Anchor Dates: Topic 2 - Reformation and Religious Wars

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key dates, figures, theological ideas, and political settlements of the European Reformation and Wars of Religion (1509–1648).

In Praise of Folly (1509)

A Northern Humanist work written by Erasmus that criticized the Catholic Church and Pope Julius II for lack of true piety; described as having 'laid the egg that Luther hatched.'

Desiderius Erasmus

Northern Humanist who wrote In Praise of Folly in 1509, criticizing Church corruption and Pope Julius II, paving the way for the Protestant Reformation ('Laid the Egg that Luther Hatched').

95 Theses (1517)

Martin Luther's academic protest against Church abuses, specifically the sale of indulgences (promoted by Johann Tetzel), simony, and nepotism.

Sola Fide

The Lutheran doctrine of 'salvation through faith alone,' emphasizing a direct personal relationship with God rather than mediation through the Catholic hierarchy.

Act of Supremacy (1534)

English parliamentary act declaring King Henry VIII the supreme head of the Church of England (Anglican Church) to secure an annulment/divorce, despite previously being named 'Defender of the Faith.'

Book of Common Prayer

The official liturgical book of the Anglican Church established in England following the separation from Rome.

Peace of Augsburg (1555)

A treaty within the Holy Roman Empire establishing the legal principle of 'he who rules determines the religion,' allowing princes to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism.

Division of the Hapsburg Empire (1555)

The partition of the Holy Roman Empire into East and West by Charles V, dividing rule between his son Philip II and brother Ferdinand, splitting the dynasty into Spanish and Austrian branches.

Elizabeth I (r. 1558–1603)

The last Tudor monarch of England whose reign marked a Golden Age (Shakespeare); governed as an unmarried politique supporting religious toleration and defeating the Spanish Armada.

Politique

A ruler who prioritizes the political unity and stability of the state above strict religious uniformity, exemplified by Elizabeth I allowing religious toleration.

Spanish Armada (1588)

The Spanish naval fleet defeated by England under Elizabeth I, a pivotal victory that initiated England's rise as a naval superpower.

Edict of Nantes (1598)

A royal decree that ended the French Wars of Religion by extending religious protection and rights to French Protestants (Huguenots), establishing that one 'can't harm the Protestants in France.'

Henry IV of Navarre

French monarch who brought peace to France by issuing the Edict of Nantes and publicly converting from Protestantism to Catholicism, famously remarking that 'Paris is worth a Mass.'

Defenestration of Prague (1618)

The incident in Bohemia where Protestant nobles threw Catholic regents out of a window, triggering the start of the Thirty Years' War.

Thirty Years' War (1618–1648)

A four-phase European conflict that began over religious divisions in Bohemia and evolved into a primarily political struggle for continental dominance.

Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

The peace settlement that concluded the Thirty Years' War, legally recognizing Calvinism and Lutheranism in the Holy Roman Empire, recognizing Dutch Republic independence, and ending the European wars of religion.