Spread of the Reformation
Luther posted his 95 theses in 1517. Barely two years later Ulrich Zwingli began the reformation in Zurich
with ideas similar to Luther’s. In 1520 the city council of Zurich was the first two renounce the authority of
the pope. In 1521 Thomas Muntzer formed a group of Anabaptists in Wittenberg. They disapproved of
infant baptism. They believed that people should be baptized as adults when they are capable of making a
choice about their religion. Babies can’t make a choice. Some people who had been baptized as babies
were re-baptized and this Luther could not tolerate. He had then expelled from Wittenberg. They fled to
southern Germany and Zurich but Zwingli also would not accept them. He arrested and executed some of
their leaders, drowning them in the Limmat River. In the 1700s after the discovery of north America, many
Anabaptists moved to Pennsylvania where they became known as the Amish. In 1533 John Calvin, a
French reformer, was expelled from France. He formed a protestant congregation in Basel and then in
Geneva. Calvinist ideas spread to France (Huguenots), to Scotland (Presbyterians), and to England
(Puritans). Like the Anabaptists, Puritans and pilgrims moved to America to escape religious persecution.
They formed two of the first British colonies in Massachusetts. In England, in 1534, Thomas Cranmer led
the Anglican movement, which of all the protestant groups was the closest to Catholicism in its beliefs and
practices, though Anglican priests were allowed to marry.
The Catholic Church did respond to Luther’s accusations and the spread of Protestantism. In 1545 the pope
called the Council of Trent, a meeting of the heads of the church to reform the church and address the
protestant threat. As a result of this council the Catholic Church reformed the corruption that had been
widespread and changed practices like the selling of indulgences. To protect the church from the threat of
heresy the Spanish inquisition was reintroduced.
Effects of the Reformation on Europe
Spain
During the renaissance Spain became the richest
and most powerful state in Europe. It was the
richest because of its overseas empire in south
America. Columbus’ discovery of south America in
1492. Spain established plantations in south
America using native American and African slave
labor and became wealthy by importing new
products to Europe. In addition, Spanish
conquistadors attacked native American
civilizations such as the Inca and Aztec and
plundered their gold and silver. Spain was the most
powerful state because of its wealth and its
overseas empire but also because of the amount
of territory it controlled in Europe. The Hapsburg
family controlled Spain, parts of Italy, the
Netherlands, Bohemia, Austria and Hungary. The Hapsburg king of Spain, Charles V was also the Holy
Roman Emperor. This title given by the pope also gave the Hapsburgs power over Germany too. In 1500
Spain was the richest and most powerful state in Europe. The reformation led to a decline in the power of
Spain and the balance of power in Europe shifted.
England
England became protestant under Henry VIII. Henry VIII is notorious for having had 6 wives. Henry wanted
to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn. The pope would not
give him a divorce, so Henry VIII declared the church of England independent, made himself the head of
the church and gave himself a divorce. This created the Church of England also known as the Anglican
Church. The queen of England is still the head of the Anglican Church to this day.
When Henry VIII’s son, Edward VI, died the next in line was Mary Stuart, the daughter from his first
marriage to Catherine of Aragon. But she was catholic, and she was married to the Philip of Spain (a
catholic and a Hapsburg!). Edward VI did not want England to become catholic again but he also did not
want Hapsburg power to spread to England. So, he tried to give the throne to Lady Jane Grey. Mary Stuart
fought for her title and became queen. There was much persecution of Protestants during her short 5 year
rule. When she died Elizabeth I (another of Henry VIII’s daughters) who was protestant became queen and
spent most of her rule fighting off Spain. One of the most famous battles in history occurred at this time –
the defeat of the Spanish armada in 1588. Spain attacked England and Elizabeth totally destroyed the
Spanish navy. This was a turning point in the power of Spain. Religious division, persecution and civil war
between Protestants and Catholics in England continued until 1688.
Holland
By 1500 Holland had not become an independent nation state yet; it was still a territory controlled by
Spain (see map on page 1). During the reformation Holland became protestant and in 1568 organized a
league of protestant areas to rebel against Spanish rule. England sided with Holland and after decades of
war Holland achieved independence in 1648.
Wars in Germany
The Spanish king, Charles V, was the Holy Roman
Emperor and thus had a duty to defend the Catholic
church against the spread of Protestantism. In 1529 at
the Diet of Speyer the Emperor upheld the decision he
made at the Diet of Worms: Luther is an outlaw and
must be hunted down; Lutheranism must be stopped.
Princes supporting Luther protested the Emperor’s
actions. This is the first time the term protestant was
used. Charles V poured his wealth and resources into
defeating Protestantism in Germany. Princes who
supported Luther formed a league to fight the catholic
states. In Germany wars between the protestant and
catholic states raged on and off, but one of the most
devastating was the Thirty Years War 1618-1648. This
was the first war to involve most of the states of
Europe, including France, Sweden, Denmark and
Norway on side of German protestants. There was
huge loss of life (as you see in the chart on the right).
France
Since the Hundred Years War France had been under the rule of the Valois family. Catherine d’ Medici
(Duchessina) married the king of France. When he died the three sons were weak rulers and Catherine ran
the show behind the scenes. In 1560 Catherine d’ Medici attacked protestants in France. Civil war erupted
in France over religion and there were 8 wars on and off from 1563 to 1598. These wars ended the rule of
the Valois family. The Guise family in the north were catholic and were fighting against the Bourbon family
who were protestant in the south. One of the most tragic incidents was the St. Bartholomew’s Day
Massacre August 24, 1572 in which 20,000 Huguenots (French Calvinists) were massacred. The Bourbons
won in the end, but the new Bourbon king, Henry IV, realized that France was deeply divided over issues of
religion, so even though he was protestant he became catholic to get the support of Catholics in France. He
declared the Edict of Nantes 1598 to give protection to Huguenots (French protestants). This edict gave
Huguenots civil rights (freedom of religion), but because the majority of France was catholic the
Huguenots suffered religious persecution and in 1685 king Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes.
France was surrounded by Hapsburg power (see image on page 1) and felt threatened so it became
involved in the Thirty Years War. Even though the Bourbons were protestants and had become catholic to
win support from Catholics in France, they fought on the protestant side against Charles V!
The reformation shifted the balance of power in Europe. In
1500 Spain was the richest and most powerful state in Europe
controlling most of the territory of Europe and vast lands in
south America. By the late 1600s Spain had exhausted its
wealth and resources in the wars of religion. There was now
an open door for a new power to rise. In the 1700s the British,
French and Dutch engaged in ruthless competition to emerge
as the most powerful state in Europe.
Spain
Spain
Before the reformation
After the reformation
An end to the wars of religion
Several attempts at a treaty to end the wars of religion failed until European states signed The Peace of
Westphalia in 1648, which:
 Ended the thirty years war in Germany
 Ended the war between Spain and the Netherlands, recognizing the independence of the
Netherlands
 Recognized the sovereignty of states: states had the right to be free from others interfering in their
business; a state’s government has the ultimate authority over a state not the church
 All states should be recognized and treated as equals
Long Term Effects of the Reformation
Greater secularism: there was a clear winner in the power struggle between church and state: the state.
Religion and church were no longer the dominant force. Unfortunately, the institution of the church was
replaced by one even more hungry for power and wealth, the state.
Spirit of democracy – democracy as we know it did not emerge but as people stood up and fought for
what they believed in, the idea of the rights of the people began to emerge. In the late 1700s these seeds
would grow into the spirit of democracy that gave rise to the English, French and American revolutions
which toppled kings and created democratic governments for the first time in history.
Idea of individual freedoms – the seeds of civil rights and freedoms were planted during the reformation
although this did not emerge officially yet. The Peace of Westphalia did not grant religious freedom. Yet,
the seeds of freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of religion had been
planted. These seeds would flower in the enlightenment in the late 1700s.