The Protestant Reformation began in 1517 with Martin Luther’s critique of some Roman Catholic doctrine and a number of specific practices in his 95 Theses. It was clear that this presence of a faith that differed from the majority represented a political threat to the security of the state. Sure enough, this act did not take long to transform religious, cultural, and political life within the Holy Roman Empire. Luther’s disagreements influenced other individuals and set off a chain of events that, within a few decades, dismantled Germany’s religious unity.
By the time Luther was called to the Diet of Worms and excommunicated by Charles V and the rest of his empire in 1521, his teachings were already renowned and he had become a national hero to some. As the Roman Catholic Church’s power declined, so did the Holy Roman Empire. Also, many princes saw an occasion to exploit the reformist cause for their own political benefit. Individual monarchs and states began to gain power. Various attempts were made to halt the spread of religious division and then further heal the split. However, stubbornness from both Protestants and Catholics made it inevitable that reunion was impossible.
Lutherans made a statement of faith, known as the confession of Augsburg, and presented it. At the refusal of Charles V, protestant territories in the empire formed a military alliance. The emperor could not respond with violence because of the current Habsburg-Valois Wars. It was made evident that Charles V was fighting not only for religious unity, but a unified empire against provincial rulers who longed to keep their independence. He was defending both church and empire. Tension was ever-present until the Peace of Augsburg of 1555, which also marked the absolute end of any vision of a unified empire on the part of Charles’s successors.
The Essay on The Roman Empire Greek Romans Architecture
Greek culture laid the foundation for the Roman Empire. The Roman people wanted to be like the Greek people. For example the Romans made a sculpture of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The Romans recognized the Greek art and architecture to be very well done. Since the Romans likes these traits of the Greek they used the Greeks ideas and created there own. That was the basis of the Roman Empire. In 64 ...
Peace of Augsburg allowed each German prince the right to choose either Catholicism or Protestantism as the official religion of his German state. The treaty also formally acknowledged the independence of each state within the Holy Roman Empire, essentially making the emperor nothing more than a symbolic figurehead. The power of the Holy Roman Empire continued to decline as the vigor of the independent princes grew. However strength was not the only thing that grew amongst the princes, rivalry and disunity did as well.
Hostile Calvinist, having been left out of The Peace of Augsburg deal, made matters even worse as they ignored the settlement entirely and converted several princes. Without the Holy Roman Empire and its central authority to put down any chaos, small domestic wars broke out. The Augsburg settlement’s opportunity for freedom of religion turned into major disputes over territorial, dynastic and religious issues. The Thirty Years War is marked by the defenestration of Prague of 1618, where two royal officers were hurled from a window by Protestant members.
The war soon developed into a devastating struggle over 30 years for the balance of power in Europe. With the effects of military disasters unfolding before them, the Emperors were hungry for peace. The Peace of Westphalia, a collection of treaties that put an end to any religious conflict or war, was finally proclaimed in 1648. The settlement formally recognized the independence of the Dutch Republic and Switzerland and granted the German states the right to make treaties and alliances, thereby further weakening the authority of the Holy Roman emperor.
Although the Holy Roman Empire was existing until 1806, it had long before been absent in the sense of potency and power. Disunity in the church, an individual monarch’s power, and a state’s independence were some factors of the gradual political decline. Such events as the Protestant Reformation, The Peace of Augsburg, and the Thirty Years’ War were all a huge part in the initial downfall of supremacy in the Holy Roman Empire.
The Essay on Holy Roman Empire
The spread of Lutheranism from 1521-1555 occurred due to many reasons in addition to the lack of strong central government. Other reasons include the fact that Charles V held many roles and therefore had other priorities that were more important than dealing with Lutheranism, the role of Fredrick the Wise and other Lutheran leaders and princes, and finally the appeal and popularity of Lutheranism ...
