Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Protestantism Across Europe, 1562-1569 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Protestantism & the Habsburgs in Europe - Timeline & Summary
England was not the only place that experienced Protestantism. Europe had a growing Protestant community. Due to their limited power, most European Protestants were poorly treated. The Habsburgs were the family dynasty that ran the majority of Europe. Habsburg power rose in the 14th and 15th centuries. By Elizabeth’s reign, the Spanish Habsburgs and the Austrian Habsburgs controlled large swathes of Europe. This included the Netherlands and sections of modern-day Germany, France and Italy. The House of Habsburg was zealously Catholic. In 1452, the German King Frederick V became the Holy Roman Emperor. As the Holy Roman Emperor, the Habsburg King Fredrick became the most important ruler in Europe. The Holy Roman Empire controlled a large area of Central Europe. The role of the Holy Roman Emperor, especially after the Reformation, was to unite and strengthen European Catholicism. Under Habsburg rule, European Protestants struggled to survive. They faced violent persecution, particularly in France and the Spanish Netherlands. Elizabeth became a figurehead for European Protestants. She had to decide the extent to which she would help European Protestants in their struggle against the Habsburgs. |
Protestantism in France
A religious war broke out in France in 1562 between the Protestant Huguenots and the Catholic nobility
Causes of the French Wars of Religion
The French ruler Catherine de Médici showed more tolerance to the Protestant Huguenots
This angered a powerful Catholic family called the Guise. They massacred a Huguenot congregation
The Huguenots started an uprising
Elizabeth’s Reaction to the French War of Religion
In 1562, Elizabeth decided to help the Huguenots
The French Wars of Religion worried Elizabeth. The war could have inspired a similar conflict in England
If the Protestants succeeded, Elizabeth hoped to negotiate the return of Calais to England as a reward for England’s support of their cause
Elizabeth’s plan failed
The Huguenots made peace with the Catholics
Elizabeth signed the Treaty of Troyes (1564), which conclusively stated that Calais belonged to France
Spain and France were great rivals in this period. As the Spanish Habsburgs had an interest in France, her actions only achieved annoying Phillip II of Spain
Protestantism in the Spanish Netherlands
In the 16th century, the Netherlands belonged to Spain
It was a core part of the Spanish Habsburg territory
King Philip II of Spain was angry with Elizabeth because:
Elizabeth had rejected Philip’s offer of marriage after the death of his wife and Elizabeth’s half-sister, Mary I
Elizabeth’s support of Protestant rebels in France frustrated Philip
Philip’s anger resulted in a trade embargo of English cloth to the Netherlands
Philip believed that the cloth trade spread Protestantism into the Netherlands
As a consequence, Elizabeth stopped all trade with the Netherlands
Both countries suffered economically from this lack of trade. The trade embargo only lasted a year
Spain’s power scared Elizabeth
Spain and France could ally against her
As both countries were Catholic, an alliance between France and Spain would have the support of the Pope
The Pope had asked France and Spain to depose Elizabeth’s father Henry VIII in the 1530s for creating the Church of England. It was likely the Religious Settlement in 1559 would cause the Pope to have a similar reaction to Elizabeth
England's Involvement in the Dutch Revolt
What Happened in the Dutch Revolt?
The Duke of Alba and the Council of Troubles
King Phillip II of Spain sent the Duke of Alba to the Netherlands
His role was to end the Dutch Revolt
He became governor-general of the Spanish Netherlands in 1567
After he suppressed the Dutch Revolt in 1568, the Duke of Alba asserted his control over the Netherlands
Alba established the ‘Council of Troubles’
Dutch nobles and Spanish officials sat on the Council
The Council ignored local law and legal processes
The Council condemned many thousands of Protestants to death. The Council reasoned that Dutch Protestants had attacked Catholicism. The ‘Council of Troubles’ gained the nickname the ‘Council of Blood’
Thousands of Dutch Protestants fled to England to avoid persecution
Elizabeth’s Reaction to Spain’s Government of the Netherlands
Alba’s actions worried Elizabeth
Alba was ridding the Netherlands of Protestantism
The Netherlands was close to England. Elizabeth's advisers believed that Alba’s Counter-Reformation could spread to England
For some of Elizabeth’s subjects, this proved that Spain, as the biggest Catholic power, wanted to destroy Protestantism across Europe
Elizabeth also wanted to avoid causing war with Spain
Elizabeth did not want to become a martyr for Protestantism
She condemned the Dutch Protestants yet they continued to flee to England
She did not want to anger the Catholic nations of France and Spain
These countries were much stronger than England in the 1560s
Elizabeth did not have the resources to combat a united Catholic force under the direction of the Pope
Elizabeth’s involvement in the conflict in the Netherlands could trigger a civil war within England
Examiner Tips and Tricks
In your revision, try to link the different areas of the course together to get the full context of Elizabethan England. Elizabeth had implemented her Religious Settlement in 1559. The issue of religion in England was still contentious, especially among Catholics. Elizabeth needed to ensure international religious conflicts had a limited impact on England. Elizabeth’s work to resolve England’s religious tensions could easily be undone.
What did Elizabeth do to Help the Dutch Protestants?
Elizabeth pursued an obstructive rather than aggressive strategy against Spain
In 1567, Elizabeth allowed the Sea Beggars to dock in England’s harbours
The Sea Beggars were Dutch rebels who attacked Spanish ships. The ships they targeted contained Alba’s men and resources
In 1568, Elizabeth triggered an event known as the ‘Genoese Loan’
Elizabeth allowed Spanish ships carrying gold to dock in English ports
The gold came from bankers from the Italian city of Genoa. Spain had requested the loan to pay Alba’s forces
When Elizabeth discovered the gold, she took it for herself
She argued that the money belonged to the Genoese bankers, not Spain
Philip II of Spain was incredibly angry
Events in England made Elizabeth’s actions even riskier
In 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots fled to England from Scotland. English Catholics believed that she had a stronger claim to the throne than Elizabeth
Mary, Queen of Scots could have received support from Philip to overthrow Elizabeth
In 1569, The Revolt of the Northern Earls had hoped to gain support from Alba’s troops. While this help did not arrive, it showed that some English Catholics were willing to violently rebel against Elizabeth
If other English Catholics decided to revolt, there would be more willingness from Spain and the Pope to support Catholic plots
Worked Example
Describe one feature of the Dutch Revolt, 1566-68
2 marks
Answers:
One feature of the Dutch Revolt was Spain’s use of violence to suppress it (1). In 1567, Philip II of Spain sent the Duke of Alba and an army of 10,000 to attack the Dutch rebels (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Some students are tempted to write more than one feature for this question. This is unnecessary and not an effective use of your time. Focus on the one required feature of the Dutch Revolt.
This question previously asked students to describe two features of a given event. This question was out of four marks. However, as of 2025, Edexcel will split this question into two subsections, asking you to describe a feature of two different events. Each subsection is worth two marks.
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