AP European History Study Guide Chapter 11

Review Questions
Society and Religion
1) What were some of the reasons why people were attracted to Protestantism?
Due to inattentive rulers (secular and ecclesiastical), and social and political divisions, many turned to
Protestantism in the late Medieval period. Protestants opposed governmental authority, and preached
religious freedom, political liberation, and social betterment which was appealing to many during the time
period.
2) What were some of the reasons for lay criticism of the Catholic Church?
Many of the laity felt a sense of spiritual crisis within the church, that is, the church had become
oppressive and abusive in its rise to power. Laity believed in a purer sense of piety which was often
viewed as heretical. The laity came to these realizations through the development of technology and
knowledge. In generally the laypeople became more knowledgeable about the world and their rulers. The
creation of the printing press and postal system, along with their traveling only further prompted their
knowledge and criticisms toward the church.
Martin Luther and German Reformation to 1525
3) Who was Martin Luther (1483-1546)?
Luther was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation, who devoted his life to changing the
church ,from the corrupt state at which it lie, into a system which taught, worshiped, and acted based on
the word of the bible and pure faith.
a. Where was he from?
Germany
b. What was his background?
He was educated in Mansfeld, Magdeburg at the University of Erfurt. He obtained degree in
the master-of-arts. Luther was caught in a lightning storm and promised he would enter a
monastery if he survived. He went to Rome and found that many criticisms of the church
were accurate. He moved to the Augustinian monastery in Wittenberg (earned a doctrine of
theology there) and lead the monastery.
c. What did he struggle with?
He struggled with his own sins and the righteousness that god required for salvation. This
follows the philiosiophy of Christians and the phrase “righteousness of God” which
demanded more than any human could give in order to reach salvation.
d. What were his goals?
Luther wanted to object indulgences and the religious ideas that supported them.
e. What did he accomplish?
He translated the New Testament into German, he nailed his 95 theses to the church
in Wittenburg which addressed his concerns with the church as well as ones that
many other shared, wrote 3 famous pamphlets which expressed his ideas, and became
an important force in the Protestant movement which was a one of the contributing
factors in the release of people from Catholicism and it’s truancy.

4) Who was John Tetzel?

A famous indulgence preacher who Luther opposed.
a. What did he excel at?
Selling and preaching indulgences
b. What phrase is he known for?
“As soon as gold in the basin rings, right then the soul to Heaven springs”
 “Don’t you hear the voices of your dead parents and other realized crying out, ‘Have
mercy on us, for we suffer great punishment and pain. From this you could release us
with a few alms….We have created you, fed you, cared for you, and left you our
temporal goods. Why do you treat us so cruelly and leave us to suffer in the flames, when
it takes only so little to save us?’”

5) What was accomplished at the Diet of Worms?

Charles V called Luther in front of his diet and asked him to recant his heretical writings (3 famous
pamphlets which attacked traditional church teachings and presented them in Luther’s view which
originated from the authority of the scripture) Luther said to recant would be an act against the scripture
and his conscience.
6) Who was Charles V?
The Holy Roman Emperor, who excommunicated Luther, crowned in 1519. Because of his ineffective
ruling he was forced to sign the Peace of Augsburg 1555.
7) How did the Peasants Revolt of 1524-1525 come about?
Peasants saw many of Luther’s views fitting to their own, especially those of monastic landowners. These
ideas prompted them to demand release from serfdom which eventually leads to the peasants’ revolt
against landlords.
a. What was the result?
70,000 to 100,000 peasants died by princes and landlords.
b. How did Martin Luther respond?
Luther did not support the peasants; in fact he urged their demise. His movement was strictly
religious as he believed that “freedom of the Christian lay in inner spiritual release from guilt
and anxiety, not in revolutionary politics.
The Reformation Elsewhere
8) Who was Ulrich Zwingli (1484 1531)?
He was a leader of the Swiss Reformation, with humanistic education, and like many other Protestants a
critic of the (Swiss) mercenary service.
a. Where was he from?
Switzerland
b. What were his beliefs and how did his beliefs differ from Luther’s?
Luther believed that the Eucharist was literally a transformation into the flesh and blood of
Christ and Zwingli interpreted this transformation symbolically.
9) What were the beliefs of the Anabaptists?
They believed in baptism of adults rather than that of children.
10) Who was John Calvin (1509-1564)?
A reformation theologian who changed the Catholic Church with an impact like that of Luther and
Zwingli.
a. Where was he from?
France
b. What were his beliefs?
He believed strongly in the idea of predestination and an individual’s responsibility to
organize society according to God’s plan.
c. What did he establish?
He established a state that modeled Calvinism- Geneva and the Protestant religion of
Calvinism which excited great religious change.
11) What did Max Weber write in 1904?
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism.
a. What did he give Protestantism credit for?
Political Consolidation of the Lutheran Reformation
12) What attempts were made by Charles V to make Europe unified religiously?
To unify Europe religiously, Charles V implemented the diet of Augsburg which instructed Lutherans to
revert back to Catholicism and he also tried to crush many Lutheran alliances like the Schmalkaldic
League.
a. Was he successful - why or why not?
Charles V was not successful in his mission to reunite Europe politically as implemented in
the Peace of Augsburg gave German prices the right to choose the religion of their state. This
ended his dream of unification.
13) What was the Peace of Augsburg?
Gave German princes the right to determine the religion of their state, Lutheran or Catholic
a. What were its limitations?
It did not recognize Calvinism.
The English Reformation to 1553
14) What did William Tyndale write?
He translated the New Testament into English.
a. Why was this book important?
This translation tested the power and domination of the Roman Catholic Church
along with English laws sustaining its power. These ideas easily circulated
throughout Europe due to the printing press.
15) What title was given to Henry VIII by Pope Leo X? Why?
“Defender of the Faith” because he defended the seven sacraments of Catholicism against Luther.
16) Why did Henry VIII want to break away from the Catholic Church?
Initially he wanted to get a divorce from his wife Catherine of Aragon, but he could not do so due to the
rules of the Catholic Church. In order to procure his divorce he had to break away from the Catholic
Church and become the supreme ruler of spiritual affairs in England.
17) Who was Thomas Cranmer and what did he write?
Thomas Cranmer was one of Henry VIII’s advisers, and a Lutheran sympathizer. He wrote the Book of
Common Prayer (1594) and another revision. The books were a 42 article confession of
Protestant faith.
18) What was the Act of Supremacy?
The act of Supremacy declared Henry VIII the supreme head of the Church of England.
19) What was the Act of Succession?
The act of Succession made Henry VIII’s and Anne Boleyn’s children legitimate heirs to the throne.
20) Who were Henry VIII’s five wives and their children?
His wives were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves,
Catherine Howard, and Katherine Parr. His children were Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth

21) What were the Six Articles of 1539?

Also known as “whip with six strings” and implemented under the Tudor rule, they attacked
Protestant views and tried to weaken them through reaffirming Catholic beliefs.
a. What purpose did they serve?
They reaffirmed transubstantiation, denied the Eucharistic cup to the laity, declared
celibate vows inviolable, provided for private Masses, ordered the continuation of
oral confession, and declared that religious reform would not occur under the rule of
Henry VII.

22) What was the Second Act of Uniformity of 1552?

It made the revised Book of Common Prayer the official book of prayer of all English Churches.
It expressed Protestant beliefs such as the supremacy of the scripture, justification by faith alone, the
recognition of only two sacraments (the Eucharist and baptism), and the denying of transubstantiation.
a. Under whose reign was it enacted?
Edward VI.
b. When and why was it revoked?
Under the rule of Mary I (Mary Tudor) Henry VIII’s first daughter as she was reverting
England back to Catholicism.

Catholic Reform and Counter-Reformation

23) Who was Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556)?
Know as the “solider of Christ”, he was A prominent figure in the Counter-reformation, who spread the
Catholic faith. He founded the “society of Jesus”, the Jesuits under the permission of Pope Paul III.
a. What organization did he form?
The Jesuits, “society of Jesus”
b. What were his beliefs?
He believed that a person could shape themselves and their own behavior through
disciplined study and regular practice.
c. Was he successful?
He did not stop the spread of Protestantism in Europe, however, through the Jesuits,
he did invigorate the Catholic Church during the 16th century.
24) What was decided at the Council of Trent (1545-1563)?
The council reaffirmed the church doctrine.
The Social Significance of the Reformation in Western Europe
25) How did education and the role of women basically change in this time period?
Many new Protestant schools and universities were formed which rejected Scholasticism and embraced
many new reforms which embodied humanistic ideals, including studia humanitatis. The importance
of home and family increased among many Protestants, so did the authority of women. During
this time women gained equality to males within the realm of the household. Women and girls
were urged to learn literacy in the vernacular and to get an education, in order to create pious
wives and pious children.
Family Life in Early Modern Europe
26) What were some of the basic tenants of family life during this time?
Marital (especially with a great age gap) and Familial relationship were tenuous. Wet nursing was
prominent, especially among wealthier families. Many children were sent off to apprenticeships at a
young age. Partners, prents, and children had colder, more distant relationships.
Literary Imagination in Transition
27) Who was Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)?
A great writer of Spain, his writing explored the strengths and weaknesses of traditional religious
idealism.
a. What did he write?
Don Quixote
b. Where was he from?
Spain
c. What is special about his writing?
His work was a satire on the surface but delved deeper, where it appealed to many
philosophers, theologians, and literature students.
28) Who was William Shakespeare (1564-1616)?
A famous English poet and playwright, politically conservative to today’s standard.
a. What did he write?
 Richard III , Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and
more.

b. Where was he from?

England
c. What is special about his writing?
His work struck universal human themes; many were often deeply
rooted in contemporary religious traditions.

Essay Questions
I. Discuss the political and social consequences of the Protestant Reformation in the first
half of the sixteenth century.

Thesis: As the Protestant Reformation struck out in the sixteenth century there were many
consequences which followed, the biggest of those consequences were social as Protestants and
Catholics begin a tenuous opposition which is only the beginning to a long road of social strife.
II. To what extent did political authorities influence the course of the Protestant Reformation
in the sixteenth century?
Thesis: During the sixteenth there were many prominent figures that influenced the Protestant
Reformation, while some may argue that religious figures made great impact of the Reformation,
political authorities had the greatest impact on the course of the reformation in there power to
control the religion of a state.

Paragraph 1: The Peace of Augsburg greatly impacted the Reformation as it was the first step to
the implementation of Protestantism at a state-wide level.
Evidence:
German princes could choose the religion of their state, one of those choices being Lutheran.
Lutherans could finally practice their religion freely.
Calvinists were not recognized which would lead to their revolution and liberation later.

Paragraph 2: Henry VIII was the first singular ruler to implement Protestantism as a national
religion in opposition to the Catholic Church.
Evidence:
His doing would lead to later political liberation of other monarchs.
Gave many protestant believers that there was hope in the separation from the church.
“Act of Supremacy” important in later English Protestantism

Paragraph 3: Edward VI expanded Henry VIII’s spiritual rule.

The book of common prayer was implemented in all English churches, making the English
church “actually protestant” (opposed to Henry’s superficial proclaimation)
Henry’s six articles were repealed.

Conclusion: Political authorities had such a great impact on the course of the Protestant
Reformation in the 16th century because they could single handedly change the religion of their
state. This was crucial as it liberated many Protestants for the first time, and fueled their hope for
separation from the church. Without these authorities the Protestant Reformation would never
have gained momentum.
 III. Describe and analyze the ways in which the development of printing altered both the
culture and the religion of Europe during the period 1450-1600.
The invention of the printing press was crucial piece in the building of Europe; its ability to
reproduce literature prompted the flow of ideas and education, which would alter Europe’s
culture and religion indefinitely.
IV. Describe and analyze the ways in which 16th century Roman Catholics defended their
faith against the Protestant Reformation.
Just as the Protestants were strong in their goal for recognition, Roman Catholics were aggressive
in the defense of Catholicism; through the many orders, the Jesuits, and the Council of Trent
Roman Catholics defended their faith.
Do the following for ALL the prompts:
1) Write a thesis statement. It should include the main Ideas that you will discuss in each paragraph.
Make sure that it answers the question.
Select one prompt and create an outline
1) What is the main idea of your first paragraph? This should be a complete sentence.
1. What evidence will you use to support this idea?
2) What is the main idea of your second paragraph? This should be a complete sentence.
1. What evidence will you use to support this idea?
3) What is the main idea of your third paragraph? This should be a complete sentence.
1. What evidence will you use to support this idea?
4) Write your concluding paragraph. How will you end your essay?