CHAPTER 18.1 EUROPE IN CRISIS • French Wars of Religion: A series of conflicts centered on religion in which Catholic French kings French persecuted Protestants across the country Wars of • Huguenots: French Protestants influenced by John Calvin Religion – ~50% of the nobility were Huguenots; political threat to the king • Battles between Catholics and Huguenots raged for 30 years – Huguenot leader, Henry, became King Henry IV of France • Henry IV converted to Catholicism and issued the Edict of Nantes • Edict of Nantes: Recognized Catholicism as France’s official religion but allowed Huguenots to worship and hold office; appeased both sides Take 45 seconds and discuss with your table partner: Based on just this bottom half, what do you think is happening in this painting? And now? Queen of France, Catherine de Medici Dead Protestants • King Philip II ruled over Spain, supported Spain’s militant Catholicism Militant • Philip II ushered in a Spanish golden age Catholicism – Strict Catholic society; powerful navy • ~1500 CE, Spanish Catholics reconquered parts of Iberia controlled by Muslims – Muslims forced to convert or be exiled; Jews expelled • Philip II saw Spain as God’s chosen nation; warred with heretics (one who does not conform to established religious doctrine) – Formed Holy League to battle Muslim Turks 1581 CE 1598 CE Resistance • Philip II’s empire included Netherlands (Spanish Netherlands) from the • Philip II tried tightening control of Netherlands the region; led to resentment, opposition – Philip sent 10,000 troops to crush Calvinism – Faced heavy resistance from Dutch provinces in the north • Philip II eventually settled a truce; northern provinces became Dutch Republic Protestantism Elizabeth Tudor in England • Became Queen of England 1558 CE – Quickly solved the religious problem she inherited from her sister Mary – Elizabeth repealed laws favoring Catholics • Ruled as a moderate Protestant • Moderate in foreign policy – Balanced power between Spain, France Defeat of the • Philip II sent an armada (fleet of warships) to invade England Spanish – Success = overthrow of Protestantism Armada • Armada was not as powerful as planned – Planned invasion faced numerous setbacks; ultimately a massive failure – Storms, poor navigation destroyed many ships • By the end of Philip’s reign, Spain was bankrupt and weak Cannon Boarding Spain range range England Cannon Boarding range range Boarding range https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XrdXiOQTY Witchcraft • 1550-1600 CE: Europe faced societal problems: economic slowdown, plague, Trials famine, various wars, population decline • Belief in magic and witchcraft common in villages • Hunt for heretics extended to witchcraft as people sought answers to societal problems • Under intense torture, many accused “witches” falsely confessed • Witchcraft trials began declining 1650 CE, lasted until ~1750 CE People brought Fear of to trial for witchcraft witchcraft https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Holy_Roman_Empire_1648.svg Speaking about the Holy Roman Empire, Voltaire once said: “It is neither holy, nor is it Roman, nor is it an empire.” • Thirty Years’ War: (1618 – 1648 CE) War that Thirty involved all major European powers except Years’ War England initially started because of religion • Peace of Augsburg recognized Lutheranism but not the quickly spreading Calvinism • Holy Roman Empire Catholics warred with Protestant Calvinists – more nations entered the war for political reasons • Germany plundered and destroyed • Peace of Westphalia ended the war and divided the 300 states of the Holy Roman Empire into independent states; Germany would not unify for 200 more years.