henries
• Henry III assassinated duke
of Guise, joined with Henry
Navarre (returned to
Calvinism) who was next in
line to the throne
• Henry III assassinated in
1589
• Henry Navarre claimed
throne (converted back to
Catholicism)
French Wars of Religion
• Edict of Nantes (1598):
–Acknowledged
Catholicism as official
religion of France but,
–Guaranteed Huguenots
right to worship in
selected places
–Huguenots could enjoy
all political privileges
Philip II & Spain
• Philip II ( 1556-98)
– Son of Charles V
– Inherited Spain,
Netherlands,
possessions in Italy &
New World
– Aggressively used the
Inquisition
– Palace: El Escorial
•Demonstrated his
power & faith
Philip II & Spain
• Wanted to make Spain a
dominant power in
Europe
• Importation of silver was
detrimental: spiraling
inflation
–Did not have a true
middle class
Philip II & Spain
• War (especially
after 1580) was
devastating to the
economy
• Philip II in many
ways led to the
decline of Spain
Philip II & Spain
• “Most Catholic king”
**became champion of
Catholicism
throughout Europe
-led to several great
victories (Lepanto
1571), but equally
great defeats
(Elizabeth I)
Revolt in the Netherlands
• One of the richest parts of Philip’s empire
• Netherlands: consisted of 17 provinces
– 7 Northern were largely Germanic in culture and
Dutch speaking
– 10 Southern: French and Flemish speaking, tied
to France
Revolt in the Netherlands
• b/c of location,
Netherlands had many
religious influences:
Lutheranism, Anabaptists,
and Calvinism
• Did not have real political
bond, except common
ruler: Philip II
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Philip wanted to strengthen
his control
• This was opposed by nobles,
towns, etc. who stood to
lose politically
• Resentment intensified
when the Dutch realized the
taxes they paid were used
for Spanish interests
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Religion became a
major catalyst for
revolt:
–Philip II wanted to
reorganize the
structure of the
Dutch Catholic
Church
–Also wanted to crush
heresy
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Violence erupted in 1566:
Calvinists (especially
nobles) destroyed
statues/stained glass
windows in Catholic
churches
• Philip II responded by
sending duke of Alba
with (approximately)
10,000 troops to crush
the rebellion
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Duke of Alba: oppressive—
levied a permanent sales tax,
alienating merchants &
commoners
– They joined with the nobles
and Calvinists, against Spanish
rule
– Duke was removed in 1573
• Council of Troubles:
– Nicknamed by the Dutch as
Council of Blood
– Created reign of terror
Revolt in the Netherlands
• William of Orange emerged
as the resistance leader
• William of Orange wanted to
unify all 17 provinces
– 1576, Pacification of
Ghent: 1.)said that all
provinces would stand
together under W. of O,
2.)respect religious
differences, & 3.)demand
Spanish troops be removed
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Duke of Parma: next
Spanish leader
– Played upon the religious
differences of the
provinces, splitting them
• Union of Arras
– Southern Provinces
– 1579, formed a Catholic
union
– accepted Spanish rule
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Union of Utrecht
– Organized by William of
Orange
– Northern- Dutch speaking
Provinces
– Opposed Spanish rule
– Wanted to organize under
France or Elizabeth I—
neither worked
• Netherlands now divided along
religious, geographical, and
political lines
Revolt in the Netherlands
• Even though Elizabeth
I refused to lead the
N. Provinces, she did
assist them militarily
• Struggle in the Dutch
area continued after
both Philip II and
Elizabeth I had died
Revolt in the Netherlands
• 1609: Twelve Years’ Truce in
the Netherlands
– Virtually recognized the
independence of the N.
provinces
– “United Provinces”
emerged as the Dutch
Republic— Spanish did
not recognize them until
1648
– Southern provinces
remained a Spanish
possession
Elizabeth I
• Daughter of Anne
Boleyn & Henry VIII
• Cleaned up Mary I’s
“mess”
• Catholics were majority
when she took the
crown
–R efused marriage to
Philip II
Elizabeth I
• Queen Mary of Scots
– Had legitimate claim
to the English throne
– Had to flee Scotland
– Lived under house
arrest in England
– Had plots to
assassinate Elizabeth
•Elizabeth I
beheaded her
Elizabeth I
• Spain and England
– Philip II wanted to
invade England
• Elizabeth I was
helping in the Dutch
region
• Elizabeth beheaded
Mary of Scots
• Philip II’s advisers
claimed the people of
England would rise
against their queen
Elizabeth I
• 1588--Spanish fleet ,
battered on numerous
occasions, were forced to
sail north around Scotland
• Defeat of Spanish
Armada ensured
England would be
Protestant
– Psychological blow to
Spaniards
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Often called last of the
“religious wars”
– However, as war
continued it was clear that
dynastic-nationalist
considerations were more
important
• Historians view it as a
struggle b/w the
Bourbons and Hapsburgs
(HRE & Spain)
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Background to the War
– 1.)Since beginning of 16th c.,
France felt “encircled” by
Hapsburgs
– 2.) Spain saw 12 year truce
with Netherlands (1609) as
temporary…wanted to
regain control
– 3.) Austrian Hapsburgs
wished to consolidate their
holdings & eliminate
Protestantism…also H R
Emperors were frustrated by
lack of power
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Beginnings:
– During the early 17th century
Elector Frederick IV (a
Calvinist) formed a league of
German States into the
Protestant Union
• Gained support of Dutch ,
English, and French
– To counteract: a Catholic
League of German States was
formed by Duke Maximilian
• Gained support of Spain &
HRE
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Historians historically have
divided the 30 yrs. War into
4 phases:
– PHASE # 1: Bohemian
phase (1618-25)
•1617: Bohemian Estates
(mostly nobles)
accepted Archduke
Ferdinand as their king
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
– PHASE # 1: Bohemian phase
(1618-25) cont.
• Ferdinand tried to “recatholicize”
Bohemia…making the
Protestant nobility upset
• Protestant nobility rebelled
in 1618
• Rebels deposed Ferdinand,
replaced with Elector
Frederick V
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 1: Bohemian
phase (1618-25) cont.
– Meanwhile, Ferdinand
was elected H R
Emperor
– With the help of the
Catholic League,
imperial forces defeated
Frederick (& the
Bohemians) @ the
Battle of White
Mountain (Nov. 8,
1620)
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
**PHASE # 1: Bohemian
phase (1618-25) cont.
– Spain took advantage of
Frederick’s weakness,
gained western parts of
the Palatinate
– Ferdinand confiscated
Protestant lands, and
Catholicism was the sole
religion
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 2: Danish Phase
(1625-29)
– King Christian IV of Denmark
(a Lutheran) invaded northern
Germany (on behalf of the
Protestant cause & he would
gain lands that would give him
control of the southern
Baltic)
– Imperial forces led by
Albrecht von Wallenstein
– Christian IV soundly defeated
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 2: Danish Phase
(1625-29) cont.
– Christian IV’s defeat meant
end of Danish involvement in
30 yrs. War & Danish
Supremacy in the Baltic
– Ferdinand was at his height of
power
• Issued Edict of Restitution
(1629):prohibited Calvinist
worship, & gave back Catholic
lands that were taken by
Protestants in the last 75 yrs.
• Wallenstein was dismissed
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 3: Swedish Phase
(1630-35)
– Gustavus Adolphus, king
of Sweden, received
financial support from
France
– Motivated by gaining
complete control of the
Baltic Sea & religion ( he
was a Lutheran),
Adolphus brought his
army into northern
Germany
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 3: Swedish
Phase (1630-35) cont.
– Imperial forces recalled
Wallenstein
– @ Battle of Lutzen:
Swedish forces
won…but Adolphus
was killed
– Wallenstein was
assassinated in 1634
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 3: Swedish
Phase (1630-35) cont.
– Imperial forces won
Battle of Nordlingen,
guaranteeing southern
Germany would be
Catholic
– H R Emperor tried to
make peace with the
German princes and
revoked the 1629 Edict
of Restitution
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 4: FrancoSwedish Phase (1635-48)
– By this time religious issues
lost significance, dynastic
powers were more
important
– Catholic French were
supporting Protestant
Swedes against Catholic
Hapsburgs of Germany &
Spain
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• PHASE # 4: Franco-Swedish
Phase (1635-48) cont.
– Most decisive battle: Battle of
Rocroi (1643), France beat
Spain…ending Spanish
military greatness
– War in Germany officially
ended with Peace of
Westphalia (1648)
• War b/w France and Spain
continued until 1659 w/
the Peace of the Pyrenees
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Results of the 30 yrs.
War:
– 1.)Ensured all German
States were free to
determine own religion
– 2.)France gained Western
parts of Germany, now
controlling the FrancoGermanic border (which
will become excellent
military bases in the
future)
Thirty Years’ War (1618-48)
• Results of the 30 yrs. War:
– 3.)Austrian Hapsburgs saw
authority as rulers of
Germany further diminish
– 4.)the more than 300 states
that made up the HRE were
virtually independent,
bringing an end to the HRE
as a political entity
– 5.) made clear that religion
and politics are separate
worlds (pope excluded from
all decisions @ Westphalia