Chapter 14 discusses the Reformations and Religious Wars from 1500 to 1600, highlighting key figures such as Martin Luther and John Calvin, and comparing the German and English reformations. It assesses the societal impacts of the Protestant Reformation, political conflicts, and the roles of women and the elite within this context, as well as the response of the Catholic Church. The chapter also covers the rise of religious violence, including the French Wars of Religion and the Great European Witch Hunt.

1. CHAPTER 14:
REFORMATIONS AND
RELIGIOUS WARS (1500-
1600)
AP European History
Magister Ricard

2. Objectives
 Compare and contrast the German and
English reformations
 Assess how the Protestant Reformation
affected society (nobility, middle class,
peasants)
 Evaluate the effects of Protestant Reformation
on established religious and political
institutions
 Compare and contrast attitudes of Martin
Luther and John Calvin toward political
authority and social orders
 Explain the appeal of Protestantism

3. Objectives
 Compare and contrast the effects of the
Renaissance and Reformation on women
 What was the role of the elite and popular
elements of culture in forming early European
witch hunts?
 Explain how the Roman Catholic Church
defended itself against Protestant Reformation

4. Chapter 14
(1500-1600)
The Early Reformation

5. The Christian Church and the Early
16th Century
 Europeans remained loyal to Roman Catholic
Church at outset of 16th century
 Many were growing more critical of the church
 Criticism focused on clerical immorality, clerical
ignorance, clerical pluralism
 Resentment of clerical privileges and immunities
 Was criticism focused on the religion or the
institution of the religion? What’s the
difference?

6. Martin Luther
 1483-1546
 Dissatisfied with religion, was not feeling a sense
of security over salvation despite being a friar
 Concluded that only simple faith in Christ led to
salvation
 Objected to the sale of “indulgences”
 Ninety-Five Theses argued against indulgences,
undermined Christianity
 He was excommunicated
 Ideas become very popular in politically-charged
Germany

7. Protestant Thought
 Followers of Luther = Protestants
 Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531) was another important
reformer
 Protestant beliefs
 Salvation comes by faith alone
 Religious authority resided in Scripture alone
 Church consisted of whole community of
believers, not just the clergy

8. Protestant Thought
 Transubstantiation – bread and wine literally
became the body and blood of Christ
 Luther disagreed; opted for consubstantiation
– Christ was present (in the host) but the
bread and wine were not transformed
 John Calvin agreed with Luther on
consubstantiation
 Zwingli argued the Eucharist was a
commemoration of the Last Supper

9. Appeal of Protestantism
 Educated people and humanists were
attracted to Luther’s more simplified, personal
vision
 Attracted to Luther’s call for an end of clerical
privileges
 Printing press greatly aided spread of Luther’s
ideas
 Luther and Zwingli worked closely with political
authorities to gain support of Protestantism

10. Radical Reformation
 Some groups began to reject the notion of
uniting church and state
 Sought to create independent communities of
believers and varying interpretations
 Interpretation began to differ and set one
another at odds with each other
 Secular and religious leaders utilize harsh
punishments

11. The German Peasants’ War
 Crops fail in 1523 and 1524
 Swabian peasants demand end to death
taxes, new rents, and noble seizures of land in
1525
 Luther initially backs the peasants’ demands
 When peasants respond with violence, Luther
supports noble responses to crush rebellion
 Lutheranism supports the notion that the state
and church be subordinate to secular rulers

12. The Reformation and Marriage
 Many Protestant reformers married
 Marriage was praised, a good marriage demonstrated
spiritual equality of men and women
 Proper social hierarchy is that the wife is obedient
to her husband’s authority
 Catholics saw marriage as a sacrament
 Protestants saw marriage as a contract – allowing for
divorce
 Protestants condemned prostitution
 What is the impact of Protestantism on the life of
women?

13. Chapter 14
(1500-1600)
The Reformation and German
Politics

14. The Holy Roman Empire:
14th & 15th Centuries
 The Golden Bull of 1356 gave each of the
seven electors virtual sovereignty
 Localism and chronic disorder
 Allowed the nobility to strengthen their territories
 Reduce the authority of the emperor

15. Rise of the Habsburgs
 1477, marriage of Maximilian I (Habsburg) and
Mary of Burgundy
 Unites Austrian Empire with Burgundy and
Netherlands
 Habsburgs become strongest ruling family in Holy
Roman Empire
 Charles V (1500-1558, Habsburg) inherits
Spain, Spanish possessions in Italy, Sicily, and
Sardinia
 1519 Charles V is elected Holy Roman
Emperor, believes it is his duty to maintain

16. Global Empire of Charles V

17. Political Impact of the Protestant
Reformation
 Spiritual and material concerns convince German
princes to accept Protestantism
 Religious wars start in Switzerland and spread
 1530, Charles V calls for Imperial Diet at
Augsburg to try and stop religious division
 Charles rejects Protestant demands, Protestant
princes form a military alliance
 Outside powers begin to get involved in Germany’s
upheaval
 1555 – the Peace of Augsburg
 Charles accepts religious status quo in Germany

18. Chapter 14 (1500-1600)
The Spread of Protestant
Reformation

19. Reformation in England and
Ireland
 The Lollards (followers of Wyclif, driven
underground in the 15th century) survive and
stress the idea of a direct relationship between
the individual and God
 The English humanist William Tyndale prints an
English translation of the New testament (1525)

20. Reformation in England and
Ireland
 1534 – King Henry VIII divorces his wife to
marry Anny Boleyn
 To legitimize this, convinces Parliament to pass
Act of Supremacy making him head of English
(Anglican) Church
 Henry seizes monasteries and redistributes
land to upper class
 Popular (the people) opposition – Pilgrimage
of Grace in 1536

21. Reformation in England and
Ireland
 Strong support for Catholic Church in Ireland
 1536 – Church of Ireland is established
 Fighting breaks out between Irish and English
reformers
 Leads to strong repression of Irish
 Edward VI (r. 1547-1553) succeeds father
Henry and pushes towards Protestantism
 Mary Tudor (r. 1553-1558) swings back to
Catholic

22. Reformation in England and
Ireland
 Elizabeth I (r. 1558-1603), daughter of Henry
VIII, strives for balance between Catholics and
Puritans
 Puritans opted for a purified church, totally free of
Catholic influence
 The Elizabethan Settlement best illustrates her
religious policies

23. Calvinism
 Most important new form of Protestantism
 God is omnipotent and omniscient
 Humans can do NOTHING to save themselves
 Predestination – God decided at the beginning
of time who would be saved and who would
not be

24. Calvinism
 Predestination did not lead to fatalism
 Calvinists were convinced they were among the
saved
 Calvin and government of Geneva regulated
human behavior to create a “godly” city on
earth
 Inspired by Utopia?
 No card playing! No dancing!
 Between 1542-1546, 58 heretics were burned
 The Calling glorified all vocations as pleasing
to God

25. The Church of Scotland
 Scottish nobles supported the Reformation
 Scottish monarchs, King James V and
daughter Mary opposed it
 John Knox, studied in Geneva with John
Calvin
 Helps convince Scottish Parliament to set up
Calvinist church as official state church
 Becomes known as Presbyterianism

26. Reformation in Eastern Europe
 Ethnic factors helped shaped Reformation in
Eastern Europe (instead of political and
economic)
 In Bohemia, ethnic grievances of Czech
majority lead to resentment of Roman Catholic
church
 During Counter-Reformation, Catholic revival
would be promoted in Bohemia

27. Reformation in Eastern Europe
 By 1500, Poland and Lithuania would form
largest state in dynastic union
 King Sigismund I banned Lutheran teachings
 Polish not fond of Germans
 Szlachta (Polish nobility) preferred Calvinism
 Originated in France, not Germany
 Counter-Reformation would cement strength of
Catholicism in Poland

28. Chapter 14
(1500-1600)
The Catholic Reformation

29. The Reformed Papacy
 Despite desire for reform, early 16th century
popes resisted discussion for reform
 Pope Paul III (r. 1534-1549) pushed for reform
 Established Sacred Congregation of the Holy
Office with jurisdiction over Roman Inquisition in
1542
 Influence of Inquisition outside papal territories
was slight, however

30. The Council of Trent
 Reaffirmed equal authority of Scripture and
Church (1545-1563)
 Reaffirms the 7 sacraments and
transubstantiation
 Required bishops to live in their dioceses
 Ended pluralism, simony
 Forbade sale of indulgences
 For a marriage to be legal, vows had to be
exchanged publicly

31. New Religious Orders
 Ursuline nuns fought heresy with religious
education of girls
 (Syncretism from classical world?)
 Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuit Order
 Mission to fight Reformation through education
 Goal was to “help souls”
 Noted for seeing “how at a given juncture change
is more consistent with one’s scope than staying
the course”

32. Ecstasy of St. Teresa

33. Ecstasy of St. Teresa
 Nun, mystic who pushed for reforms of
convents
 Published a mystical experience (1560)
 Poverty, strict enclosure, egalitarian,
obedience
 Discalced

34. Chapter 14
(1500-1600)
Religious Violence

35. French Religious Wars
 In order to raise revenue, Francis I sold public
offices and ended the Concordat of Bologna
 Lutheranism spreads to France in 1518
 Calvin’s Institutes published in 1536
 French Calvinists were called Huguenots
 Weakness of monarchy and religious division
lead to civil war
 Calvinism manifests as iconoclasm

36. French Religious Wars
 St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (8/24/1572)
 Thousands of Protestants killed, sparks 15 year
civil war
 Politiques believe only strong monarch can
restore order
 Henry IV (1589-1610) rises to power
 Converts to Catholicism, issues Edict of Nantes

37. The Netherlands Under Charles
V
 Under Charles V Netherlands remained stable
 In 1560’s, policies of Phillip II (Spain) lead to
rebellion in Netherlands
 Tries to end violence by sending 20,000 troops to
Netherlands under duke of Alva, but only intensifies
conflict
 Netherlands split
 10 southern (Catholic) provinces fall to Habsburg
Spain
 7 northern (Protestant) provinces form Union of
Utrecht in 1581 and declare independence from Spain
 Seek help and protection from outsiders, notably Protestant
England

38. Chapter 14
(1500-1600)
The Great European Witch
Hunt

39. The Great European Witch
Hunt!!
 Witchcraft was seen as a pact made with the devil
 During 16th and 17th centuries, between 40,000-
60,000 people were executed
 75-85% tried were women
 Legal changes were made to facilitate massive
trials
 Most trials began with a single accusation which grew
into numerous accusations
 Thus a “witch-hunt”
 Doubts and skepticism eventually brought trials to
a halt