Europe in Crisis: Wars of Religion

French Wars of Religion

• Calvinism & Catholicism militant (combative)
• struggling to attract converts
• 1562-1598
• Huguenots (French Protestants)
• 7% of population, but 50% of nobility

Henry IV

• Henry of Navarre (Protestant) succeeded to throne as Henry IV
• converted to Catholicism
• Edict of Nantes (1598)
• recognized Catholicism as official religion
• Huguenots could worship freely

Philip II & Militant Catholicism

• King Philip II (Spain)
• consolidate power (lands)
• strict adherence to Catholicism & strong monarchical authority
• most populous empire at time of death, but bankrupted country

the England of Elizabeth

• Elizabeth Tudor (1558)
• Act of Supremacy - leader of Protestant nations & laid foundation for world empire
• moderate foreign policy too
• support weaker of two (France & Spain) to benefit the other
• war not a good option for her or England

Defeat of the Spanish armada

• Philip II had long thought about invading England
• thought people would rise up against queen in support of Catholicism
• retreated to Spain after series of losses to English fleet

Peace of Westphalia

• 1648: major European nations ending wars of religion
• gained territories - no regard for territory/borders
• > 300 German states granted independence & could determine own religion

Use a Venn diagram to compare & contrast reigns of Henry of Navarre, Philip II, & Elizabeth Tudor.