Schmalkaldic Wars
Definition
The Schmalkaldic Wars were a series of conflicts that took place in the mid-16th century between the forces of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the Lutheran Schmalkaldic League within the domains of the Holy Roman Empire.
Analogy
Think of it like a schoolyard fight where two groups, each with their own beliefs about what's right (in this case, religious beliefs), are battling it out. Just like how these fights can cause chaos in school, so did these wars cause upheaval throughout Europe.
Related terms
Holy Roman Empire: A multi-ethnic complex of territories in Western and Central Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806.
Charles V: Ruler of both the Spanish Empire from 1516 and the Holy Roman Empire from 1519, as well as of Habsburg Netherlands from 1506. He voluntarily stepped down from these and other positions by a series of abdications between 1554 and 1556.
Lutheranism: A major branch of Protestant Christianity which identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German friar, ecclesiastical reformer, and theologian.
"Schmalkaldic Wars" appears in:
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Practice Questions (3)
- Which ruler fought against Protestant German states in the Schmalkaldic Wars?
- Who was the Holy Roman Emperor during the Diet of Worms and the Schmalkaldic Wars?
- What was the outcome of the Schmalkaldic Wars?
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