The Wars of Religion

Western Civilization II

The Rise of Nation-StatesMedieval feudalism based on idea of 1 Emperor, 1 religion (“Holy Roman Empire”)

In reality, feudalism highly decentralizedNew monarchies attempting to est. sovereign, centralized nation-statesKing have to take power away from nobles

Methods of centralization:More effective armyCodification & control of lawsAbility to collect taxes effectivelyStrengthening of bureaucracyControl of church

The Catholic – Huguenot Struggle for France

Francis II (1559-60) married to Mary, Queen of Scots (niece of the Duc de Guise)Huguenots led by Louis Bourbon, Prince de Condé, & Admiral de ColignyMassacre at Vassy starts first war (1562-63)Crown’s cooperation with Spanish suppression of Calvinists in Netherlands sparks second war (1567-68)Third war (1568-70) began with Cardinal Lorraine’s plot to capture Condé & Coligny

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, 1572

Henry of Navarre married Margot de ValoisCharles IX (1560-74) allowed Coligny & other Huguenot leaders to be assassinatedHenry of Navarre arrested & forced to convert

Pieter Brueghel,“Massacre of the Innocents”

Henry III (1574-89) & Henry IV1576 - Henry of Navarre escaped; Edict of Beaulieu granted power to Huguenots1584 - Henry of Navarre became heir presumptive

excommunicated by Pope Sixtus VDuc de Guise formed Catholic League

1585 - Henry III outlawed Huguenots1588 - Henry III assassinated Duc de Guise1589 – king allied with Henry of Navarre vs. League; assassinated in July by a monk

Henry IV and the Catholic LeagueHenry IV’s siege of Paris relieved by Spanish Duke of Parma1593 – Estates-General accepted Henry IV after he converts to Catholicism1594 – Edict of Nantes allows toleration of HuguenotsHenry IV & Duke of Sully stabilized France after Wars of Religion

Henry IV Enters Paris, Spring 1594, by Rubens

The 30 Years’ War (1618-1648)War began when Protestant nobles rebelled against Emperor Ferdinand II

Defenestration of Prague (1618)Protestant League defeated at White Mountain (1620) & lost Palatinate (1622)

Danes intervene under Christian IV but routed by Albrecht von Wallenstein (1625-29)Swedes intervene under Gustavus Adolphus (1630) – defeat Wallenstein at Lützen (1632) French ally with Swedes (1635) - crush Spanish at Rocroi (1643), then defeat Bavarians

The Peace of Westphalia (1648)Peace of Westphalia effectively ended Holy Roman EmpireAll German states got to choose denomination (Catholic, Lutheran or Calvinist)Brandenburg-Prussia begins to emerge