Peace of Westphalia

629 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The aftermath of the thirty year war

The signing of the Peace of Westphalia brought an end to the long a bloody Thirty Years War that ravaged Germany for three decades. The treaty was signed in 1648 and it offered a freedom of religion that was not offered in the Peace of Augsburg. This treaty also took power away from the Church and it would never again be allowed to be the dominant power in Europe.2 The German Princes could finally have control over their country without the Catholic Church.3 The problem began with the Peace of Augsburg. The Peace of Augsburg in 1555 granted the princes of each country the choice to decide which religion their territory would choose. The attempt of the Peace of Augsburg was to bring peace and tolerance between Protestants and Catholics. However, the Peace of Augsburg slowly faded into tension for several reasons. The people were unhappy because they did not have the religious freedom given to the Princes. The Rulers were unhappy because many Protestants, meaning those other than Lutheran, were still considered to be heretics.4 Also, the Catholic-counter reformation in Germany began...

Show More
Related

  • Martin Luther And The Protestant Reformation

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    All of Europe used to be united under one religion, Catholicism. Europe started inching away from Catholicism during the 13th - 15th centuries. The church leaders started to only think about money and the power they held, instead of the real reason they were supposed to be there, God. This caused an uprising of people who no longer wanted to be a part of the Catholic church, nicknamed Protestants because they protested the ways of the catholic church. The Protestant Reformation was caused by corruption in the church, Martin Luther and John Calvin’s ideas, and the clergy and their preachings.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Effects Of The Protestant Reformation

    474 Words  | 1 Pages

    There are so many causes from the Protestant Reformation. In the Protestant, there was three different sections that got affected more the the others. When the Protestant Reformation happened it affected the Sociality, Political, and Economic the most.

    Read More

  • Ap World History Dbq Essay

    473 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation in Europe caused conflicts between the Catholics and Protestants, but ultimately ended up in unity. The first religious war was fought between the Schmalkaldic League and Charles V. That war ended up in the Peace of Augsburg, which let each German state choose their leader, and all of the people

    Read More

  • Protestant Reformation Dbq Essay

    598 Words  | 2 Pages

    Social and economic stresses of The Protestant Reformation age were just among few of the things that impacted the ordinary population of Europe. The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, and cultural disorder that divided Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the ordinary population. In northern and central Europe, reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin and Henry VIII challenged papal authority and questioned the Catholic Church’s ability to define Christian practice. In 1555 The Peace of Augsburg allowed for the coexistence of Catholicism and Lutheranism in Germany; and in 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, which ended the Thirty Years’ War. The key ideas of the Reformation, a call to purify the church and a belief that the Bible, should be the sole source of spiritual authority. However, Luther and the other reformers became the first to skillfully use the power of the printing press to give their ideas a wide audience.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Women In Martin Luther's 95 Theses

    676 Words  | 2 Pages

    Political greed and desire for land by the German princes and the education of Free Cities resulted in immense support from vast crowds which allowed for the Protestant Reformation to occur. As did the social developments included in Martin Luther’s, author of the 95 Theses, ideas of women rights, bibles/masses, and availability of literature. This developments resulted in certain groups, genders, and classes converting to Protestantism, which allowed the Protestant Reformation to establish.

    Read More

  • Age of Doubt In Europe in the 16th Century

    887 Words  | 2 Pages

    The wars going on throughout Europe through this era were claiming territories through conquest, marriage alliances, or inheritance agreements on the basis of religious uniformity (429). In the 1540’s Germany’s Charles V set into motion attacks against the German princes who were proponents for Lutheran worship. This failed due to the financial taxing of the war Germany had going on with France as well as the fear that the oppression of the Lutheran prices would be similarly done to the Catholic princes in time. In 1955 the Peace of Augsburg was instituted, stated that where Lutherans ruled, Lutherism would be the religion, and the same for Catholic regions. This treaty, while successful in Germany, would set the standard of division of religion throughout Europe (430–431).

    Read More

  • Reasons That Led Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation

    384 Words  | 1 Pages

    Born in Germany, in 1483, Martin Luther went on to become one of western history’s most significant figure. Luther spent his early life as a priest and a lawyer. He was also the professor of theology. Considering his background it was a total surprise that Luther protested and criticized the catholic church. Even more surprising since he was a priest. However, Martin Luther didn’t want to destroy the church after all he was a priest. He just wanted to reform some of the church’s perceived abuses. There are different reasons that sparked Martin Luther’s protestant reformation, namely. 1) salvation or getting to heaven, was won by faith alone, 2) the selling of indulgences, 3) the bible

    Read More

  • Revolt and Anarchy in Seventeenth Century Europe

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    Beginning very early in the seventeenth century, religious tension was rampant throughout Europe. An example that illustrates the disastrous effects of religious conflicts in Europe that caused a tremendous amount of violence can be seen in the Holy Roman Empire. In 1618, Ferdinand Habsburg a devout Catholic succeeded the crown of the Holy Roman Empire, and set out to unify the empire under the Catholic faith. However, this mission of Ferdinand Habsburg was not accepted by Protestant citizens, which essentially led to the violence to come. In May 1618, a group of Protestant nobles killed two of the king’s catholic officials, which created the spark for Protestants all throughout the Empire to revolt. Instances of religious revolts were reported in Hungary and Bohemia, ultimately creating an exponential effect, and a reason for Protestants to unite and revolt to preserve their faith. This particular historical event later was termed the Defenestration of Prague. However, the violence did not stop there; in fact the violence only multiplied. Religious conflicts continued to occur in Bohemia in the Battle of White Mountain in 1620 in which Frederick V a Calvinist, lost to Fer...

    Read More

  • Essay On Protestant Confessionalization

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the sixteenth and seventeenth the two dominant faiths in Europe was Protestant and the Catholic. Both considered each other's faith as heresy against the true form of practicing Christianity. Therefore both wanted the cease of existence of each other. War would have been inevitable if both sides were able to accept each other and live in a compromised state. However, I don’t believe this would have been possible especially not back then. Since people tend to categorize each other based on different characteristics, in this case its faith. Neither sides would be able to consider each other as equals. The winning of the battles was not based on whose practice of religion is the right way, it was based on who had more weapons or people to fight on their side. In a personal perspective I don’t understand the purpose of the war. The Protestant and the Catholic both come from Christianity. They do have some differences in their rituals and practices however, they are still the same faith. I thought the war was originally because of the Pope or the vatican because the existence of the protestant is a threat to the Papal. Since they don't hold allegion to the Pope. Would it be possible that the Papal is what caused Catholic to be against the Protestant faith so much. I believe the protestant also had people on their side to enforce the hatred such as Calvin toward the

    Read More

  • The Hardships Of The Protestant Reformation And The Catholic Reformation

    1708 Words  | 4 Pages

    Having a religion change, many times, takes a toll on those who follow. This would include the hardships of the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Reformation. Religious tensions were spreading throughout Europe, starting from the Protestant Reformation. Some of those who followed the Catholic church began to question how much was true and how many lies they were told to believe in. Many important Leaders of the Reformation stated their opinions about that Catholic church. These opinions would then be evaluated in the Catholic Reformation, The Council of Trent. Beliefs would be revised and practices would be evaluated. The core beliefs would still be Catholic, thus still different from a protestant beliefs. This led to officials of states

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Martin Luther's Letter To The Christian Nobility Of The German Government

    1319 Words  | 3 Pages

    The political organization and religion aspects during the 16th century influenced Protestant Reformation to occur in Germany. Martin Luther’s writings reflect on his views and perspectives of German politics and religion at the time. Martin Luther’s ideas in the Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation and The Statement of Grievances mentions Martin Luther’s thoughts about how corrupt the church is, why the corruption in the church needs to end, and what Martin Luther’s ideas are to change the way of the church.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Diplomacy on the Rise of the Modern State

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...end the thirty years of war by the treaty of Westphalia that had brought peace for many years and had transformed states structures. It was also used by French diplomats in order to cover the deficit of French economy, diplomatic efforts were made to raise capital overseas through trade to rebuild its economy. This important function will continue to develop in Europe. Furthermore, diplomatic effort was used upon Russia in order to obtain the authorization for American ships to sail in their Black sea, and also to maintain tied relationship with them in order to promote the trade. It also was the ideal element used by Adams to free ships seized by Danish as well as by French and British.

    Read More

  • The Decline of the Holy Roman Empire

    3130 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Treaty of Westphalia.” 1648. TS. Lillian Goldman Law Library, New Haven. The Avalon Project - Documents in Law, History and Diplomacy. Web. 17 Nov. 2015.

    Read More

  • The Reformation and the Church

    1602 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...tholics and Protestants must understand the history and development of the Reformation movement. Only after both sides begin to listen and try to understand one another can they reach out to one another, and then only with the help and grace of God may the Church be united and restored.

    Read More

  • Sovereignty Vs Religion

    499 Words  | 1 Pages

    This was called Peace of Westphalia (1648). The treaty could not restore peace throughout Europe but laid down the foundation of national self determination. The Peace of Westphalia gave rise to the concept of Westphalia Sovereignty. Westphalia Sovereignty is “ The principle of international law that each nation state has sovereignty over its territory and domestic affairs, to the exclusion of all external powers, on the principle of non-interference in another country's domestic affairs, and that each state (no matter how large or small) is equal in international law”. The main principles of this form of sovereignty are: territorial, autonomy and non-intervention.

    Read More

More about Peace of Westphalia

Open Document