Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

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Europe

Europe, history of

Habsburgs

Religions 430-

United kingdom, history of

On OctObER 31, 1517, German monk Martin Luther pinned a list of 95

arguments, or complaints, on a church door in Wittenberg, Saxony. this

sparked a movement known as the Reformation, because its followers

demanded the reform of the Roman catholic church, then the most

powerful force in Europe. Many, like Luther, believed

it was corrupt, and attacked its wealth and the sale

of indulgences (pardons for sins). In 1521, Luther

was expelled from the church. Followers of

Luther and other reformers became known as

Protestants because they “protested” against what

they felt were the errors of the catholic church.

Protestantism spread throughout Europe. then,

in a movement called the counter-Reformation,

the catholic church began to reform itself. the

counter-Reformation led

to religious persecution

and bitter civil wars.

tHIRty yEaRS’ WaR

the thirty years’ War lasted from 1618 to

1648. It began as a religious struggle between
      catholics and Protestants in Germany. then
      it grew into a war between the Habsburg
      rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and the
      kings of France for possession of land. In
      1648, the catholic side acknowledged that
      it could not extinguish Protestantism.

InqUISItIOn

In 1231, the Pope set up the

Inquisition—a special organization

that searched out and punished

heretics (those who did not conform

to the catholic faith). Inquisitors

arrested, tortured, and executed

alleged heretics and witches (above).

During the Reformation, 300 years

later, the Inquisition tried to crush the

new Protestant churches, but failed.

cOUncIL OF tREnt

the counter-Reformation began when

catholic leaders met at the council of trent

in 1545. the council established the main

principles of catholicism and set up places for

training priests and missionaries. During this

time, the Jesuits, an important teaching order

founded in 1534, became popular.

War started after

two Protestants

were thrown

out of a

window in

Prague.

Reformation

Spain

France

England

Germany

Italy

MaRtIn LUtHER

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

inspired the Reformation. He

attacked the sale of indulgences

and said that no amount of money

paid to the clergy could pardon an

individual for his or her sins. Only

through faith could people be saved.

Catholic Protestant Catholic

and Protestant

Battle scene

during the

Thirty Years’

War

PROtEStantISM

by 1560, Europe had two main

religions—Roman catholic and

Protestant. Protestantism began in

Germany. Many German rulers adopted

the new religion so that they could break

away from the control of the Pope and

the Holy Roman Emperor (the “political”

catholic ruler).

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