Changes

The Peace of Augsburg created a temporary end to hostilities; it did not resolve the underlying religious tension in Germany and central Europe. There were continued tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Despite the agreement that those who did not share the religion of the prince or ruler should conform or leave the realm, in the treaty, many did not. This meant that there were rival groups of Catholics and Protestants living near each other in an uneasy peace. There are many instances of riots and violence between the two groups. The situation was made more complex by the spread of Calvinism in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Many Germans were drawn to Calvin's teachings and his ideas on the ‘elect’ and ‘predestination.’ Several German rulers, especially in Brandenburg and the Rhineland, tolerated Calvinists. The Calvinists, although Protestants were not Lutherans and they were distrusted and even persecuted by Lutheran rulers.

The situation was made more complex by the spread of Calvinism in the latter part of the sixteenth century. Many Germans were drawn to Calvin's teachings and his ideas on the ‘elect’ and ‘predestination.’ Several German rulers, especially in Brandenburg and the Rhineland, tolerated Calvinists. The Calvinists, although Protestants were not Lutherans and they were distrusted and even persecuted by Lutheran rulers.  Catholics naturally saw them as just another Protestant sect. The Peace of Augsburg did not foresee the rise of Calvinism in Germany. At the time of the writing of the treaty, they were a small group. By the 1580s, they were a significant minority, and their activities helped increase Germany's religious tensions. By the 1600s, several rulers proclaimed themselves Calvinists, such as the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Elector of Brandenburg. As Calvinists, they were not covered by the principle of ‘one ruler, one faith.’ This threw the entire Peace of Augsburg into doubt.  Furthermore, Calvinists, because they were recognized under the Peace of Augsburg, were in effect unable to secure any tolerance for their faith in the Empire. This was to play an important part in the breakdown of the Augsburg Settlement. Indeed, the collapse of the Augsburg settlement can be attributed to actions borne out of Calvinists' frustrations. The so-called ‘defenestration of Prague’ involved Calvinists attacking and throwing the Holy Roman Emperor's representatives out a window. This was to trigger the Thirty Years War that left most of central Europe a wasteland.<ref> Wilson, Peter, <i>The Thirty Years War: Europe's Tragedy</i>. London: Belknap Press, 2011), p. 67</ref>