The Protestant Reformation

What was the Protestant Reformation? 16th c. split in Catholic Church PROTEST against C.C.; intent to REFORM C.C Germany Leader: Martin Luther

What event marks the beginning of the Protestant Reformation?

1517 – Luther’s 95 Theses

It is legend that Luther nailed the 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenberg.

What were the long-term causes?

DISORDERS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: clerical

immorality clerical ignorance pluralism absenteeism

simony sale of

indulgences Babylonian

Captivity Great Schism

The Passion of Christ & Antichrist (Lucas Cranach the Elder)

Christ washing feet of the disciples People kissing the Pope’s feet

The Passion of Christ & Antichrist (Lucas Cranach the Elder)

Christ driving the userers out of the Temple Pope selling indulgences

What was the immediate cause?

Tetzel’s sale of indulgences

Above: St. Peter’s Basilica – reason for this sale of indulgences.

How did Luther’s ideas appeal to all social classes in Germany?

For all classes: priesthood of all believers Nobility: sought to show independence from

Catholic emperor; opportunity for land/$$ gain from confiscation of Catholic holdings

Middle class: educated group that liked direct access to Scripture … appealed to their intelligence

Peasantry: direct access to Scripture … found biblical support for their demands for better economic/social conditions

Additional factors in the appeal and spread of Lutheranism:

Luther’s powerful language skills, plus:use of vernacular (Bible in German)appeal to German nationalismuse of pictures (illiterate gain access)

printing press

German Peasant’s War of 1525

unhappy peasants – life was never good (remember the 14th c. rebellions?), and it just kept getting worse

Twelve Articles (1525) – document expressing peasant grievances in Swabiamore crop failuresblamed lords for land seizure, unfair rents,

service requirements, and taxes

German Peasant’s War of 1525

peasants found biblical support for their demands and called on Luther for support

Luther flip-flopped:1st: sided w/ peasants – condemned lords for

harsh treatment, though did not affirm biblical support (Bible has nothing to do with material gain on earth, which is what peasants wanted)

2nd: turned against peasants once revolts broke out – did not support rebellion against secular authority … feared disorder

German Peasant’s War of 1525

Outcome: peasants lostsecular authority strengthenedpeasants eventually did see moderate

improvement in economic conditions

Who are the Habsburgs?

major European dynasty, 15th-20th c.

ruled the HRE

How did the Habsburgs rise to power?strategic marriages!

How did the Habsburgs rise to power? Key marriage in 1477 made the

Habsburgs an international power: Maximilian (Habsburg, ruler of Austria, Holy

Roman emperor) + Mary of Burgundy (Netherlands, Luxembourg,

Burgundy)

France was NOT happy (considered Burgundy to be French) centuries of conflict b/t Habsburgs and France

How did the Habsburgs rise to power? Maximilian married off his children to

the children of Ferdinand and Isabella (Spain, southern Italy, New World)

How did the Habsburgs rise to power?

European Holdings of Charles V

Religious Division in the HRE

HRE became religiously divided: Catholics: Emperor Charles V + some rulers Lutherans: some rulers adopted Lutheranism to

exert political power and for financial gain

Fighting began in 1546 – Charles V successful at first … but this worried Catholic France and the pope, who were concerned about growing Habsburg power Hence Catholic France supported Lutheran princes

–political rather than religious reasons

Religious Division in the HRE Peace of Augsburg (1555) – each German leader

chooses Catholicism or Lutheranism for his territory

Map: Religious Situation of Europe, ca. 1560