History 240
The
Wars of Religion
Wars of Religion
A series of national and
international conflicts 1560-1600 with important religious dimensions.
Fought over interests of
state, which sometimes coincided with co-religionists and sometimes did not.
The religious angle to
these conflicts added a greater sense of viciousness and brutality to these
conflicts.
Objectives
Identify the different conflicts that comprised the
Wars of Religion.
Understand the causes of the conflict.
Describe the results.
Wars of Religion: Conflicts
Spain and the Ottoman Empire
Spain and the Netherlands
Spain and England
The French Civil Wars
Philip II of Spain (1527-1598)
Richest and most
powerful.
King of Castile, Aragon,
and Naples; Duke of Milan and Burgundy; King Consort to the Queen of England.
Headed the largest army
60-80,000 in 1570.
Imported millions of
ducats but constantly bankrupt.
Many enemies.
Determined to destroy Muslims
and Protestants.
War with the Ottoman Empire 1560s and 70s
Turks controlled Balkan
and Mediterranean ports.
Spanish naval war
unsuccessful in 1560s.
Formed Holy League with
Pope Pius V and Venice in 1571.
Victory at Lepanto tips
balance of power in Mediterranean to Spain.
1572 Pius died and
Venice quit the Holy League.
1574 Turks win battle at
Tunis.
Philip bankrupt and
could not counterattack.
Spanish navy spared by
Turkish war with Persia.
The Revolt in the Netherlands
Spanish rule in
Netherlands handicapped because Philip II considered to be Spanish.
Philip II governed the
Netherlands with a viceroy, like in Spanish American colonies.
Philips persecution of
Calvinists alienated the nobility. Spanish Inquisition was unpopular with
Catholics.
Heresy equated with
treason heirs lose their property.
Changed structure of
Catholics Church at the expense of the local aristocracy.
Opposition to Spanish Rule:
William of Orange (1533-1584)
Nobles petition against
new religious policies.
Protestant rebels attack
Catholic Churches and destroy icons, statues and stained glass.
Philip pursued a vicious
and violent enforcement of his policies.
Rebels in Holland led by
William, Duke of Orange and Louis of Nassau.
Fenando Alvarex de Toledo, Duke of Alba (1507-1582)
Sent in 1566 to suppress
the rebellion.
Embarked on a campaign
of punishment, terror and repression.
Council of Troubles 1567
became Council of Blood.
Abolished many
traditional privileges of nobility.
Excessive taxation and
billeting of Spanish troops.
Netherlands Response
Tax strike.
Thousands of refugees
flee to Germany and England.
1572 Dutch fleet from
England captured towns in Holland.
Albas policies turn a
traditional movement of constitutional resistance by nobility into a patriotic
war against Spain.
Masses strive for
religious toleration, political freedom and social reform.
Rebels aided by foreign
powers.
Invasion of the North
Albas Spanish armies
recapture towns.
Massacres thousands of
inhabitants, even in towns that offered no resistance.
Message was clear:
surrendering to the Spanish was suicide.
Pieter Brughel Massacre of the Innocents
Failure to Suppress the Revolt
Holland saved in 1574 by opening the dikes.
Spanish troops unpaid mutiny and sack Antwerp.
More mutinies in 1576.
16 of 17 provinces unite under William of Orange to
drive out the Spanish.
Change of Policy
Alessandro Farnese, Duke
of Parma replaced Alba in 1578.
Promised to restore all
privileges of Catholic nobility as under Charles V and amnesty to all rebels.
Did not confiscated
property of traitors.
1579 Catholic nobles
ratify agreement and bring 10 of 17 provinces return to Philip II.
1583-1585 Parma
re-conquered all towns in the south.
Union of Utrecht 1579
Provisional government
of 7 northern provinces, led by Orange.
Orange gained support of
France, but Duke of Anjou fails to conquer Antwerp 1583.
Orange assassinated
1584.
Dutch turn to France,
England for assistance and leadership. Elizabeth I refused Crown of Holland.
Treaty of Nonesuch in
1585 England supplies 5,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry.
1590 States General of
the United Provinces declare itself sovereign with no overlord.
Stalemate
Independence of United
Provinces assured.
Parma failed to
reintegrate the North:
Distracted by war with
England;
Protestants from south
emigrated to United Provinces aiding the Dutch economy;
Philip II refuses to
grant religious toleration.
Parma died 1592, no one
of his caliber to replace him.
Spanish mutiny, Philip
II bankrupt.
Philip III agreed to 12
year truce with Dutch in 1609.
The War with England
Despite religious differences, Philip II protected
Elizabeth I.
Mary Queen of Scots expected to form an alliance with
France.
Elizabeth tolerated Catholics.
1568 Mary Queen of Scots overthrown, moves to England,
and is imprisoned.
Change of Spanish Policy
Catholic rebellion 1569 unsuccessful.
Pope excommunicates Elizabeth 1570.
1585 Treaty of Nonesuch with Protestant rebels.
1586 execution of Mary Queen of Scots.
English piracy against Spanish treasure ships.
The Spanish Armada
Invasion of England a
great fleet of ships to pickup Parmas army in the Netherlands.
Unclear war aims
English Catholics did not want a Spanish King.
Armada sailed with 130
ships, fewer than planned English had 197.
Spanish ships lost on
voyage and in skirmishes.
Attempt to retrieve
Parma was a failure harbours not deep enough and English bomb ships.
A great storm blew the Spanish
over the North coast of Scotland to destruction.
Results of the Armada
Two more attempts fail.
Philip II and Spain lose men, ships, money and
prestige.
England gains boost of patriotism and higher standing
in Europe.
French Civil Wars 1562-1601
1550 Calvinist
widespread in south and sw of France.
1-3 million of total 15 million.
A series of weak kings
after 1559.
The last strong king,
Henry II had repressed Protestants.
Francis II, Queen Mary
and his uncles the Guises were ardent opponents of Protestantism.
King of Navarre and his
brother Louis Bourbon were Protestants.
Francis II died and was
succeeded by infant brother, Charles IX.
Catherine of Medici (1519-1589)
Regent for Charles IX.
Guises had too much
power.
Believed policy of
repressing Protestants failed.
Catholics and
Protestants at war 1562.
Edict allows restricted
right of Protestant worship.
Escalation of the War
Guise slaughters 30
Protestants at a prayer meeting.
Protestants rally behind
Louis Bourbon.
Protestant position weakened
by numerical inferiority. Strong only in small towns.
Monarchy weak and
bankrupt, but Protestant cannot win any decisive battles.
Guise assassinated and
Bourbon captured.
Catherine issues Edict
of Pacification 1563.
Renewal of War 1565
Protestants try to seize
the Queen. Bourbon leads troops demanding toleration and expulsion of
Catherines Italian entourage.
Catherine allies with
Guises.
1572 Charles IX orders
murder of Protestant leaders; turns into St Bartholomews day Massacre: 3,000
dead in Paris, 10,000 across France.
Death of Charles IX in
1574; accession of Henry III.
Peace treaty in 1576
restores power to Protestants.
The Catholic League
Ultra Catholics form
Catholic League opposed the King.
Death of Duke of Anjou
in 1584, leaves Henry of Bourbon, King of Navarre, a Protestant next in line to
the throne.
Pope excommunicated
Henry Bourbon; Philip II of Spain aids the Catholic League.
Henry III joins Henry
Bourbon against the League.
Henry III assassinated
in 1590, but names Henry Bourbon his successor.
Henry IV (1553-1610)
Most famous Protestant
Prince.
Not trusted by
Protestants.
War with Catholic League
protracted.
Finances in poor
condition.
Converted to Catholicism
in 1593.
War with Spain
Henry IV won over many Catholics and Pope but not
Catholic League.
Philip II tried to secure French throne for daughter.
Henry declared patriotic war on Spain.
1598 Edict of Nantes grants toleration to Protestants.
Edict of Nantes
Failed to heal religious divisions in France.
Depended on will of the King.
Catholics see as only temporary.
Succession crisis not settled until birth of Henrys
son, future Louis XIII.
Results of the Wars of Religion
Ottoman Empire weakened
in Western Mediterranean.
Power of Spain in the
Netherlands weakened with loss of Northern Provinces and concession to nobles
in the South.
Independence of the
United Provinces, becomes an important Protestant naval power in the 17th
century.
France weakened by Civil
Wars: Protestants weakened but Catholics not satisfied.
Power and prestige of
England enhanced.
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