Modern European History I HIS-106

1
Modern European History IHIS-106

• Unit 2 The 15th Century and the Renaissance

2
Catholic Church in the 15th Century

• The Conciliar Movement
• After the Council of Constance (1415), there was
  desire to create general councils to become a
  permanent fixture in the church
• For the next thirty years, a struggle took place
  between the popes and the councils
• The popes were not willing to share power with
  the councils
• This was to prevent any major reforms from
  occurring within the church
• During the 15th century, there was a need for
  major reforms

3
Problems with the Clergy

• The problems with the church began on the lowest
  levels
• Many of the clergy were ignorant and uneducated,
  and some led rather scandalous lives
• Economic Dichotomy
• Wealthy Priests
• High ranks in the clergy were held by either
  nobility or wealthy bourgeoisie
• Led very comfortable lives while not even living
  in their assigned areas
• Poor Priests
• Made up a majority of the clergy
• They did not have enough money to live off of
• Had to take on other positions (i.e. running the
  local tavern)

4
Problems with the Clergy

• Simony
• The buying and selling of church offices
• This meant that church positions would go to
  those who would pay the most money rather than to
  those who earned it
• Technically it was a crime but could not be
  stopped
• Pluralism
• Holding of more than one church office at a time
• Was done in order to boost their incomes
• This led to absenteeism because the clergy could
  not cover the entire areas of the positions they
  held

5
Problems with the Clergy

• Sexual Issues
• There were monks and priests who were unchaste
  and did not follow their vows of celibacy
• With lower clergy, neither the mistresses nor the
  children could not benefit from this relationship
• With upper clergy, many children of these
  relationships were given high positions in the
  church (nepotism)
• Indulgences
• Practice started with Pope Boniface VIII in 1300
• A person could either earn or buy an indulgence
• Comes from the Treasury House of Merit which was
  a collection of all the good deeds the saints
  did
• It would supposedly reduce a persons time in
  purgatory

6
Popular Religion

• These problems with the church led to a rise in
  popular religions
• People wanted a more meaningful religious
  experience than just going to church and leading
  good lives
• They wanted a more certain guarantee of salvation
• One form of popular religion was Modern
  Devotion
• They believed that to guarantee salvation, you
  needed to act like Christ
• This was dangerous to the Church because all the
  people had to do for salvation was read the Bible

7
Popular Religion

• Another form of popular religion was the
  veneration of holy relics
• People began to see their salvation (or a
  reduction of time in purgatory) guaranteed
  through the veneration of holy relics
• There were many instances of false relics
• Erasmus once said that there were enough pieces
  of wood from the so-called true cross of Jesus
  to make an ocean going ship
• Five churches claimed to have the shinbone of the
  donkey that carried Jesus to Jerusalem
• Twelve churches claimed to have the head of John
  the Baptist

8
Renaissance Popes

• Once the struggle with the councils ended, the
  power of the pope enjoyed a period of prosperity
• Many of the popes at the time took on more
  modern outlooks
• Included becoming scholars and patrons of the
  arts
• There was still some corruption in the papacy
• They also had illegitimate children who they
  promoted to positions of power
• Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503) helped elevate his
  sons, including Cesare Borgia, to high political
  and church positions
• Pope Leo X (1513-1521) was a member of the
  powerful de Medici family and was not even a
  priest when he was elected pope

9

• The Renaissance

10
The Renaissance

• While the 14th century was plagued with
  disasters, there was a change for the better
• The Renaissance is a period in European history
  from the 1350-1700
• Renaissance means rebirth
• It marks a shift back towards Greco-Roman
  thinking and begins what many consider the
  modern era
• The Renaissance had its origins in Italy
• It began in the city-states of northern and
  central Italy
• The most influential one was Florence

11
The Renaissance in Italy

• The Italian cities had benefited the most from
  the rise of merchant trade to and from the east
• Businesses flourished especially who traded in
  luxury goods
• This brought a lot of money into the region
• Industry also prospered this time
• Italy was known for more refined trade skills
  such as goldsmithing and stonecarving
• The banking industry also flourished in Italy
• Many of the wealthier merchants would loan their
  money to princes and popes thus becoming
  wealthier as bankers

12
The Renaissance in Italy

• This combination of merchants, artisans, and
  bankers helped the area prosper
• They helped bring large amounts of money into the
  region
• The Po River valley was also very fertile land
• This meant the region was able to provide enough
  food for the population without having to import
  it
• The plague also brought an increase in the
  standard of living
• Wages increased and prices dropped
• People had extra money to devote to things such
  as art and literature
• Helped contribute to the decline of church power
  which allowed people to think outside the box

13
The Renaissance in Italy

• The political structure of Italy also helped
• The city-states were independent entities
• There was no king to unify all of the states
  together under the banner of Italy
• The pope were absent from Rome for most of the
  14th century so he was not a unifying figure
  either
• In the cities, it was the merchant oligarchies
  who had the power
• Because of a lack of king and pope, they
  essentially had free reign to do as they pleased
• Most cities were republics
• These included Florence, Venice, and Genoa
• However some, like Milan, had a local prince or
  despot

14
The Renaissance in Italy

• No matter what form of government, these small
  states allowed for people to participate in
  government at various levels
• They ran for public office, were involved in
  alliances, and conducted affairs of state
• This gave many people opportunities
• The Renaissance really has its roots in Florence
• Most of it had to do with the power and wealth of
  the de Medici family
• The de Medicis were one of the richest families
  in Florence during the 15th century
• They started out as wool merchants in the 14th
  century

15

• Giovanni di Bicci de' Medici
• (13601429)

16
Florence Under The Medicis

• The family made their money mostly in banking but
  had numerous business ventures throughout Italy
• Giovanni di Bicci de Medici (1360-1429) founded
  the Medici Bank in 1397
• It is this money that helps propel the family to
  becoming not only one of the richest families in
  Europe but one of the most powerful as well
• Giovanni never held political office but did have
  some influential ideas
• One of which was a proportional taxing system
  which was very popular

17
Florence Under The Medicis

• Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464)
• Son of Giovanni who is the first to gain
  political power for the family
• His used his money and influence to become gran
  maestro, the unofficial ruler of the city
• He also played a role in Italian politics as he
  helped negotiate the Peace of Lodi to end the
  warring between Italian city-states
• He also used his wealth to become a patron of the
  arts
• Lorenzo de Medici (1449-1492)
• He was the grandson of Cosimo
• It is during his rule that the golden age of
  Florence takes place and he becomes known as
  Lorenzo the Magnificent

18

• Lorenzo de Medici
• (1449-1492)

19
Florence Under The Medicis

• While Lorenzo was gran maestro like his
  grandfather, he ruled Florence as though he was a
  monarch
• This created some enemies
• In 1478, Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano were
  attacked in church
• Lorenzo survived but his brother did not
• The attack was orchestrated by the Pazzi family
  and the archbishop of Pisa, and had the blessing
  of Pope Sixtus IV
• The conspirators were executed by being hung out
  the windows of the Palazzo Vecchio
• This included the popes nephew
• The Archbishop of Pisa was lynched by a mob who
  supported the Medicis

20
Florence Under The Medicis

• Pope Sixtus IV responded by excommunicating
  Lorenzo
• He also issued an interdict which declared war on
  Florence
• By this time, Lorenzo had negotiated an alliance
  with the King of Naples
• The combined forces were able to force the pope
  to negotiate a peace
• Lorenzo had a huge impact on the arts
• He was himself a poet and had many artists in
  attendance at his court
• Some of the artists included da Vinci,
  Botticelli, and Michelangelo
• He also donated large amounts of money to artists

21
Florence Under The Medicis

• He also built the Medici Library
• Lorenzo considered himself to be a humanist
• He built the library to include classic and
  contemporary works of literature
• In his later years, the Medici fortune declined
• Lorenzo was not much of a businessman and the
  family businesses suffered

22

• Leonardo da Vinci
• (1452-1519)

23
Renaissance Man

• One of the bigger changes coming out of the
  Renaissance was the concept of the Renaissance
  Man
• In the Middle Ages, poverty and chastity were
  seen as great virtues
• Christian doctrine promoted these especially in
  terms of living the lives of saints
• Many were encouraged to donate their wealth to
  the church and renounce material goods
• Also during that time, mankind was seen as
  fallible
• Humans were prone to sin and required Gods grace
  to acquire salvation

24
Renaissance Man

• During the Renaissance, these virtues changed
• People started to enjoy their wealth and play a
  more involved role in their communities
• Individualism flourished during this period
• From this, came the concept of a Renaissance
  Man
• This concept was based on the Greek polymath, a
  person who has master many different subjects
• These were individuals who expanded their talents
  to many different fields
• A perfect example of this was Leonardo da Vinci
  who was an artist, mathematician, scientist, and
  inventor

25
Realism in Art

• The Renaissance is best known for its art
• Many of the wealthy spent their money as patrons
  of the arts
• They would commission numerous pieces and help
  provide incomes to the artists
• In painting, major changes took place
• There was the changeover to the use of oil-based
  paint
• There was a shift to more realistic artwork
• Many painters studied anatomy to make humans look
  more realistic
• They also used perspective to give the art a 3-D
  look
• The themes remained religious but became more
  realistic

26
Realism in Art

• Sculptors also took advantage of this shift in
  art
• During the Middle Ages, their work had been
  confined to cathedrals
• Now they were able to focus on free-standing
  sculptures
• They had their inspiration from the classical
  Greek and Roman sculptors
• Like the painters, they studied anatomy to make
  their pieces more realistic
• In architecture, there was also the rebirth of
  the Greco-Roman styles
• Architects also had more varied buildings to
  design including non-religious ones

27

• Mona Lisa
• By Leonardo da Vinci
• (c. 1503-1506)

28
Humanism

• Literature was also greatly affected by the
  Renaissance
• It was called litterae humaniores, humane
  letters
• During the Middle Ages, there were writers
• Many great histories, hymns, and songs were
  written
• In the late 14th century, there was fresh
  discoveries in Greek and Roman texts
• The original humanists were teachers of Latin
  literature
• What they discovered was that the old classical
  texts dealt with a larger range of subjects,
  including politics, morals, and ethics

29
Humanism

• Humanist writers discovered these works and were
  inspired by them
• There is the rebirth of Studia Humanitatis the
  liberal arts including rhetoric, philosophy,
  history, and poetry
• With this, writing changed from a part-time
  occupation to life-long careers
• They also began focusing their works to reach a
  much larger audience
• This included writing in the vernacular so that
  more people would have access to their works
  Latin was seen as too scholastic

30

• Francesco Petrarch
• (1304-1374)

31
Humanist Writers

• Petrarch (1304-1374)
• Is considered the father of Renaissance humanists
• His family was exiled from Florence and resettled
  in the Provence region of France
• He spent most of his life in Provence but did
  spend time in Milan and Venice
• Through the course of his life, Petrarch had many
  patrons
• Therefore, he was able to devote his life to
  writing and classical scholarship
• What made Petrarch unique from Middle Ages
  writers was that he used his writing not only to
  give information but to discuss emotions and
  thoughts

32
Humanist Writers

• Petrarch made a number of important contributions
  to literature
• His use of Italian as a common form of written
  language
• His development of the sonnet (lyric poetry)
• His transformation of writing into an art form
• He is credited with naming the Middle Ages the
  Dark Ages
• Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375)
• He was a contemporary of Petrarch and was
  considered the father of Italian prose
• The Decameron, a series of tales told over the
  course of ten days, discussed traditional mores
  and wisdom in an entertaining format

33
Humanist Writers

• Coluccio Salutati (1331-1406)
• He was chancellor of Florence during the time it
  was under attack by Milan and was the one who
  called the city a Republic
• He was a student of classical literature and had
  discovered lost letters by Cicero
• He also wrote a history of Florence, tying it to
  the great Roman Republic
• Niccolò de' Niccoli (13641437)
• He collected classical manuscripts as well
• His contributions included correcting mistakes
  that had been made, putting in a table of
  contents, and breaking down chapters into
  divisions
• His private library was the largest in Florence

34
Humanist Writers

• Leonardo Bruni (1369-1444)
• He was also chancellor of Florence and had been
  secretary to four popes
• He is most famous for his History of the
  Florentine People, which is considered the first
  modern work of history
• He broke down the history of Florence into three
  periods antiquity, middle age, and modern
  age
• He used the history to show pride in the city of
  Florence by having roots in great Roman
  traditions
• He is also the writer who used the term Studia
  Humanitatis
• He made contributions to the classics by
  translating numerous works by Plato and Aristotle

35

• Boccaccio and other Florentines fleeing the
  plague
• (c. 1485)

36
Politics in the Italian Renaissance

• Ironically, with all of its accomplishments,
  Italy could not come up with an effective
  political institution
• In the city of Florence, the republic in essence
  became a one-man rule
• The wealthy leaders of other cities did not have
  armies to fight for them nor did the people rally
  behind them instead, they were forced to rely on
  mercenaries
• There was Italian cunning where those who are
  smart enough were able to rise to the top
• However, this meant that there was a rise and
  fall of dictators or very powerful families, such
  as the Medici in Florence, and the Sforza in Milan

37
Machiavelli (1469-1527)

• During the Middle Ages, most of the political
  writings had ties to God
• Many of them were devoted to following Gods will
  and had strong connections to theology
• With the Renaissance, those ties to theology were
  broken
• Niccolò Machiavelli - (1469-1527) He was one of
  the few political geniuses in Italy
• He wrote about the attributes of successful
  rulers, and was very realistic about how they got
  that way using whatever means were necessary for
  the political atmosphere of the time

38
Machiavelli (1469-1527)

• The Prince (1532)
• It was not published until after Machiavellis
  death
• In it, he describes the characteristics of a good
  ruler wielding power effectively with less focus
  on being a just ruler
• This included not only the use of force but of
  cunning as well
• He believed that rulers should be loved and
  feared, at the very least feared
• He saw the best examples of rulers outside of
  Italy, namely in countries like Spain and France
• While the term Machiavellian is still used
  today to explain someone who is ruthless and
  immoral, Machiavelli never supported immoral
  behavior

39

• Niccolò Machiavelli
• (1469-1527)

40
End of the Italian Renaissance

• While all this change was occurring in Italy, the
  governments there were never powerful enough to
  exert their influence outside the region
• In 1494, the French invaded northern Italy
• Italy became a battleground for French and
  Spanish forces vying for control of the region
• In 1527, the city of Rome was sacked by Spanish
  and German troops
• Even the pope was imprisoned and the cardinals
  were marched through the streets on mules
• With this, the Renaissance ended in Italy

41

• Jan van Eyck
• (c. 1395-1441)

42
Northern Renaissance

• Slowly, the effects of the Renaissance began to
  work their way northward
• However, there was not such a drastic embrace of
  new ideas as there had been in Italy
• The Renaissance in northern Europe was more of a
  blend of the new and the old
• It also had a much more religious feel to it than
  the more secular Italian movement
• It also saw the building of many new universities
• Large centers of learning were built in
  throughout northern Europe
• Included fourteen in Germany
• One of which was the University of Wittenberg

43
Renaissance in Germany

• Germany was a very diverse yet unorganized region
• It was still part of the Holy Roman Empire
• However, it was made up of over 200 small states
  and city-states with diverse cultures and
  backgrounds
• The southern parts of Germany flourished with
  strong trade
• These were the areas most affected by the
  Renaissance
• It was here that Johannes Gutenberg invented the
  moveable type printing press roughly around 1439
• Mass printed the Gutenberg Bible in 1455
• There was also a flurry of new artists including
  Albrech Dürer and Hans Holbein

44
Renaissance in Germany

• There also occurred a growth of the sciences
• Regiomontanus (Johan Müller) put down the
  foundations of a mathematical conception of the
  universe
• Nicholas of Cusa made contributions to science
• He contradicted Aristotles concept of perfect
  circles for planets and orbits
• Also developed the concept of relative motion
• Many believe that it was the works of these
  scientists that helped create the Scientific
  Revolution in the next century
• Copernicus and Kepler both attributed their work
  having basis in the studies of these Renaissance
  scientists

45

• Regiomontanus
• (1436-1476)

46
Christian Humanism

• Northern Europe also had its fair share of
  humanists
• However, unlike the pagan humanists of Italy,
  these humanists kept many ties to the Catholic
  Church
• These Christian humanists believed in reading the
  original versions of the Bible and writings of
  church fathers such as St. Augustine
• ad fontes (to the sources)
• They based their studies on primary sources
  rather than depending on later interpretations
• They wanted to solve the problems of the Church
  by reexamining the early Christian works

47
Christian Humanism

• They discovered that Christianity had been a more
  simple religion
• Over the years, the Church had altered the
  original beliefs of Christianity
• To fix the problem, they encouraged people to
  read the original sources
• From that, they would feel renewed piety and help
  bring about reform in the church
• They tried to help bring about the reform by
  publishing new editions of the classics, the
  Bible, and writings of the church fathers
• This would make it easier for people to get
  access to such works

48

• Erasmus
• (1469-1536)

49
Erasmus (1469-1536)

• Desiderius Erasmus (1469-1536)
• He was one of the most influential Christian
• He was an ordained priest and had been an
  Augustinian monk
• He studied the classical writers and believed the
  Scholasticism of the Middle Ages was asinine
• Erasmus became known as a highly respected
  intellectual whose presence was requested
  throughout Europe
• He was respected by both secular and religious
  leaders
• He spent time as a councilor for the king of
  Spain
• He received permission from Pope Leo X to write a
  new translation of the Bible

50
Erasmus (1469-1536)

• Some of his work was controversial as he did
  criticize the abuses of the church and called for
  major reform
• By using the classics, he wanted to show how
  things were simpler and better in the past
• He wanted people to be educated, have enlightened
  discussions, and have their morality improved
• The reforms he did call for were designed to be
  implemented within the church rather than
  creating a new church
• In Praise of Folly (1511)
• In this humorous criticism of society, Erasmus
  focuses on the human fallibility and the abuses
  of the church
• In it, he has the goddess Folly praise all those
  who followed her
• He especially mocked members of the clergy

51
Erasmus (1469-1536)

• The Handbook of the Christian Knight (1503)
• In this work, he stated that the current church
  was too focused on dogma
• He believed that the church should be focusing on
  inner piety rather than pilgrimages, sacraments,
  veneration of relics, etc.
• He also showed how a man could participate in
  politics and remain a good Christian
• In 1516, he issued a new edition of the Greek New
  Testament
• He translated it himself into Latin pointing out
  problems with the official church translation
• He even dedicated it to Pope Leo X

52

• Henry VII
• (1485-1509)

53
The New Monarchies

• During the 15th century, the modern state began
  to emerge
• In the 14th and 15th centuries, Europe was
  plagued with violence from feudal battles and
  civil wars
• People wanted peace, law, and stability and were
  willing to give up some of their rights to have
  it
• The monarchs used that to put down the wills of
  unruly nobility
• Set up a system with a powerful hereditary leader
• Then used their power collect taxes and form
  armies made up of commoners rather than knights

54
The New Monarchies

• The monarchs also based their legal system on
  Roman law instead of feudal, or common, law
• This broke the power of the nobility
• It also gave the king power since he was the one
  to make the laws just based on his own authority
• The people saw this as a benefit for them since
  they believed the laws were for the good of the
  people
• The three countries where these new modern
  monarchies rose up were England, France, and
  Spain

55
English Tudors

• England had been plagued by the War of the Roses
  (14551487)
• It was a civil war between the houses of
  Lancaster and York that tore through all of
  England
• Henry VII (1485-1509)
• In 1485, Henry Tudor became king of England and
  ended the war
• He also started the Tudor dynasty which lasted
  until 1603
• On of the things that benefited his monarchy was
  that many of the feudal lords had been killed or
  weakened by the war

56
English Tudors

• Henry created the Court of the Star Chamber
• This was where his Privy Council acted as the new
  form of legal court to bypass the complicated
  legal system
• One big concern for Henry was that many of the
  lords had their own private armies
• They were made up of men-at-arms who were called
  servants
• He then went on to abolish many of the feudal
  laws including those against livery (giving
  emblems or badges to those favored by a lord) and
  maintenance (the practice of having large
  amounts of male servants)
• He also hired Justices of the Peace to make sure
  his laws were followed

57
English Tudors

• Henry was successful at securing the power of the
  monarchy of England
• However, his later life was plagued with problems
• He had his eldest son Arthur marry Catherine of
  Aragon to secure an alliance between England and
  Spain
• However, Arthur died in 1502 of illness
• To keep the alliance, he got a papal dispensation
  to allow his second son, Henry, marry her
• In 1503, his wife died in childbirth
• Henry VII died in 1509

58

• Louis XI
• (1461-1483)

59
Valois France

• In France, the new monarchy began with Louis XI
  (1461-1483) of the house of Valois
• Louis XI was the son of Charles VII
• During his reign, Louis consolidated the power of
  the French throne
• He expanded the size of the French army
• He abolished the power of the feudal lords
• He also expanded trade within the country and
  built up the infrastructure
• He also kept up the Pragmatic Sanction (1438)
  which gave the French king greater control of the
  clergy in the country

60

• Louis XII
• (1498-1515)

61
Valois France

• Louis XII (1498-1515)
• He continued to modernize the French government
• He kept his most power nobility under his
  control, especially the Bourbons
• He made large efforts to reform the legal system
  by putting in regulations to prevent corruption
• He improved the taxation system
• He also expanded French territory by successfully
  taking Milan and Venice and for a short time
  Naples
• He was very popular with the people and earned
  the title Le Père du Peuple (father of the
  people)

62

• Francis I
• (1515-1547)

63
Valois France

• Francis I (1515-1547)
• He was considered the first Renaissance king of
  France
• During his reign there is an expansion of culture
  and humanist ideas
• He also consolidated the power of the monarchy
  but at the same time did make some concessions to
  the church
• In 1516, he signed the Concordat of Bologna which
  allowed Rome to collect church taxes but still
  allowed the king to appoint church officials
• This agreement gave the crown enough control to
  avoid the lure of Protestantism

64

• Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella of Castille

65
Ferdinand and Isabella

• During the 15th century, there was no unified
  kingdom of Spain
• Smaller territories had consolidated into two
  kingdoms Aragon and Castile
• In 1469, King Ferdinand II of Castile married
  Queen Isabella of Aragon
• Even though they were married, the two kingdoms
  remained separate political entities with the
  spouse ruling as consort
• While the two kingdoms were different in
  practically every way, including language, their
  religion was a unifying factor

66
Ferdinand and Isabella

• Until the last Moors were evicted from Granada in
  1492, the Inquisition was a unifying element in
  Spain
• The development of the new monarchy of Spain
  followed a very religious path
• One of the characteristics of Spain going into
  the 16th century was the belief that all
  Spaniards were Catholic
• All Jews had technically be expelled in 1492
• However, just being a Christian was not enough as
  large numbers of Muslims and Jews had converted
• Spaniards were fearful that these converts were
  not true Christians

67

• Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

68
The Spanish Inquisition

• The Jews who converted were known as Marranos
  while the Muslims were known as Moriscos
• The Marranos flourished both politically and
  economically
• Many rose up and achieved high positions in the
  government
• Their success and lack of true devotion led to
  jealousy and hatred by the Spaniards
• The monarchs decided to use public opinion to
  their advantage
• In 1478, Ferdinand was granted a papal bull to
  set up an Inquisition in Spain
• The Inquisition was a Catholic institution set up
  in the Middle Ages to fight heresy

69
The Spanish Inquisition

• The Inquisition was set up as a royal court
  rather than a church court
• This meant that the monarchs appointed its
  members and verdicts could not be appealed to
  Rome
• It became a very powerful tool for the monarchs
• The Inquisition itself commanded great fear
• Witnesses of heresy did not have to give proof
  nor did they have to testify at trial
• It used torture to get confessions
• Those accused were not given legal counsel
• Those convicted had their property confiscated
  which in turn was divided up between the
  Inquisition, the monarchy, and the accusers

70
The Spanish Inquisition

• Depending upon what the person was accused of
  determined what the punishment would be
• In some cases, the punishment would be as mild as
  penance or losing property
• Those who were accused of converting back to
  their old faith were executed
• Several thousand were killed
• Technically, they were not executed by the
  church they were handed over to civil courts for
  punishment
• The Inquisition was so dangerous because the
  power was abused
• Many people would accuse others of heresy to seek
  revenge
• The Inquisition itself set up spies in Marranos
  communities to obtain proof that they reverted
  back

71

• Heretic on the wheel during the Inquisition

72
Expansion of Spanish Influence

• After the expulsion of the Moors from Spain, the
  country attacked northern Africa
• The ridding of Muslims in Spain and north Africa
  took on the semblance of a crusade and helped
  unite the Spanish together
• The Spanish also exerted their religious
  influence in the New World
• Missionaries were sent to the New World with the
  sole purpose of converting the American Indians
  to Christianity
• All of these factors make Spain the Catholic
  stronghold of Europe
• It also helps to fight against the growing threat
  of Protestantism

73

• Europe (c. 1519)

74
The Holy Roman Empire

• The HRE was different from the rest of Europe
• It contained three different kinds of states
• Princely States
• Small hereditary dynastic monarchy
• These included duchies, margravates, and even one
  kingdom
• Examples were Saxony, Brandenburg, Bavaria, and
  Bohemia
• Ecclesiastical States
• A bishop or abbot was the ruling government
  official
• Most states inside the Empire were ecclesiastical
  states
• Free City-States
• A city that was an independent entity
• There were about 50 inside the HRE and dominated
  the commercial aspect of the Empire

75
The Holy Roman Empire

• The HRE was created after the division of the old
  Roman Empire in the 9th century
• This was after the death of Charlemagne
• It did not become known as the HRE until the
  reign of Emperor Otto I in 962
• Golden Bull of 1356
• The Emperor was elected by seven members of the
  Electoral Council
• This included four princes the Count of the
  Palatine, Duke of Saxony, Margrave of
  Brandenburg, and the King of Bohemia
• It also included three ecclesiastical lords the
  Archbishop of Mainz, the Archbishop of Trier, and
  the Archbishop of Cologne

76
The Holy Roman Empire

• While the Electoral Council did technically elect
  the Emperor, the position was traditionally
  hereditary
• The only time the Councils vote was important
  was when a family no longer had a male heir for
  the position
• In 1452, the Council elected Frederick, Archduke
  of Austria as the Holy Roman Emperor
• He was of the House of Habsburg, a very powerful
  Austrian family
• After Frederick IIIs rule, the position of the
  Emperor remained in the hands of the House of
  Habsburg until 1806

77

• Maximilian I (1493-1519)

78
New Monarchy in the HRE

• The Habsburgs were effective in centralizing the
  Holy Roman Empire under their leadership
• This was done even though there was no true
  central government to the Empire
• Maximilian I (1493-1519)
• He did attempt to centralize the government
• Smaller governments throughout the Empire were
  resistant to his changes
• In 1495, he did bring about reform to the
  Empires constitution
• His biggest contribution was a series of
  marriages and alliances that made the Habsburgs
  one of the most powerful families in Europe

79

• Charles V
• (1519-1588)

80
Charles V (1519-1558)

• In 1508, Maximilian took the title of Elected
  Roman Emperor
• This meant that the emperor no longer had to be
  crowned by the pope
• When Emperor Maximilian died in 1519, there were
  two candidates vying for the position
• Charles I of Spain Maximilians grandson and
  heir to the House of Habsburg
• Francis I of France House of Valois
• Even though Charles was a shoe in for the
  position, numerous bribes had to be placed to
  secure a victory

81
Charles V (1519-1558)

• Charles was elected June 28, 1519 and became
  Emperor Charles V
• Charles had control of a vast empire when he took
  the position
• He controlled Spain (and its overseas empire),
  the Spanish Netherlands (aka Low Countries),
  lands in Austria and Hungary, the Kingdoms of
  Naples and Sardina, and Bohemia
• He wanted full control over his lands and wanted
  to unify it under one faith
• In Eastern Europe, his brother Ferdinand was put
  in charge of Hungary and Bohemia to deal with the
  invading Turkish forces under Sulayman I

82

• Lands Controlled by the House of Habsburg in 1556

83
Europe at 1500

• By 1500, Europe was on its way to recovery after
  the terrible 14th century
• The population was finally starting to increase
  into pre-plague levels
• The economy was expanding, including trade and
  colonialism
• Monarchs had secure holds on their thrones in
  England, France, and Spain
• The Catholic church had survived upheavals by the
  Lollards and the Hussites

84
Europe at 1500

• However, things were not perfect
• The church was still suffering from many abuses
  and the popes had lost a considerable amount of
  power
• It was also threatened by the growing secularism
  coming out of the Renaissance
• Monarchs were trying to control everything in
  their kingdoms, including the church
• Many monarchs were fearful of the growing power
  of the Habsburg empire
• The Turks were invading eastern Europe