APEURO
T(r)opical Project 3 (REQUIRED)
Age of Religious Wars
The explanation of this project has two (admittedly lengthy) parts – one content, one
process. The content part is explained below:
CONTENT: OVERVIEW of the AGE OF RELIGIOUS WARS
From Martin Luther’s death in 1546 until the middle of the seventeenth century, European
life was dominated by religiously and politically inspired violence. France descended into
nearly 50 years of civil war before emerging with a united monarchy under the terms of the
Edict of Nantes in 1598. Spain escaped civil strife and remained firmly Catholic. Spain’s
American empire provided immense wealth, but Spain failed to subdue Protestant
nationalism in the Netherlands and suffered defeat of its Armada naval fleet at the hands of
the English. As a result, Spain’s position in international affairs declined. Unlike the French,
the English managed to avoid civil war under the inspired leadership of Queen Elizabeth I.
In Germany, the original center of the Reformation, Lutherans and Catholics (after some
bloodletting) had come to tolerate each other. But in the early seventeenth century the
temporary compromises collapsed. The resulting free-for-all, known as the Thirty Years’
War (1618–1648), consumed much of Europe’s energies until it was resolved in the
international settlement of Westphalia. After 1648, though the peoples of central Europe
would remain deeply divided, religion would no longer be a primary factor in international
conflict, as it had been since the beginning of the Reformation.
You should have a good basic understanding of the following:
A. Describe the course of the French wars of religion between Catholics and
Calvinists (beginning in 1562 and ending in 1598, Edict of Nantes)
B. Describe the Spanish struggle against Dutch independence in the Netherlands
(between 1549 Pragmatic Sanction and the 1609 treaty with the United Provinces)
C. Describe the struggle between Catholic Spain and Protestant England (focusing
on the events surrounding the attempted invasion of England by the Spanish
Armada in 1588)
D. The Holy Roman Empire, the Thirty Years’ War, and the Treaty of Westphalia (I’ll
present this topic.
The guiding questions for this project:
1. How does _____ (your topic) reflect a consequence of the Reformation?
2. What impact does _____ (your topic) have on late 16th - 17th century development of
European institutions and society?
CONTENT CONTINUED: A short overview of each of these topics……
A. France Wars of Religion (EMMA/KATE/FAIZ)
The Peace of Augsburg recognized Lutheranism as a legal religion in the Holy Roman
Empire in 1555. For the remainder of the 16th century, religious strife centered on the
conflict between Calvinism and Catholicism. Calvinism and Catholicism both were
dogmatic, aggressive, and irreconcilable. Slowly some intellectuals – and a few political
leaders – came to adopt a more skeptical, tolerant view of religion.
The rulers of France repeatedly cracked down on French Calvinists (Huguenots), particularly
in the second half of the 16th century. After the accidental death of King Henry II, the
French monarchy was weak. Meanwhile, although Huguenots made up only a small part of
the population, they included much of the aristocracy. Catherine de Medicis, who exercised
power during the reigns of three of her sons between 1559 and 1589, attempted with only
some success to play Catholics and Huguenots off against each other. Extreme acts of
persecution such as the 1572 St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre (as a result of which
approximately 23,000 Huguenots were killed) prompted Protestant theologians to develop
theories of resistance. In 1593, a few years after taking the French throne, the Bourbon
Huguenot monarch Henry of Navarre renounced his Protestantism in favor of Catholicism;
his 1598 Edict of Nantes sanctioned minority religious rights within Catholic France.
B. Spain Struggle Against the Netherlands (JOHN L/PATRICK/BRYCE)
Philip II, who ruled Spain through most of the second half of the 16th century, controlled
vast territories, many people, and much wealth. For the first 25 years or so of Philip's reign,
his attention was focused on the demographic and economic changes within his kingdom,
defense against the Turks in the Mediterranean, and the annexation of Portugal (which led to
control over Portugal's wealthy colonies). The second half of his reign was overshadowed by
unrest and, eventually, defeat in the Netherlands.
C. England’s Conflict with Spain (JOHN O/TYLER/IRFAN)
Catholic Mary I ruled England for five bloody years. Many Protestants were martyred or
exiled during her reign. She married Spain's Prince Philip. Her half-sister, Elizabeth I,
succeeded her and ruled for most of the second half of the 16th century (r. 1558-1603).
Elizabeth, a brilliant politician, strategist, and diplomat, was probably the most successful
European leader of her time. She steered a middle course between extremes in all areas,
most notably religion, where she created the moderate Anglican Church. She took firm
measures against extremist Puritans (with passage of The Conventicle Act of 1593), against
would-be assassins (she executed Mary Queen of Scots for plotting against her), and against
Spain (the English navy defeated Spain's Armada in 1588).
D. Holy Roman Empire, the Thirty Years War, and Treaty of Westphalia (ME)
Conflict throughout Europe between Lutherans, Catholics, and Calvinists, as well as
Germany's political fragmentation, set the stage for the Thirty Years' War. This devastating
conflict drew in all the major lands of Europe before it was over; it has shaped the map of
Europe up to the present. There were four distinct phases to the war, named after the region
that was most actively involved in fighting at that time: the Bohemian period (1618-1625),
the Danish period (1625-1629), the Swedish period (1630-1635), and the Swedish-French
period (1635-1648). Finally, the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia put an end to hostilities and,
among other provisions, reasserted the right of each ruler to determine the religion in his or
her land.
PROCESS: Here’s the plan
1. Towards the end of the period on Friday (10/8) turn in the research materials you
have found (printout of online material, xerox copies of book material). This can be
RAW data rather than notes, summaries, etc. but you’ll want to bracket or highlight
parts that are particularly germane to your topic. You’ll want to have these materials
back for the weekend.
2. Over the weekend, read your research carefully and begin research notes.
3. Continue research notes on Monday and at the end of the period on Monday
(10/11) turn in written or typed notes/summaries/highlights culled from your
research material. This is PROCESSED data rather than raw data (evidence of your
reading and translating the basic research into your own version).
4. Spend Thursday’s class period (one period rather than block) working with team
members to REFINE your research into a cohesive 10-minute presentation.
5. On Friday, present your topic in class. If we have time, I’ll begin a presentation on
the Holy Roman Empire and the Thirty Years War. If not, I’ll do that on Monday.
Your Topical Project grade will be based on steps 1,2, and 4.