Chapter 13.7 and 15.1: The Wars of Religion

Huguenots

French Calvinists who came from all levels of society. Made up 50% of French nobles.

Bourbon Dynasty

Ruled southern French kingdom of Navarre, stood next to Valois in line of succession. Many were Protestant.

Politique

Leaders who believed in politics before religion, no religious truth is worth war.

Catherine de Medici

Queen of France from the Medici family; ruled as regent for her sons during the French Wars of Religion. Blamed for St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Shifted alliances between Catholics and Huguenots. Wanted stability more than ideology— power > religion

Henry of Navarre

Political leader of the Huguenots and a member of the Bourbon dynasty, succeeded to the throne as Henry IV. He realized that as a Protestant he would never be accepted by Catholic France, so he converted to Catholicism.

Edict of Nantes (1598)

The edict of Henry IV that granted Huguenots (French Protestants) the rights of public worship and religious toleration in France. Ended the French Wars of Religion.

Duka of Alva

A Spanish general sent by Philip II to crush Protestant (mainly Calvinist) rebellion in the Netherlands; led with brutal repression and fear.

Council of Troubles

Nicknamed Council of Blood, A court set up by Alva to punish rebels and heretics in the Netherlands. Thousands were executed or exiled, increasing resistance and fueling the Dutch Revolt.

Phillip II

Beta male Catholic king of Spain (1556-1598) who tried to defend Catholicism across Europe, led the failed Spanish Armada against England, fought the Dutch Revolt, and left Spain bankrupt and declining.

Pacification of Ghent

An agreement between Catholic and Protestant Dutch provinces to unite against Spanish rule, expel Spanish troops, and temporarily suspend religious conflict.

Elizabeth I (1558-1603)

Gigachad Protestant queen of England (1558-1603), last Tudor, politique who balanced religious tensions with moderate reforms.

Act of Uniformity (1559)

Law requiring all English citizens to attend Anglican services and use the Book of Common Prayer — enforced Protestant conformity.

Book of Common Prayer (1549)

Formalized Protestant worship in England, replacing Latin Catholic rituals with English services that emphasized scripture and faith. It helped unify the country under Protestantism while maintaining a familiar appearance to avoid backlash.

39 Articles

Doctrinal statements that defined Anglican belief as Protestant but retained some Catholic traditions; helped stabilize English religion under Elizabeth.

John Knox

A fiery Scottish reformer who brought Calvinism to Scotland and founded Presbyterianism; famous for opposing Catholicism and female monarchs, especially Mary, Queen of Scots.

Spanish Armada

"Invincible" group of ships sent by King Philip II of Spain to invade England in 1588; Armada was defeated by smaller, more maneuverable English "sea dogs" in the Channel; marked the beginning of English naval dominance and fall of Spanish dominance.

Defenestration of Prague

Protestant nobles in Bohemia threw two Catholic officials out a window in response to Habsburg (Ferdinand II) religious oppression. This act sparked the Bohemian Phase of the Thirty Years' War, symbolizing growing resistance to imperial Catholic authority in the Holy Roman Empire.

Albrecht von Wallenstein

A general hired by Emperor Ferdinand II to lead Catholic forces. He crushed Protestant armies during the Danish Phase and became a symbol of militarized absolutism, but was later assassinated by the emperor out of fear he was too powerful.

Edict of Restitution (1629)

Issued by Ferdinand II, it ordered Protestant rulers to return all Catholic lands taken since 1552, reinforcing Catholic dominance. It escalated Protestant fears and resistance, worsening the conflict and prompting further foreign intervention, especially from Sweden.

Gustavus Adolphus

Lutheran king of Sweden who entered the war during the Swedish Phase. Led a successful Protestant offensive before dying in battle in 1632. His involvement helped prevent total Catholic victory and marked a turning point.

Cardinal Richelieu

Chief minister of France who joined the war on the Protestant side during the Franco-Swedish Phase to weaken the rival Habsburgs. Revealed that state interest was now more important than religious unity in foreign policy.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

The treaty ended the Thirty Years' War by recognizing the sovereignty of over 300 German princes and allowing Calvinism as a legal faith. It marked the decline of the Holy Roman Empire, the rise of France as a major power, and the start of the modern state system in Europe.