Changes

==Introduction==The Peace of Augsburg (1555) was a peace treaty that sought to end the religious struggle in the German lands and in the Holy Roman Empire in the mid-sixteenth century. The Peace of Augsburg was signed by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, who was a Catholic and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. The treaty was an attempt to end the series of religious wars that had destabilized the Holy Roman Empire, which was the largest political entity in Europe now. It led to the Settlement of Augsburg that sought to prevent Catholics and Protestants from going to war again and to end religious tensions in Germanic lands. The treaty did maintain peace in the Holy Roman Empire but the treaty ultimately failed. This article is concerned with the reasons for the failure of the Peace of Augsburg and why it ultimately led to the Thirty Years Wars. The settlement failed because it did not, admit Calvinist to the terms of the treaty and it failed to define the religious status of the Episcopal states. Most importantly it created a mutually hostile Protestant and a Catholic bloc in Central Europe and this directly led to the Thirty Years War, the most brutal conflict according to some, in European history. [[File: 759px-Carlos V en Mühlberg, by Titian, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Emperor Charles V at the Battle of Mulhberg]]==Background==The Holy Roman Empire was a fragmented collection of largely independent states, of various sizes. The Holy Roman Emperor, who was a member of the House of Hapsburg directly ruled some of the lands but in the rest of the Empire he was only a ‘nominal head of state’<refyoutube> Hale, JR, Reformation Europe (Pelican, London, 1998), p 134<https://ref>. The Hapsburg’s the hereditary rulers of Austria were elected Emperor by the major states in the Empire, as a result it was very de-centralized and a loose federation. It has often been likened to the modern European Union. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the door of the Cathedral in Wittenbenberg. In these, he challenged the authority of the Pope and called for the reform of the Church based on the Bible. This initiated the Reformation in the Holy Roman Empire. The Catholic Church attempted to suppress Luther and he was forced to seek the protection of the ruler of Saxony. The message of Luther and his calls to reform the church was greeted enthusiastically in many parts of Germany. The elite and the urban middle class were tired of the corruption and worldliness of the Church. This led to the establishment of many break-away churches that refused to acknowledge the authority of the Popewww. Many temporal rulers in Germany adopted Protestantism and secularized Church lands and established Protestant Churches in their landyoutube. In 1531, these Protestant rulers came together to form the Schmalkaldic League, which was a military and a political alliance and they worked together to ‘promote and expand Protestantism’<ref> Cameron, Euan. The European Reformation (Second ed.). (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2002), p. 113<com/ref>. Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor and a Catholic and he lost control of much of Germany to the League. He tried to enter negotiations with the Protestant League but these were unsuccessful. The supports of Luther know that Charles was too preoccupied with his wars in Italy and with the Ottoman’s to intervene. It was only after Charles V had defeated the French king could he turn his attention to affairs in Germany. He formed a League that aimed to destroy Protestantism and re-establish religious unity in the Empire. Charles and his army was successful and captured Saxony and won a great victory at the Battle of Milberg. Despite these defeats, the Protestants refused to come to terms and abandon their faith. Charles became aware that it would be impossible to destroy Protestantism. One of the members of his League defected to the Protectants and he helped them to win a minor victory. This persuaded the aged and infirm Charles of the futility of any further war. By the 1550s, Protestantism had been established too firmly within the Empire Central Europe to be ended by arms. Charles V wanted to secure the succession of his son to the throne of Spain and his nephew to the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor and required peace. He decided to ‘come to terms with the Protestants and this led ‘first to an armistice and then to the Treaty of Augsburg’ <ref>Von Friedeburg, Robert. "Cuius Regio, Eius Religio: The Ambivalent Meanings of State Building in Protestant Germany, 1555–1655." In Diversity and Dissent: Negotiating Religious Difference in Central Europe, 1500-1800, edited by Louthan Howard, Cohen Gary B., and Szabo Franz A. J., 73-91. Berghahn Books, 2011 watch?v=Ej7eFLgFzN4</refyoutube>.

==__NOTOC__[[File: 759px-Carlos V en Mühlberg, by Titian, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Emperor Charles V at the Battle of Mulhberg]]The Treaty==Peace of Augsburg (1555) was a peace treaty that sought to end the religious struggle in the German lands and the Holy Roman Empire in the mid-sixteenth century. The Peace of Augsburg was signed by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, who was a Catholic and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. The treaty of Augsburg was an attempt to end the series of religious wars that had destabilized the Holy Roman Empire, which was the largest political entity in Europe at the time.

The Peace of Augsburgtreaty, also called known a the Augsburg Settlement was signed in September 1555 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (the predecessor of Ferdinand I) and the Schmalkaldic League, signed on 25 September 1555 at the imperial city of Augsburg <ref>Elliot, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469–1716. Penguin Books (New York: 2002), p. 208</ref>. It officially ended the religious sought to prevent Catholics and Protestants from going to war again and attempted to establish a end religious settlement tensions and violence in the sprawling German Imperial lands<ref> Hale, p. 134</ref>. The principle of cuius regio, eius religio, was the most important aspect of the treaty. This principle states that the ruler of the realm decided the faith of the people <ref>Von Friedneburg, p 76</ref>. This was to ensure the internal unity of the states within the Holy Roman Empire. If a ruler was Catholic then he could determine that all those who lived briefly did maintain peace in his realm had to be Catholics. Those who did not accept the situation could migrate to a jurisdiction that was Protestant. A Lutheran ruler had the same rights about the religion of his subjects as a Catholic. In the Holy Roman Empire, there were many Ecclesiastical States, such as the city state of Cologne<ref>Hale, p. 117</ref>. These were realms that were ruled by Catholic Bishops or Archbishops. If a prelate changed his faith to Protestantism he was expected to resign and make way for another Catholic bishop<ref>Holborn, Hajo. A History of Modern Germany, The Reformation (Princeton: Princeton University Press), p. 195</ref>. Knights were also exempted from but the requirement of religious uniformity and they could still practice their faith even if it was at odds with that of their ruler. One of the most important aspects of the Treaty was that it only applied to Lutherans and Catholics. Rulers who followed Calvinism and the teachings of the Anabaptists were not recognized. The rights of members of these churches were also not recognized by the Peace and they not accorded parity of esteem with Catholics and Protestants. The treaty sought to ensure a balance of power between Germanys’ Protestant and Catholics and in doing so to ensure peace and an end to sectarian strifeultimately failed. In the near term, it Why did manage to end the war but religious conflict was to persist in many areas. The Peace of Augsburg guaranteed that the House of Hapsburg would continue fail, and how did it lead to be elected the Imperial ruler. However, the Emperor had little or no control of northern Germany the heartland of Lutheranism.Thirty Years Wars?

== Religious tensions==The Peace of Augsburg created a temporary end to hostilities, settlement ultimately failed because it did not resolve admit Calvinist to the terms of the underlying religious tension in Germany treaty, and it was unable to define the religious status of the Episcopal states. Most importantly, it created a mutually hostile Protestant and a Catholic bloc in central Central Europe. There were continued tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Despite This hostility eventually led to the agreement that those who did not share Thirty Years War, the religion of the prince or ruler should conform or leave the realmmost brutal conflict, according to some, in the treaty many did notEuropean history. This meant that there were rival groups  ====Why was the Peace of Catholics and Protestants living near each other in an uneasy peaceAugsburg necessary?====[[File: Lucas Cranach d.Ä. (Werkst. There are many instances of riots and violence between the two groups) - Porträt des Martin Luther (Lutherhaus Wittenberg). The situation jpg|300px|thumb|left|Portrait of Martin Luther]]The Holy Roman Empire was made more complex by the spread a fragmented collection of Calvinism in the latter part largely independent states of the sixteenth centuryvarious sizes. Many Germans were drawn to The Holy Roman Emperor, a member of the teachings House of Hapsburg, directly ruled some of Calvin and his ideas on the ‘elect’ and ‘predestination’. Several German rulers especially lands, but he was only a ‘nominal head of state in Brandenburg and the Rhineland tolerated Calvinistsrest of the Empire. The Calvinists although Protestants were not Lutherans and they ’<ref> Hale, JR, <i>Reformation Europe</i> (Pelican, London, 1998), p 134</ref> The Hapsburg’s hereditary rulers of Austria, were distrusted and even persecuted elected Emperor by Lutheran rulers. Catholics naturally saw them as just another Protestant sect. The rise of Calvinism the major states in Germany was not foreseen by the Peace of AugsburgEmpire. At  As a result, it was a very loose federation. It has often been likened to the time of modern European Union. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the writing door of the treaty they were a small groupCathedral in Wittenberg. By In these, he challenged the 1580s they were a significant minority Pope's authority and their activities helped to increase religious tensions in Germany. By called for the reform of the 1600s several rulers proclaimed themselves Calvinists, such as Church based on the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and Bible. Luther's actions initiated the Elector of Brandenburg. As CalvinistsReformation in the Holy Roman Empire.  The Catholic Church attempted to suppress Luther, they were not covered by and he was forced to seek the principle protection of ‘one the ruler, one faith’, this threw of Saxony. The message of Luther and his calls to reform the entire Peace church was greeted enthusiastically in many parts of Augsburg into doubtGermany. Furthermore, Calvinists because they The elite and the urban middle class were recognized under tired of the Peace corruption and worldliness of Augsburg were in effect unable to secure any tolerance for their faith in the EmpireChurch. This was led to play an important part in the breakdown establishment of many break-away churches that refused to acknowledge the Augsburg Settlement. Indeed, the collapse authority of the Augsburg settlement can be attributed to actions borne out of Calvinists frustrationsPope. The so-called ‘defenestration of Prague’ involved Calvinists attacking Many temporal rulers in Germany adopted Protestantism and secularized Church lands and throwing representatives of the Holy Roman Emperor out a windowestablished Protestant Churches in their land. This was  In 1531, these Protestant rulers came together to trigger form the Thirty Years War that left most of central Europe Schmalkaldic League, a military and a wasteland political alliance, and ‘promote and expand Protestantism.’<ref> Wilson, PeterCameron, Euan. <i>The Thirty Years War: Europe's TragedyEuropean Reformation</i> (Second ed. London: Belknap Pres) (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 20112002), p. 67113</ref>Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor and a Catholic, and he lost control of much of Germany to the League. [[File: Karel Svoboda Defenestrace.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Defenestration of Prague 1618]]==Bishops and Rulers==In He tried to enter negotiations with the Holy Roman EmpireProtestant League, there but these were very many ecclesiastical principalities unsuccessful.  The supporters of Luther knew that Charles was too preoccupied with his wars in Italy and they ranged in size from a small town the Ottoman’s to intervene. Only after Charles V had defeated the French king could he turn his attention to large territories, often containing significant urban centers such as CologneGermany affairs. The Treaty after protracted negotiations had He formed a League that aimed to deal with destroy Protestantism and re-establish religious unity in the issue Empire. Charles and his army were victorious and captured Saxony, and won a great victory at the Battle of ecclesiastics who converted Milberg.  Despite these defeats, the Protestants refused to come to Lutheranismterms and abandon their faith. The Catholic side was concerned Charles became aware that if a bishop or another religious leader converted that his realm it would become Lutheranbe impossible to destroy Protestantism. This had happened during One of his League members defected to the ReformationProtestants, and he helped them win a minor victory. The Head This shift convinced the aged and infirm Charles of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, originally an order futility of warrior-monks any further war.  By the 1550s, Protestantism had converted been established too firmly within the Empire Central Europe to be ended by arms. Charles V wanted to secure his son's succession to Protestantism Spain's throne and as a result all his nephew to the crown of the Prussian territories had become ProtestantHoly Roman Emperor, and this required peace. The Catholics demanded that any bishop or religious leader that had converted He decided to ‘come to terms with the Protestants, which led ‘first to Lutheranism should return his realm as by rights their lands belonged an armistice and then to the Catholic ChurchTreaty of Augsburg.’ <ref>Von Friedeburg, Robert. However"Cuius Regio, Eius Religio: The Ambivalent Meanings of State Building in Protestant Germany, those bishops 1555–1655." <i>In Diversity and others who had converted refused to return their lands Dissent: Negotiating Religious Difference in Central Europe, 1500-1800</i>, edited by Louthan Howard, Cohen Gary B., and became the secular ruler of the former ecclesiastical principalitiesSzabo Franz A. J. This was a source of continuing tension between , 73-91. Berghahn Books, 2011 </ref> ====What did the Protestants and Augsburg Settlement do?====The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Catholics Augsburg Settlement, was signed in September 1555 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and many of the latter believed that the Protestant side had not respected or fully implemented Schmalkaldic League signed on 25 September 1555 at the treaty of imperial city Augsburg. This led to frequent clashes between both members of both confessions over the future of Episcopal principalities<ref>Elliot, J.H. <i>Imperial Spain 1469–1716</i>. For example, in the Cologne War Penguin Books (1583-1588New York: 2002), when p. 208</ref> It officially ended the prince-archbishop became a Protestant it led religious war. It attempted to establish a brutal sectarian war between Catholics and Lutheransreligious settlement in the sprawling German lands. One of the principal causes of the Thirty Years War was the ‘lack of clarity over the status of these episcopal princedoms’<ref> WilsonHale, p. p 67134</ref>. ==Dividing Christendom==The Settlement principle of Augsburg effectively led to <i>cuius regio, eius religio</i>, was the partition most important aspect of Germany into two separate confessional blocs, one Catholic and the other Protestant, even though they all inhabited treaty. This principle states that the Holy Roman Empire. It wanted to establish a balance ruler of the realm decided the faith of power between them to ensure peace in the Empirepeople. The settlement did succeed in establishing <ref>Von Friedneburg, p 76</ref> This was to ensure the states' internal unity within the Holy Roman Empire. If a balance of power in Germany but it ruler was never Catholic, he could determine that all those who lived in his realm had to be Catholics. Those who did not accept the situation could migrate to a stable one and it only lasted so long because the Hapsburgs were distracted elsewherejurisdiction that was Protestant. The Augsburg Treaty  A Lutheran ruler had effectively partitioned not only the Holy Roman Empire but also Christendomsame rights about the religion of his subjects as a Catholic. There were the many Ecclesiastical States in the Holy Roman Empire, such as Cologne's city-state.<ref> Hale, p. 118117</ref>. This was the old concept of These were realms that were ruled by Catholic Bishops or Archbishops. If a common realm that prelate changed his faith to Protestantism, he was Christianexpected to resign and make way for another Catholic bishop. After the Peace <ref>Holborn, Hajo. <i>A History of Augsburg Modern Germany was composed of two separate confessions who did not trust each other and thought each other heretics, The Reformation</i> (Princeton: Princeton University Press), p. They both sought to gain an advantage over 195</ref> Knights were also exempted from the other requirement of religious uniformity, and to increase they could still practice their territory faith even if it were at odds with that of their ruler. One of the expense most critical aspects of the other. The settlement of Augsburg did end a war but Treaty was that it also copper-fastened only applied to Lutherans and Catholics. Rulers who followed Calvinism and the division on teachings of the Empire into a Catholic and a Protestant blocAnabaptists were not recognized. When the balance  The rights of members of power broke down in 1618, these two mutually hostile religions began a war that was unprecedented in its loss churches were also not recognized by the Peace, and they not accorded parity of life esteem with Catholics and destruction<ref>Wilson, p. 656</ref>. ==Conclusion==Protestants. The Peace of Augsburg was intended treaty sought to give Germany ensure a lasting balance of power between Germanys’ Protestants and Catholics and ensure peace and end sectarian strife. It managed to give it a end the war in the near term, but the religious settlement conflict persisted in some parts of Germany. The Peace of Augsburg guaranteed that the House of Hapsburg would prevent future religious warscontinue to be elected the Imperial ruler. The settlement was successful in However, the sense that it did prevent a general religious war in Emperor had little or no control of northern Germany and Central Europe until 1618. However, the settlement reached at Augsburg in 1555 was fundamentally unstable and its failure was almost guaranteed. Those who drafted heartland of Lutheranism. <dh-ad/> ====Did the treaty failed to recognize that the growth Peace of Calvinism would destabilize it and increase sectarian Augsburg end religious tensions in the Empire. Because they were not covered by the terms ?====[[File: Karel Svoboda Defenestrace.jpg |300px|thumb|left|Defenestration of the treaty they often worked against Prague 1618]]The Peace of Augsburg created a temporary end to hostilities; it did not resolve the underlying religious tension in Germany and this was to lead to conflict in Bohemia that triggered the Thirty Years Warcentral Europe. There were continued tensions between Catholics and Protestants. Then Despite the settlement agreement that those who did not resolve share the status religion of episcopal principalities whose bishop had converted to Lutheranism and this was to poison relations between both sides for decades. Perhaps the most significant failure of prince or ruler should conform or leave the settlement was that it created two mutually hostile blocsrealm, and there was no mechanism designed by in the settlement to defuse tensions or to resolve conflictstreaty, many did not. This led to the collapse meant that there were rival groups of the Peace of Augsburg Catholics and the Thirty Years War, one Protestants living near each other in an uneasy peace. There are many instances of riots and violence between the greatest tragedies in Europe’s long historytwo 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.  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> ====Bishops and Rulers====In the Holy Roman Empire, there were very many ecclesiastical principalities. They ranged in size from a small town to large territories, often containing significant urban centers such as Cologne. The Treaty, after protracted negotiations, had to deal with the issue of ecclesiastics who converted to Lutheranism. The Catholic side was concerned that a bishop or another religious leader converted that his realm would become Lutheran. This had happened during the Reformation. The Head of the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, originally an order of warrior-monks, had converted to Protestantism, and as a result, all the Prussian territories had become Protestant. The Catholics demanded that any bishop or religious leader that had converted to Lutheranism should return his realm as by rights their lands belonged to the Catholic Church.  However, those bishops and others who had converted refused to return their lands and became the secular ruler of the former ecclesiastical principalities. This was a source of continuing tension between the Protestants and the Catholics. Many of the latter believed that the Protestant side had not respected or fully implemented Augsburg's treaty. This led to frequent clashes between both members of both confessions over the future of Episcopal principalities. For example, in the Cologne War (1583-1588), when the prince-archbishop became a Protestant, it led to a brutal sectarian war between Catholics and Lutherans. One of the Thirty Years War principal causes was the ‘lack of clarity over the status of these episcopal princedoms.’<ref> Wilson. p 67</ref> ====What did the Peace of Augsburg accomplish?====<div class="portal" style='float:right; width:35%'> ====Related Articles===={{#dpl:category=German History|ordermethod=firstedit|order=descending|count=6}}</div>The Peace of Augsburg led to the partition of Germany into two separate confessional blocs, one Catholic and the other Protestant, even though they all inhabited the Holy Roman Empire. It sought to establish a balance of power between them to ensure peace in the Empire. The settlement did succeed in establishing a balance of power in Germany. Still, it was never a stable one, and it only lasted so long because the Hapsburgs were distracted elsewhere. The Augsburg Treaty had effectively partitioned not only the Holy Roman Empire but also Christendom.<ref> Hale, p. 118</ref>  After Augsburg's Peace, Germany was composed of two separate confessions that did not trust each other and saw each other as heretics. They both sought to gain an advantage over the other and increase their territory at the other's expense. Augsburg's settlement did end a war, but it also copper-fastened the division of the Empire into a Catholic and a Protestant bloc. When the balance of power broke down in 1618, these two mutually hostile religions began a war that was unprecedented in its loss of life and destruction.<ref>Wilson, p. 656</ref> ====Was the Peace of Augsburg successful?====The Peace of Augsburg was intended to give Germany a lasting peace that would prevent future religious wars. The settlement was successful because it did prevent a general religious war in Germany and Central Europe until 1618. However, Augsburg's settlement in 1555 was fundamentally unstable, and its eventual failure was almost guaranteed. Those who drafted the treaty failed to recognize that the growth of Calvinism would destabilize the agreement and increase sectarian tensions in the Empire. Because the terms of the treaty did not cover them, they often worked against it, which led to Bohemia's conflict that triggered the Thirty Years War.  The settlement failed to resolve the episcopal principalities' status whose bishops had converted to Lutheranism, which was to poison relations between both sides for decades. Perhaps the most significant failure of the settlement was that it created two mutually hostile blocs. There was no mechanism designed by the settlement to defuse tensions or resolve conflicts. This led to the collapse of the Peace of Augsburg and the Thirty Years War, one of the greatest tragedies in Europe’s long history. ====References====<references/> {{Contributors}}[[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:German History]] [[Category:16th Century History]] [[Category:European History]]