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[[File: 759px-Carlos V en Mühlberg, by Titian, from Prado in Google Earth.jpg|200px300px|thumb|left|Emperor Charles V at the Battle of Mulhberg]]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, 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 treat, also known a the Settlement of Augsburg sought to prevent Catholics and Protestants from going to war again and to end religious tensions and violence in the Imperial lands.

The treaty , also known a the Settlement of Augsburg, sought to prevent Catholics and Protestants from going to war again and to end religious tensions and violence in the Imperial lands. The treaty briefly did maintain peace in the Holy Roman Empire , but the treaty ultimately failed. This article is concerned with the reasons for the failure of Why did the Peace of Augsburg fail and why how did it ultimately led lead 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. ?

===Background===[[File: Lucas Cranach d.Ä. (Werkst.) - Porträt des Martin Luther (Lutherhaus Wittenberg).jpg|200px|thumb|left|Portrait of Martin Luther]]The Holy Roman Empire was a fragmented collection of largely independent statessettlement ultimately failed because it did not, of various sizes. The Holy Roman Emperor, who was a member of admit Calvinist to the House of Hapsburg directly ruled some terms of the lands but in the rest of the Empire, he treaty and it was only a ‘nominal head of state’<ref> Hale, JR, Reformation Europe (Pelican, London, 1998), p 134</ref>. The Hapsburg’s unable to define the hereditary rulers religious status of Austria were elected Emperor by the major Episcopal states in the Empire. Most importantly, as it created a result, it was mutually hostile Protestant and a very loose federationCatholic bloc in Central Europe. It has often been likened This hostility eventually led to the modern European Union. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on Thirty Years War, the door of the Cathedral in Wittenbenberg. In thesemost brutal conflict according to some, 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 EmpireEuropean history.

The Catholic Church attempted to suppress Luther and he ====Why was forced to seek the protection Peace of the ruler of SaxonyAugsburg necessary?====[[File: Lucas Cranach d.Ä. (Werkst.) - Porträt des Martin Luther (Lutherhaus Wittenberg). The message jpg|300px|thumb|left|Portrait of Martin Luther and his calls to reform the church ]]The Holy Roman Empire was greeted enthusiastically in many parts a fragmented collection of largely independent states, of Germanyvarious sizes. The elite and the urban middle class were tired Holy Roman Emperor, who was a member of the corruption and worldliness House of the Church. This led to the establishment of many break-away churches that refused to acknowledge the authority Hapsburg directly ruled some of the Pope. Many temporal rulers in Germany adopted Protestantism and secularized Church lands and established Protestant Churches , but in their land. In 1531, these Protestant rulers came together to form the Schmalkaldic Leaguerest of the Empire, which he was only a military and a political alliance and they worked together to ‘promote and expand Protestantism’‘nominal head of state.’<ref> CameronHale, JR, Euan. The European <i>Reformation Europe</i> (Second ed.). (OxfordPelican, Oxford University PressLondon, 20021998), p. 113134</ref>. Charles V was The Hapsburg’s the Holy Roman Emperor and a Catholic and he lost control of much hereditary rulers of Germany to the League. He tried to enter negotiations with the Protestant League but these Austria 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 elected Emperor by 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 major states in the Empire. Charles and his army was successful and captured Saxony and won a great victory at the Battle of Milberg.

Despite these defeatsAs a result, the Protestants refused to come to terms and abandon their faith. Charles became aware that it would be impossible to destroy Protestantismwas a very loose federation. One of the members of his League defected It has often been likened to the Protectants and he helped them to win a minor victorymodern European Union. This persuaded In 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the aged and infirm Charles door of the futility of any further warCathedral in Wittenberg. By the 1550sIn these, Protestantism had been established too firmly within he challenged the Empire Central Europe to be ended by arms. Charles V wanted to secure the succession authority of his son to the throne of Spain Pope and his nephew to called for the crown reform of the Holy Roman Emperor and this required peaceChurch based on the Bible. He decided to ‘come to terms with Luther's actions initiated the Protestants and this led ‘first to an armistice and then to Reformation in 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 </ref>Holy Roman Empire.

===The Treaty===The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement Catholic Church attempted to suppress Luther and he was signed in September 1555 by Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and forced to seek the Schmalkaldic League, signed on 25 September 1555 at protection of the imperial city ruler of Augsburg <ref>Elliot, JSaxony.H. Imperial Spain 1469–1716. Penguin Books (New York: 2002), p. 208</ref>. It officially ended the religious war The message of Luther and attempted his calls to establish a religious settlement in reform the sprawling German lands<ref> Hale, p. 134</ref>. The principle of cuius regio, eius religio, church was the most important aspect greeted enthusiastically in many parts of the treatyGermany. This principle states that The elite and the ruler urban middle class were tired of the realm decided the faith corruption and worldliness of the people <ref>Von Friedneburg, p 76</ref>Church. This was led to ensure the internal unity establishment of many break-away churches that refused to acknowledge the states within authority of the Holy Roman EmpirePope. If a ruler was Catholic then he could determine that all those who lived Many temporal rulers in his realm had to be Catholics. Those who did not accept the situation could migrate to a jurisdiction that was Germany adopted Protestantism and secularized Church lands and established ProtestantChurches in their land.

A Lutheran ruler had the same rights about the religion of his subjects as a Catholic. In the Holy Roman Empire1531, there were many Ecclesiastical States, such as these Protestant rulers came together to form the city state of Cologne<ref>HaleSchmalkaldic League, p. 117</ref>. These were realms that were ruled by Catholic Bishops or Archbishops. If which was a military and a prelate changed his faith political alliance and they worked together to ‘promote and expand Protestantism he was expected to resign and make way for another Catholic bishop.’<ref>HolbornCameron, HajoEuan. A History of Modern Germany, <i>The European Reformation </i> (Second ed.) (Princeton: Princeton Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2002), p. 195113</ref>. Knights were also exempted from Charles V was the requirement of religious uniformity Holy Roman Emperor and a Catholic and they could still practice their faith even if it was at odds with that he lost control of their ruler. One much of Germany to the most important aspects of the Treaty was that it only applied League. He tried to Lutherans and Catholics. Rulers who followed Calvinism and the teachings of enter negotiations with the Anabaptists Protestant League but these were not recognizedunsuccessful.

The rights supporters of members of these churches were also not recognized by the Peace and they not accorded parity of esteem Luther knew that Charles was too preoccupied with Catholics and Protestants. The treaty sought to ensure a balance of power between Germanys’ Protestant and Catholics and his wars in doing so to ensure peace Italy and an end the Ottoman’s to sectarian strifeintervene. In the near term, it did manage to end the war but It was only after Charles V had defeated the religious conflict was French king could he turn his attention to persist affairs in many areasGermany. The Peace of Augsburg guaranteed He formed a League that the House of Hapsburg would continue aimed to be elected destroy Protestantism and re-establish religious unity in the Imperial rulerEmpire. However, the Emperor had little or no control of northern Germany Charles and his army were victorious and captured Saxony and won a great victory at the heartland Battle of LutheranismMilberg.

===Religious tensions===[[File: Karel Svoboda Defenestrace.jpg |200px|thumb|left|Defenestration of Prague 1618]]The Peace of Augsburg created a temporary end to hostilitiesDespite these defeats, it did not resolve the underlying religious tension in Germany Protestants refused to come to terms and in central Europeabandon their faith. There were continued tensions between Catholics and ProtestantsCharles became aware that it would be impossible to destroy Protestantism. Despite One of the agreement that those who did not share the religion members of his League defected to the prince or ruler should conform or leave the realmProtestants, in the treaty many did notand he helped them to win a minor victory. This meant that there were rival groups of Catholics shift convinced the aged and Protestants living near each other in an uneasy peace. There are many instances infirm Charles 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 the teachings futility of Calvin 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 rulersany further war.

Catholics naturally saw them as just another Protestant sect. The rise of Calvinism in Germany was not foreseen by the Peace of Augsburg. 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 to increase religious tensions in Germany. By the 1600s several rulers proclaimed themselves Calvinists1550s, such as Protestantism had been established too firmly within the Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and the Elector of Brandenburg. As Calvinists, they were not covered Empire Central Europe to be ended by the principle of ‘one ruler, one faith’, this threw the entire Peace of Augsburg into doubtarms. Furthermore, Calvinists because they were recognized under the Peace of Augsburg were in effect unable Charles V wanted to secure any tolerance for their faith in the Empire. This was succession of his son to play an important part in the breakdown of the Augsburg Settlement. Indeed, the collapse throne of Spain and his nephew to the Augsburg settlement can be attributed to actions borne out of Calvinists frustrations. The so-called ‘defenestration of Prague’ involved Calvinists attacking and throwing representatives crown of the Holy Roman Emperor out a windowand this required peace. This was He decided to ‘come to trigger terms with the Thirty Years War that left most Protestants and this led ‘first to an armistice and then to the Treaty of central Europe a wastelandAugsburg.’ <ref> WilsonVon Friedeburg, Robert. "Cuius Regio, PeterEius Religio: The Ambivalent Meanings of State Building in Protestant Germany, 1555–1655." <i>The Thirty Years WarIn Diversity and Dissent: Negotiating Religious Difference in Central Europe's Tragedy, 1500-1800</i>, edited by Louthan Howard, Cohen Gary B. London: Belknap Pres, 2011)and Szabo Franz A. J., p73-91. 67Berghahn Books, 2011 </ref>

===Bishops and Rulers=What did the Augsburg Settlement do?====In The Peace of Augsburg, also called the Augsburg Settlement was signed in September 1555 by Charles V, Holy Roman EmpireEmperor, there were very many ecclesiastical principalities and they ranged in size from a small town to large territoriesthe Schmalkaldic League, often containing significant urban centers such as Cologne. The Treaty after protracted negotiations had to deal with signed on 25 September 1555 at the issue imperial city of ecclesiastics who converted to LutheranismAugsburg.<ref>Elliot, J.H. The Catholic side was concerned that if a bishop or another religious leader converted that his realm would become Lutheran<i>Imperial Spain 1469–1716</i>. This had happened during the ReformationPenguin Books (New York: 2002), p. The Head of 208</ref> It officially ended the Teutonic Knights in Prussia, originally an order of warrior-monks had converted religious war and attempted to Protestantism and as establish a result all religious settlement in the Prussian territories had become Protestantsprawling German lands.<ref> Hale, p. 134</ref> 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. Howeverprinciple of <i>cuius regio, eius religio</i>, those bishops and others who had converted refused to return their lands and became was the secular ruler most important aspect of the former ecclesiastical principalitiestreaty. This was a source principle states that the ruler of continuing tension between the Protestants and realm decided the Catholics and many faith of the latter believed that the Protestant side had not respected or fully implemented the treaty of Augsburgpeople. <ref>Von Friedneburg, p 76</ref> This led was to frequent clashes between both members ensure the internal unity of both confessions over the future of Episcopal principalitiesstates within the Holy Roman Empire. For exampleIf a ruler was Catholic, then he could determine that all those who lived in the Cologne War (1583-1588), when the prince-archbishop became a Protestant it led his realm had to a brutal sectarian war between be Catholics and Lutherans. One of Those who did not accept the principal causes of the Thirty Years War situation could migrate to a jurisdiction that was the ‘lack of clarity over the status of these episcopal princedoms.’<ref> WilsonProtestant. p 67</ref>

===Dividing Christendom===The Settlement of Augsburg effectively led to A Lutheran ruler had the same rights about the partition religion of Germany into two separate confessional blocs, one his subjects as a Catholic and the other Protestant, even though they all inhabited . In the Holy Roman Empire. It wanted to establish a balance of power between them to ensure peace in , there were the many Ecclesiastical States, such as the Empire. The settlement did succeed in establishing a balance city-state of power in Germany but it was never a stable one and it only lasted so long because the Hapsburgs were distracted elsewhereCologne. The Augsburg Treaty had effectively partitioned not only the Holy Roman Empire but also Christendom<ref> Hale, p. 118117</ref>These were realms that were ruled by Catholic Bishops or Archbishops. This was the old concept of 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 was at the expense odds with that of the othertheir ruler. The settlement One of Augsburg did end a war but it also copper-fastened the division on most critical aspects of the Empire into a Catholic Treaty was that it only applied to Lutherans and a Protestant blocCatholics. When Rulers who followed Calvinism and the balance teachings of power broke down in 1618, these two mutually hostile religions began a war that was unprecedented in its loss of life and destructionthe Anabaptists were not recognized.<ref>Wilson, p. 656</ref>

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 ensure peace and an end to sectarian strife. In the near term, it did manage to end the war, but the religious conflict persisted in some parts of Germany. The Peace of Augsburg guaranteed that the House of Hapsburg would continue to be elected the Imperial ruler. However, the Emperor had little or no control of northern Germany, the heartland of Lutheranism. <dh-ad/> ===Conclusion=Did the Peace of Augsburg end religious tensions?====[[File: Karel Svoboda Defenestrace.jpg |300px|thumb|left|Defenestration of Prague 1618]]The Peace of Augsburg created a temporary end to hostilities, it did not resolve the underlying religious tension in Germany and in 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 the teachings of Calvin 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 rise of Calvinism in Germany was not foreseen by the Peace of Augsburg . 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 to increase religious tensions in Germany. 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 representatives of the Holy Roman Emperor out a window. This was intended to give 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 and 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 if 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 and many of the latter believed that the Protestant side had not respected or fully implemented the treaty of Augsburg. 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 principal causes of the Thirty Years War 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 lasting balance of power between them to ensure peace in the Empire. The settlement did succeed in establishing a balance of power in Germany but 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 the Peace of Augsburg, Germany was composed of two separate confessions who did not trust each other and saw each other heretics. They both sought to gain an advantage over the other and to increase their territory at the expense of the other. The settlement of Augsburg did end a war but it also copper-fastened the division on 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 it Germany a religious settlement lasting peace that would prevent future religious wars. The settlement was successful in the sense that it did prevent a general religious war in Germany and Central Europe until 1618. However, the settlement reached at Augsburg 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 it the agreement and increase sectarian tensions in the Empire. Because they were not covered by the terms of the treaty they often worked against it and this was to lead to conflict in Bohemia that triggered the Thirty Years War. Then the  The settlement did not failed to resolve the status of the episcopal principalities whose bishop bishops had converted to Lutheranism and this 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, and there was no mechanism designed by the settlement to defuse tensions or to 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.{{Mediawiki:AmNative}} ====References====<references/> {{Contributors}}[[Category:Wikis]] [[Category:German History]] [[Category:16th Century History]] [[Category:European History]]