The Winds of Change
Spain
The Rise of Spain
• In 1556, Charles the V– Holy Roman Emperor– King of Spain– Nephew of Catherine of Aragon
• Turned over power of Spain to his son, Philip II– Husband of Queen Mary of England,
Catherine of Aragon’s daughter
Philip ruled more than Spain
• What else?– American Colonies– Milan– Naples– Franche-Comte (on French eastern border)– Netherlands– Annexed Portugal in 1580 when king died
• Portugal had colonies in Africa, India, and the East Indies (Southeast Asia)
“When Spain moves, the whole world trembles.”
• Spain was by far the wealthiest country
• Spain now had land all over the world
• To protect all this land and wealth, Spain had largest and best equipped army in Europe.
To Show the Wealth & Devotion: a palace and a monastery
The Escorial
The Crusade for Catholicism
• Philip fought the Muslim’s from the Ottoman Empire
• In 1571, Pope called on Catholic’s to battle the powerful Ottoman Empire
• The Spanish and the Venetians took their 200 ships and defeated the 300 ships of the Ottomans in The Battle of Lepanto.
Battle of Lepanto
Philip also fought the Protestants
• Philip tried to expel Protestants from Spain and overthrow Protestant rulers in Europe
• He despised the Dutch (to be seen later)• Also England and Queen Elizabeth, his former
wife’s ½ sister.• Remember
– Mary was daughter of HenryVIII and Catherine of Aragon (a devout Catholic)
– Elizabeth was also daughter of Henry but with Anne Boleyn (a devout Protestant)
Queen Mary I – “Bloody Mary”
Philip and Elizabeth
• Philip hoped that after Mary died in 1558 he could marry Elizabeth and keep England Catholic.
• Elizabeth, the Virgin Queen, never married and returned England to Protestantism
• She even had English sea captains raid Spanish ships
Queen Elizabeth I “The Virgin Queen”
The Decline of Spain
• In 1558 the Spanish Armada LOST to Elizabeth!!
• England grew strong and Spain weakened.
Spain’s Other Enemy: The Dutch Netherlands
Differences
SPAIN• Still lived like Middle-ages
• Feudal System in tact
• Catholicism only
• Failing economy
NETHERLANDS• Post Medieval living
• Busy Cities
• Protestantism growing
• Booming economy
The Dutch Rebel Against Spain
• Philip II sent his sister to govern with goals of stamping out Protestantism (1/3 of pop) and raising taxes.
• In 1566, the Dutch rebelled with riots and Philip sent 20,000 troops to destroy Protestantism in the Netherlands
• From 1568-1578, war b/w Catholic Spain and Protestant Dutch ravaged the Netherlands
Dutch Success
• By 1600, The United Provinces was the one country accepting all faiths, including Judaism
• They established a republic
• Dutch built a trading empire by leading a new economic system; capitalism– Formed Dutch East Indies Co.– System of trade, profit, and investment let to many
other countries adopting it– Became known as “Commercial Revolution”
French Politics
From mid 16th to 17th centuries
A Wimpy Crown
• Henry II, had lost control of Italy after many wars with Spain
• In 1559, Henry II, died
• He had 3 weak sons who each ruled for a time, but really it was their mother, Catherine de Medici
Catherine de Medici
The Bourbons vs. The Guise
• By mid to late 1500’s, Calvinism had spread rapidly in France.
• Approximately 1/6 of French were followers of Calvin (Huguenots)
• Catholics, who had once housed the Pope in France, were furious
• Two families, one Catholic, one Huguenot, had caused 9 civil wars in just over 25 years.
The Family Crests
Catherine Shows Her Violent Side
• Catherine sided with the Guise family– Not for Religious reasons– For Political ones
• For fear she was losing influence over her son, she ordered the assassination of her son’s good friend and royal advisor, Admiral de Coligny, a protestant.
• This lead to the bloodiest day in the civil wars between the Guise and the Bourbons.
St. Bartholomew’s Day
• August 24, 1572
• Catholics murdered about 12,000 Huguenots
Nationalism Rears its Head in France… Again
• After the massacre, France was in a state of civil war for the next 15 years.
• Many French nobles became Huguenots just to further weaken the King
• Philip II of Spain sent troops to help the Guise family and the French thrown
• French people still hated Spain for defeating them in the wars over Italy.
• No Spanish King would choose their ruler!
A Protestant Takes the Thrown
• Catherine de Medici died in 1589 and member of the Bourbon family became King: Henry IV
• Henry had a hard time convincing Catholics of his ability
• In 1593 Henry became
Catholic
“Paris is well worth a mass.”
• The Edict of Nantes (except in Paris)
• Henry then spent the rest of his reign rebuilding France and restoring peace.
• However, he was stabbed to death in 1610 by a Protestant who hated his compromise.
Cardinal Richelieu
• Henry’s 9 yr. old son became king
• Real power was held by the Cardinal
• Two Goals:– Increase Power of
Bourbon Monarchy– Make France
strongest state in Europe
Three Threats to French Power
• Independence of Huguenot cities– Edict of Nantes allowed for fortified cities
• Power of French Nobility– Ordered to removed fortified castles– Intendants, from middle-class, collected taxes
and handed out justice– nobles not needed.
• Armies of the Hapsburgs (Spain & HOR)– France Triumphed
The Early Enlightenment
• Philosophers hated these religious wars and felt the only way to move forward was to find truth by questioning the past.
• Rabelais– Dispised restrictions on human spirit, “Do as you wish”.
• Montaigne– Inventor of the essay.
• Descartes– Credited as first modern philosopher, “I think, therefore I am.”
Religion Divides Germany
The Seeds of War
• Despite Peace of Augsburg, Catholics and Protestants did not trust one another
• Lutherans joined Protestant Union
• Catholics formed Catholic League
Christian Division
• Protestant Flags • Catholic Flag
Ferdinand II
Their King… Ferdinand II was a Hapsburg (nephew to Charles V, and cousin to Philip II) was also HRE
• Three groups did not like him
– Nationalists– Lutherans– Bourbon King of France
The Spark
• A Czech, Protestant mob rioted because their king was foreign and a Catholic
• Ferdinand sent an army to put down the revolt
• Many Protestant princes took the opportunity to challenge the Catholic Emperor
The Thirty Years’ War(1618-48)
Hapsburg Triumphs
1618-1630• Hapsburg’s of Spain and
HOR sent troops• Ferdinand hired
missionary soldiers who were paid by plundering German villages
• 1629– Protestants are greatly weakened
Hapsburg Defeats
1630-1648• Protestants found new
ruler with strong army• Protestant army drove out
the Hapsburg army• Richelieu enters war on
side of Protestants!
Results of War
• German population declined from 20 m to 13.5 m.
• Many died of hunger from villages being burned and plundered, as well as disease.
• Many peasants were forced back into serfdom by marauding armies who destroyed their homes.
• Germany’s economy ruined!!
The Treaty of Westphalia
Five Major Terms:• France took Alsace–
fertile land on Rhine• Sweden took two pieces
of Germany• German princes free from
HRE and can go to war and sign treaties
• Calvinists now equal to Lutherans and Catholics
• Dutch Republic now independent
Long-term consequences: • Germany lost all unity• Holy Roman Empire no
longer held any authority over the 300 states
• Hapsburg states of Austria & Spain declined
• France was now strongest state in Europe
Results of the Wind– Revolution!!
• English Revolution
• American Revolution
• French Revolution
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