Europe to 1815 Test I Study Guide
Charles V- Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1519-1558. In addition, he was the
ruler of Spain, the Netherlands, and all Hapsburg lands. These lands together made Charles V the
ruler of the largest imperial state in Europe at the time. Further significance comes from his
involvement in the German Schmalkaldic Wars from 1546-1552 when he led an alliance of
German Catholic princes into battle against the German Protestant Schmalkaldic League, an
event significant for leading to biconfessionality at the top with the Peace of Augsburg.
Zwingli- Zwingli was a Protestant reformer and the main figure of the Swiss Reformation of the
1520s. He is significant for introducing new beliefs such as the idea that Christ is not physically
present in the Eucharist, that it was simply an act of remembrance. Additional significance
comes from the fact that Zwingli was active before Martin Luther and laid the foundations for
Calvinism. Calvin and Luther later supported ideas that Zwingli had already introduced.
Jacob Fugger- Jacob Fugger was a wealthy and influential trader who lived from 1455-1525. His
main significance was in lending money to the rulers of Central Europe as this money greatly
aided rulers in consolidating their territories and expanding their economies. Also, he is
important as rulers encouraged the sale of indulgences as a way to pay off their debts to him,
which in turn encouraged figures such as Martin Luther to push for church reform.
John Calvin- John Calvin was a Protestant reformer who launched Calvinism in the early 1530s
under the belief that Luther had not gone far enough in his reforms. Calvin is significant for
introducing new beliefs such as predestination where God determined beforehand who would be
saved and that mass only brought a spiritual connection if one believed instead of the Catholic
belief that a spiritual connection was made even with a nonbeliever. In his efforts to institute his
beliefs, Calvin had an extensive and notable impact for the spread of Calvinism in France.
Holy Roman Imperial Electors- Seven German princes made up the group known as the Holy
Roman Imperial Electors. The electors are significant as they elected who would become the
emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, which furthered the influence and power of the Hapsburgs
as the electors only elected the head of the Hapsburg family starting in 1438. However, as the
electors could elect anyone rather than make the emperor a hereditary position, they gained
additional significance and importance.
Diet of Worms- Diet of Worms was an assembly in 1521 of the Holy Roman imperial diet where
Luther defended his beliefs. It is significant because the Diet condemned Luther’s beliefs and
declared him as a heretic. However, it is also significant for it convinced many that Luther had
discovered the true Gospel and it represented a point of no return for Luther.
Joan of Navarre- Joan of Navarre was Navarre’s queen and the mother of Henry of Navarre. She
is significant for leading a Calvinist Reformation in Navarre in the 1560s and for providing
sizeable aid to Protestant forces during the French civil wars from the 1560s through the 1590s.
This aid to Protestant forces helped Henry of Navarre to take control of the French throne in
1589, which would set the stage for the Edict of Nantes and greater religious freedom for
Protestants.
Henry IV- Henry IV became the ruler of France in 1589 with the assassination of Henry III and
ruled until 1610. Henry IV is significant for issuing the Edict of Nantes, which brought an end to
, the religious wars that had ravaged France. Also, the fact that he was Calvinist when he became
king displays how Calvinism had taken hold among the elite and how devotion to one sect was
not always particularly important since he constantly switched from one sect to the other for
political goals.
Edict of Nantes- Edict of Nantes was issued in 1598 by Henry IV. It is significant as it greatly
expanded the civil freedom of Protestants by allowing them to be appointed to government
positions and live anywhere in France. However, it is also significant for increasing Protestant
religious freedom on a limited basis by only allowing them to publicly worship outside of
population areas and by not allowing Protestants to privately worship in Paris and other towns.
This displays how Protestants became more accepted, but still were not considered to have a
religion with the same dignity as Catholicism.
Erasmus- Erasmus was a humanistic priest who was most active from the 1500s through the
1530s. Erasmus was significant for attacking scholasticism as a philosophy that filled the church
with dry and lifeless ideas. Instead, he emphasized humanistic ideas such as returning to original
sources of Christian knowledge such as the Bible and living a moral life through a spiritual
relationship with God.
Martin Luther- Martin Luther was a German monk who started the Protestant Reformation in
1517 with his posting of the Ninety-five Theses. He is significant for claiming that indulgences
were a corrupt tool that led believers to focus on redemption through indulgences rather than by
genuine repentance and by claiming that every person is not justified through their works, but by
their faith alone. In addition, he emphasized freeing the faithful from Rome by repudiating the
position of the pope and arguing that the church councils are not infallible. And even though he
only intended to reform the Catholic church, he started a movement that split Christianity.
Peace of Augsburg- Peace of Augsburg in 1555 formally ended the fighting between Catholic
Charles V and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. It is significant for stating that the Holy
Roman Empire would become biconfessional at the top with each ruler deciding the religion of
their land and for legalizing the confiscation of church lands. Additional significance lies in the
fact that people had to move elsewhere if they refused to follow the religion of their ruler. This
displayed the influence that nobles held over their own lands as they decided what religion will
be practiced rather than the emperor.
Catholic League- Catholic League was a group of Catholic hardliners that formed with the goal
of eradicating Protestantism from France. The group is significant for its revolts against Henry
III in 1587 over fear that Swiss mercenaries in Paris would be used against them and in 1588
over the assassination of the Duke of Guise by guards of Henry III. The significance of the
Catholic League in these revolts comes from declaring during the 1588 revolt that the king could
be dethroned and killed by anyone rather than by an autonomous ruler as had been the precedent.
Henry of Guise- Henry of Guise was the Duke of Guise. His significance comes from forming
the Catholic League in 1576 with the goal of eliminating Protestantism in France and from
fighting in the War of the Three Henrys with the goal of becoming king and using that position
to eliminate Protestantism from France. The Duke of Guise was killed in 1588 by guards of
Henry III, which set off a Catholic League rebellion against Henry III.
Charles V- Charles V was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1519-1558. In addition, he was the
ruler of Spain, the Netherlands, and all Hapsburg lands. These lands together made Charles V the
ruler of the largest imperial state in Europe at the time. Further significance comes from his
involvement in the German Schmalkaldic Wars from 1546-1552 when he led an alliance of
German Catholic princes into battle against the German Protestant Schmalkaldic League, an
event significant for leading to biconfessionality at the top with the Peace of Augsburg.
Zwingli- Zwingli was a Protestant reformer and the main figure of the Swiss Reformation of the
1520s. He is significant for introducing new beliefs such as the idea that Christ is not physically
present in the Eucharist, that it was simply an act of remembrance. Additional significance
comes from the fact that Zwingli was active before Martin Luther and laid the foundations for
Calvinism. Calvin and Luther later supported ideas that Zwingli had already introduced.
Jacob Fugger- Jacob Fugger was a wealthy and influential trader who lived from 1455-1525. His
main significance was in lending money to the rulers of Central Europe as this money greatly
aided rulers in consolidating their territories and expanding their economies. Also, he is
important as rulers encouraged the sale of indulgences as a way to pay off their debts to him,
which in turn encouraged figures such as Martin Luther to push for church reform.
John Calvin- John Calvin was a Protestant reformer who launched Calvinism in the early 1530s
under the belief that Luther had not gone far enough in his reforms. Calvin is significant for
introducing new beliefs such as predestination where God determined beforehand who would be
saved and that mass only brought a spiritual connection if one believed instead of the Catholic
belief that a spiritual connection was made even with a nonbeliever. In his efforts to institute his
beliefs, Calvin had an extensive and notable impact for the spread of Calvinism in France.
Holy Roman Imperial Electors- Seven German princes made up the group known as the Holy
Roman Imperial Electors. The electors are significant as they elected who would become the
emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, which furthered the influence and power of the Hapsburgs
as the electors only elected the head of the Hapsburg family starting in 1438. However, as the
electors could elect anyone rather than make the emperor a hereditary position, they gained
additional significance and importance.
Diet of Worms- Diet of Worms was an assembly in 1521 of the Holy Roman imperial diet where
Luther defended his beliefs. It is significant because the Diet condemned Luther’s beliefs and
declared him as a heretic. However, it is also significant for it convinced many that Luther had
discovered the true Gospel and it represented a point of no return for Luther.
Joan of Navarre- Joan of Navarre was Navarre’s queen and the mother of Henry of Navarre. She
is significant for leading a Calvinist Reformation in Navarre in the 1560s and for providing
sizeable aid to Protestant forces during the French civil wars from the 1560s through the 1590s.
This aid to Protestant forces helped Henry of Navarre to take control of the French throne in
1589, which would set the stage for the Edict of Nantes and greater religious freedom for
Protestants.
Henry IV- Henry IV became the ruler of France in 1589 with the assassination of Henry III and
ruled until 1610. Henry IV is significant for issuing the Edict of Nantes, which brought an end to
, the religious wars that had ravaged France. Also, the fact that he was Calvinist when he became
king displays how Calvinism had taken hold among the elite and how devotion to one sect was
not always particularly important since he constantly switched from one sect to the other for
political goals.
Edict of Nantes- Edict of Nantes was issued in 1598 by Henry IV. It is significant as it greatly
expanded the civil freedom of Protestants by allowing them to be appointed to government
positions and live anywhere in France. However, it is also significant for increasing Protestant
religious freedom on a limited basis by only allowing them to publicly worship outside of
population areas and by not allowing Protestants to privately worship in Paris and other towns.
This displays how Protestants became more accepted, but still were not considered to have a
religion with the same dignity as Catholicism.
Erasmus- Erasmus was a humanistic priest who was most active from the 1500s through the
1530s. Erasmus was significant for attacking scholasticism as a philosophy that filled the church
with dry and lifeless ideas. Instead, he emphasized humanistic ideas such as returning to original
sources of Christian knowledge such as the Bible and living a moral life through a spiritual
relationship with God.
Martin Luther- Martin Luther was a German monk who started the Protestant Reformation in
1517 with his posting of the Ninety-five Theses. He is significant for claiming that indulgences
were a corrupt tool that led believers to focus on redemption through indulgences rather than by
genuine repentance and by claiming that every person is not justified through their works, but by
their faith alone. In addition, he emphasized freeing the faithful from Rome by repudiating the
position of the pope and arguing that the church councils are not infallible. And even though he
only intended to reform the Catholic church, he started a movement that split Christianity.
Peace of Augsburg- Peace of Augsburg in 1555 formally ended the fighting between Catholic
Charles V and the Protestant Schmalkaldic League. It is significant for stating that the Holy
Roman Empire would become biconfessional at the top with each ruler deciding the religion of
their land and for legalizing the confiscation of church lands. Additional significance lies in the
fact that people had to move elsewhere if they refused to follow the religion of their ruler. This
displayed the influence that nobles held over their own lands as they decided what religion will
be practiced rather than the emperor.
Catholic League- Catholic League was a group of Catholic hardliners that formed with the goal
of eradicating Protestantism from France. The group is significant for its revolts against Henry
III in 1587 over fear that Swiss mercenaries in Paris would be used against them and in 1588
over the assassination of the Duke of Guise by guards of Henry III. The significance of the
Catholic League in these revolts comes from declaring during the 1588 revolt that the king could
be dethroned and killed by anyone rather than by an autonomous ruler as had been the precedent.
Henry of Guise- Henry of Guise was the Duke of Guise. His significance comes from forming
the Catholic League in 1576 with the goal of eliminating Protestantism in France and from
fighting in the War of the Three Henrys with the goal of becoming king and using that position
to eliminate Protestantism from France. The Duke of Guise was killed in 1588 by guards of
Henry III, which set off a Catholic League rebellion against Henry III.
