RELIGION DIVIDES EUROPE

The Catholic Church Splits Three factors:

Rome’s Split Language Issues Disagreement about religious

ideas The two pieces:

West is Catholic Church East is “Eastern Orthodox”

Martin Luther

Who was Martin Luther?

Born in Germany in 1483.

After surviving a violent storm, he vowed to become a monk.

Lived in the city of Wittenberg.

Died in 1546.

Definitions

ProtestTo express strong

objection

ReformTo improve by correcting errors

Problems in the Church

Corruption

Political Conflicts

Corruption

The Church raised money through practices like simony and selling indulgences.

Advantages of Buying Indulgences

Go Directly to Heaven!

Do not go to Hell! Do not go to Purgatory! Get through Purgatory faster!

Political Conflict

KINGS AND QUEENS POPES

Papal Schism

In 1301, the king tried to tax the French clergy. The pope threatened to excommunicate the king and so was

arrested. He was later released. The next pope, Clement V, moved the headquarters of the

Church from Rome to Avignon in southern France. Many people felt that the French kings controlled the Church.

Rome Avignon

Three Popes!

The next six popes lived in Avignon. Pope Gregory then moved the papacy back to Rome in 1377.

When Gregory died, the French cardinals did not like the new pope in Rome, so they elected a different pope in Avignon.

Later, a Church council elected a third pope.

Calls for Reform

John Wycliffe (1330-1384) Questioned the authority of the

pope

Jan Hus (1370-1415) Criticized the vast wealth of the

Church

Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536) Attacked corruption in the Church

Luther Looks for Reforms

Luther criticized Church practices, like selling indulgences.

He wanted to begin a discussion within the Church about the true path to salvation.

1519 - He nailed his Ninety-Five Theses, or arguments, to the door of Wittenberg cathedral for all to see.

Protestant Teaching:Justification by Faith Alone

The Bible is the only source of truth.

People can read and understand the Bible themselves.

Salvation comes only through faith in Christ.

Luther’s Bible

Excommunication!

Pope Leo X demanded that Luther recant 41 of his Ninety-Five Theses.

Luther was brought before the Diet of Worms.

In January 1521, Luther was excommunicated from the Church.

The Printing Press

Luther’s ideas spread quickly with the help of the printing press.

Luther’s supporters distributed copies of his speeches and essays far and wide.

Millions of people sided with Luther against the Roman Catholic Church.

A New Church

His supporters began to organize a new Christian denomination.

Several German princes supported Luther.

Lutherans and Catholics fought each other.

Fighting over religious principles and political control continues until the mid-17th century

Lutheranism Luther’s followers

disagreed with many of the teachings of the Catholic Church.

They rejected the authority of Church councils and the pope.

Reading the Bible was the only way to learn how to lead a good life.

Luther translated the Bible into

German

The Reformation spread to other countries.

France and Switzerland:

John Calvin preached the idea of “predestination” and that some people had been chosen by God for salvation.

England: King Henry VIII …

Henry VIII

King of England Married to Catherine of Aragon Wants a son but doesn’t get one Asks Pope for a divorce Pope says “No!”

Henry’s Response

Henry breaks England away from Catholic Church

Creates Church of England

Essentially Catholic Church except

Henry is head of Church

Divorces for King are okay!

So, what happened with Henry VIII

Divorces Catherine of Aragon Daughter Mary

Marries Ann Boleyn Elizabeth Beheaded

Jane Seymour Son, Edward VI (a sickly boy) She dies shortly afterward

Anne of Cleves Married 6 months Divorced

Catherine Howard Beheaded

Catherine Parr Outlives Henry

Protest Religions

These and other new religions called “Protestant” and this period in history is the “Reformation” Lutheran Baptist Anabaptist Methodist Church of England/Episcopal

Europe is still divided with a Protestant north and a Catholic South

Martin Luther and Henry VIII were “protesting” against the Catholic Church and reforming their beliefs.

Meanwhile, back in Spain…. Charles the V inherits the

throne of the Low Countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg)

…10 years later, he inherits the throne of Spain when his grandmother (Isabella) dies.

…only 3 years later, his grandfather dies and he inherits the crown of the Holy Roman Empire! (Austria and Hungary)

Spain and the Holy Roman Empire!

Charles V – King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor

Abdicates in 1555…

his son, Philip gets Spain, Naples and all of the colonies.

His brother Ferdinand succeeded as Holy Roman Emperor.

Thanks

dad!

Philip the II

Empire inherited by Philip 1588 – Spanish Armada sent against Elizabeth I of

England (she had refused his proposal AND killed Henry the VIII’s catholic daughter Mary Queen of Scots AND reasserted Protestantism in England)

Armada is destroyed by smaller British fleet and a terrible storm! (Protestant Wind?)

…All that silver…but now we’re broke.

Charles V had left Philip with a huge debt!

Fighting wars and trying to control such a vast territory cost a fortune – literally.

Philip defaulted on loans in 1557, 1560, 1575, and 1596 – lenders did not have the power to force the king to repay his loans.

..Spain's kings would default 6 more times in the next 65 years

30 Years War – 1618 - 1648

Treaty of Westphalia severely weakens power of Holy

Roman Empire…

Germany Remnants of The Holy

Roman Empire

Many Germanic States adopt Lutheranism as official religion around 1530

Warfare against Catholics ends in 1648

German States divided into independent principalities controlled by either the Hapsburgs of Austria or the Kingdom of Prussia

Netherlands

Protestants emphasized individual achievement

Promoted economic enterprise and capitalism

Demonstrate Virtue through thrift and industry

1576 – Netherlands vying for freedom from Spanish controlHelp of Queen Elizabeth (allies with other protestant forces)

1588 – Philip the II – Spanish Armada to invade EnglandDestroyed by English and a storm

Coupled with drying up of mines in new world mid 1600s, Spain sees dramatic decline

The Dutch! Ruled by coalition of businessmen

Commercial capital of Europe: Stock Exchange Banks Textile Industry Shipping Industry Joint Stock Companies –

POWERFUL Power declines after English

Navigation Act of 1651

Russia

Rise of nation-states lead some to fear them (China/Japan) and some to emulate them – Russia

Isolated by geography, religion and culture

Extended to the pacific by 1649

Still Medieval – Serfs bound to land

Peter the Great

Crowned Czar (Tsar) in 1682

1700 Battle of Narva –– 8,000 Swedes crush 40,000 Russians

YIKES! We definitely need to

modernize…

Visits Europe to see how things are done!

Comes home and makes changes!

New Capital – St Petersburg “Europeanized” Russia

Reorganized and trained army

New weapons

Promoted mining and manufacturing

Western education for nobles

No beards for nobility!

Russia! Defeated Swedes and

kept conquering!

Improvements drove deeper wedge between nobility and peasants

No free markets Heavy taxes Conscription Forced labor

1725 Death of Peter the Great