Consequences

Religious division and wars: The North of Europe had a Protestant majority while countries of the south reamined Catholic. This deepened religious division and led to violent conflicts such as the Thirty Years’ War which ended with the Peace of Westphalia. Europe was now permanently divided into Catholic and Protestant regions.

Political change: The Catholic Church became much weaker after the Reformation. Monarchs became stronger as they were able to choose the religion of the state they ruled. This allowed them to gain independence from the Holy Roman Empire. England’s monachy also became stronger under the Church of England

Social change: Protestants encouraged ordinary people to read the Bible for themselves. This made literacy rates rise, especially in Protestant countries. More schools and universities were founded by both Catholics and Protestants, because each side wanted to educate people and spread their beliefs.