Religious Wars

1. Religious Wars

2. The French Wars of Religion (1562-1598) • French concerned with the spread of Calvinism • Calvinists (called Huguenots) • Come from all classes • Make up 40-50% of nobility • Calvinist nobles threat to monarchy • Extreme Catholic group led by the Guise family • Could pay for and recruit large armies • Supported by the Jesuits and papacy • Towns and provinces resent centralized monarchal power and joined revolt • French Regent Catherine de Medicis persuaded by growing popularity of Calvinism to show lenience • Duke of Guise massacres a group of Huguenots causing an uprising

3. 1576 a peace compromise was reached that allowed Huguenots freedom of worship • Peace is broken in 1584 when Huguenot Henry of Navarre becomes heir to the French throne • War of Three Henrys • Henry of Navarre wins Battle of Coutras • Duke of Guise defeats the Germans fighting for the Huguenots • Guise forces Henry III hand and becomes lietenent general and signed the Edict of Union (no heretic can ascend to the throne) • Henry III has Guise assasinated • Henry the III is killed by an outraged monk • Henry of Navarre is named by Henry III as heir and converts to Catholism

5. Philip II of Spain • Attempted to make Spain a great power • Destroyed the Spanish economy • Left a debt of 36 million ducats • Was seen as the chief defender of Catholic Europe from the protestants • Enforced a strict Catholic code over all regions in his power and strongly resisted the Protestant Reformation • Saw direct intervention against the Huguenots as the only way to save Catholic Europe and fought against Henry of Navarre • He tried to claim the throne for his daughter after Henry III’s death • He had about an equal number of victories and defeats, but viewed the victories “for the Church” as a gain and his greatest achievement

6. Revolt of the Netherlands Spain controlled the 17 provinces of the Netherlands with Philip II as king The provinces were divided, especially religion, the one thing they shared was the tax they paid to Spain Then Philip tried to unify the provinces which took power from the nobles and the provinces Philip tried to conversion to Catholicism, rebellion began To try to end rebellion Philip raised taxes, executed rebelling aristocrats and sent in the military, in response a fully organized revolt began led by William Prince of Orange. The provinces were unified for 3 years under William Religion eventually divided them again

8. England under Elizabeth I • Elizabeth inherited massive religious turmoil from Mary I who had tried to force conversion back to Catholicism • Elizabeth's solution was to establish moderate Protestantism with her as head of church and state but not the title of supreme head so as not to offend Catholics • This moderate form had fewer of the detailed specifics of other branches of the church which enabled people to practice in their own way • her moderate view applied to international affairs she stayed out of alliances with other countries or groups though she secretly ordered men to raid Spanish ships • Philip II was still offended by her minor support of  the Revolt in the Netherlands and declared war • He sent to armada to attack they lost massively