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The Seventeenth Century
The first half of the seventeenth century is shaped by the last of the great wars of
religion, The Thirty Years War (1618-1648). More than a religious conflict between
Protestants and Catholics, it was also a power struggle within and between kingdoms.
France under its new, Bourbon dynasty became the most powerful state in Europe replacing
the Habsburgs in both Spain and the Holy Roman Empire (Germany).
Germany, the Holy Roman Empire, was fractured during the Thirty Years War into more
than 300 separate states. The Catholic, Austrian Habsburgs were the big losers during the
Thirty Years War. Any hope of centralizing Germany under their rule was lost. Germany was
divided on the basis of religion into Catholics, Lutherans, Calvinists. The religion of
the ruler determined the religion of the people. Catholic Austria and Lutheran Prussia
emerged as the two most important states within the loose Confederation called the Holy
Roman Empire.
England experienced the rise and fall of militant Calvinistic Puritanism. Despite
internal conflict, it kept building up its naval power and started on the road toward
overseas empire. It gradually replaced Spain and the Netherlands as the greatest sea
power. The Glorious Revolution of 1689 set England on the path of limited, constitutional,
and, ultimately, democratic government. It became the most liberal country in Europe and
the model for Enlightenment thinkers on the Continent to imitate in the eighteenth
century.
But, perhaps most importantly, the seventeenth century marked the beginning of an
intellectual revolution. It marked the birth of modern ideas about nature, man, and
government. What went by the name of the Scientific Revolution was really a paradigm shift
in all areas of knowledge, including religion.
The second half of the century was dominated by Louis XIV of France. The Sun
King’s effort to dominate Europe failed but he succeeded in crushing the Protestant
Huguenots and consolidated absolutism in France.
Civil Wars of Religion.
In France
 | Catholics versus Huguenots |
| Civil War 1567 - 1589 |
| Valois, Bourbon, Guise, Montmorency Families |
| St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, August 24, 1572 |
| Henry of Navarre, leader of the Huguenots, becomes King Henry IV |
| Edict of Nantes 1598 |
| Politiques |
In the Netherlands
| Seventeen Provinces: Ultimately Split into Netherlands and Belgium |
| Catholics versus Dutch Reformed (Calvinists) |
| Spain versus the Seven United Provinces of the Netherlands |
| Phillip II, 1556 - 1598, of Spain |
| Margaret of Parma, Regent of the Netherlands, 1559 - 1567 |
| William the Silent of the House of Orange, b. 1533 - 1568 |
| Duke of Alva, b. 1508 - 1582, seeks to subdue Netherlands from 1567 to 1573 when he
resigns. |
| Water Beggers capture Brill 1572 and begin new conflict. |
| Pacification of Ghent,1576, all provinces unite against Spain |
| Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, subdued southern, Catholic provinces by restoring their old privileges, 1578 - 1592. He
could not conquer seven, northern, Protestant provinces. |
| Union of Utrecht, 1579, of seven, Northern, Protestant provinces-- Holland, Zeeland,
Utrecht, Gelderland, Groningen, Friesland, Overyssel--formed the United Provinces of the
Netherland |
| Hereditary Stadtholder settled on House of Orange |
| Dutch Declare Independence from Spain 1581 |
| Spanish Armada 1588 |
| Twelve Year Truce 1609 |
| Republic of the United Provinces’ independence recognized in Treaty of Westphalia, 1648 |
In Germany
| Catholics versus Lutherans and Calvinists |
| The Empire versus the Regional Princes |
| Centralization versus Local Autonomy |
| Habsburgs against everyone else |
| Rival Leagues |
| Peace of Augsburg 1555 |
| Thirty Years War 1618 - 1648 |
| Foreign Intervention: Dutch, Danes, Swedes, French |
| Treaty of Westphalia 1648 |
Week 2: England and France
Wars of Religion In England
| King versus Parliament |
| Stuart Dynasty: King James I and King Charles I |
| Anglicans versus Catholics and Calvinists |
| Puritan Revolution |
| Oliver Cromwell and the Commonwealth |
| Restoration of Stuarts: Charles II and James II |
| Glorious Revolution: William III and Mary II |
Formation of Absolute Monarchies
| From Feudal Monarchies to Absolute Monarchy |
| The Creation of the Sovereign State--Jean Bodin |
| Internal Sovereignty |
| External Sovereignty |
French Absolutism
| Cardinal Richelieu |
| Cardinal Mazarin |
Louis XIV
| Louis XIV |
| Versailles |
| Court Culture |
| Mercantilism and Jean Colbert, b. 1619 - 1683 |
| French Colonization |
| Religious Conformity to the Will of the Catholic King |
| Jansenism, 1660, 1710 |
| Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 1685 |
| Louis Wars |
| Louis Death, 1715 |
Russian Absolutism
| The Emergence of Russia
Romanov Dynasty |
Michael, 1613-1645
Alexius, 1645-1676
Theodore III, 1676-1682
Ivan V and Peter I, 1682-1689
| Peter I, the Great, 1689-1725 |
| Forced Westernization |
| The Great Northern War |
Prussian Absolutism
| The Emergence of Prussia
Hohenzollern Dynasty
Frederick William, the Great Elector, 1640 - 1688
Frederick III, 1688 - 1713, after 1701 King Frederick I
Kings in Prussia
Frederick I, 1701 - 1713
Frederick William I, 1713 - 1740 |
| Frederick II, the Great, 1740 - 1786 |
| Seizure of Silesia |
| War of the Austrian Succession |
| Seven Years War |
Other Countries
| Resilient Habsburgs of Austria
*Charles V, 1519 - 1556 also Charles I, King of Spain
*Ferdinand I, 1556 - 1564, brother of Charles V
*Maximilian II, 1564 - 1576
*Rudolf II, 1576 - 1612
*Matthias, 1612 - 1619
*Ferdinand II, 1619 - 1637, Thirty Years War
*Ferdinand III, 1637 - 1657
*Leopold I, 1658 - 1705
*Joseph I, 1705 - 1711
*Charles VI, 1711 - 1740
Maria Theresa, 1740 - 1780
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Updated April 29, 2003
Copyright Dr. Harold Damerow
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