The Reformation and Religious Wars

Here you can find all of the key people from the Reformation, as well as a breakdown of all of the conflicting religions of the time.

Here you can review all of the people who played a significant role in the development of the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation.

The important concepts at the bottom of the page include: A Comparison of Religions, Queen Elizabeth I,  The Selling of Indulgences, the Treaty of Westphalia, and the Thirty Years' War.

The Reformation and Religious Wars (16th century)

Erasmus

Erasmus is considered the beginning of the ideas that led to the Protestant Reformation. In his most renowned book, "The Praise of Folly," he criticizes the Catholic church for the selling of indulgences, the spending of ridiculous amounts of money, and the corruption that each priest was prone to. Priests at the time were also often uneducated and uninterested in helping the people become closer to God.

Thomas More

An English humanist, Thomas More wrote "Utopia" during his life, which described a perfect society in which all people could live in peace. Later, during the Protestant Reformation, Thomas More came into contact with King Henry VIII who asked him to renounce his religion and to turn to protestantism. More refused and ended up dying for his beliefs.

Martin Luther

Martin Luther is the instigator of the Protestant Reformation. He took the ideas of Erasmus, and, with anger at the many faults in the Catholic Church, developed his "Ninety-five Theses" and nailed them to the door of a church. People immediately followed Luther, as the selling of indulgences and lack of education in priests angered them as well. Luther was excommunicated by Charles V later on as the Protestant Reformation continued.

Pope Paul X

Charles V

Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor. As a cousin of Catherine Parr, he convinced the Pop

​Catherine de Medici

​Henry IV of France

After converting to Catholicism to make peace with the French people, Henry IV ended Spanish interference in France. In terms of religion, he passed the Edict of Nantes in 1598 which granted religious rights only to the Huguenots.

Henry VIII of England

As the king of England, King Henry VIII found himself in need of an heir to the throne. So when his first wife, Catherine Parr, was unable to give him a son, he requested an annulment from the pope. The pope refused, and in response, King Henry VIII decided to create a new church and name himself as the head. He was then able to grant himself the divorce that he desired, but he had betrayed the Catholic church by creating the Church of England (which practiced Anglicanism).

​Mary I of England

Otherwise known as Mary Tudor, Mary I was the first child of King Henry VIII, but he did not consider her his true child because she was not male. After her brother Edward VI died on the throne, she rose to power. Mary was the daughter was raised by a devout Catholic mother and as a devout Catholic herself, she murdered about three-hundred Protestants and was given the nickname "Bloody Mary." When she died, the throne was passed to her half-sister, Elizabeth I.

​Elizabeth I of England

As the daughter of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Elizabeth I was in line for the crown after her siblings Edward VI and Mary I died. The religious turmoil in England led her to rule without a specified religion and she worked to restore peace between the Anglicans, the Catholics, and the Protestants. Elizabeth I never married and was nicknamed "The Virgin Queen" because she had no children. Because of her, England remained a peaceful country for about forty-four years.

​Philip II of Spain

Anne Boleyn

Catherine Parr

​Edward VI

The only legitimate son of King Henry VIII. Unfortunately, he died only six years after taking the throne and the monarchy was passed to Mary I of England. He did get to see the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, but he made no significant decisions and took no significant actions during that time.

Thomas Cranmer

​John Huss

He wanted to eliminate the monetary corruption in the clergy and believed that the Bible was the highest source of authority rather than the pope. His followers, called the Hussites, were suppressed by the Holy Roman Empire, led at the time by Charles V.

Ignatius of Loyola

Important Concepts

A Comparison of Religions

Queen Elizabeth I

The Selling of Indulgences

Treaty of Westphalia

Thirty Years' War

Further Review

This video was done by Tom Richey, who teaches AP European History. He posts videos constantly and has a full website dedicated to reviewing for the exam where post videos about all of the sections. To go to his website, you can press the button below. If not, you can watch the Scientific Revolution video below.