Renaissance, Reformation & Realpolitik

Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen

Martin Luther
The Renaissance - a rebirth in the ideas and ideals of the antiquity - was directing man to focus
his attention on the here and now instead of the here after. At around the same time, a revolution
in thought was spreading north from its humble beginnings in the hands of a distraught monk who
simply wrote for reform in the dogma of the Catholic Church. n the heels of this iconoclastic
tremor, an !nglish "ing would purse his own personal goals under the guise of Realpoilitk.
#oosely defined, it means $realism in politics.$ %n short, one must first divorce all notions of
morality and ethics from his or her actions, then religiously follow the rule of $ends &ustifies the
means$ to its final end game. 'hile we all have varying levels of cynicism when it comes to the
$moral and ethical motivations$ of our political leaders, professional athletes or even those around
us, the concept is certainly not a ()
st
century phenomena. n the contrary, one needs to look no
further than *enry +%%% to find one of its greatest practitioners. ,ivorcing morality and ethics -or
&ust plain divorce, for that matter. would not be a problem, for he had a singular purpose - to
produce an $heir for the chair.$ %n the end, a nation would have to change religions, a couple of
wives would have to lose their heads, and the /ope would be $e0cused$ from !ngland - all so
*enry could get a son...now that$s realpolitik.
Preparation
I. Reading1 )2)2, A Contemporary Description of King Henry VIII -/rimary 3ource.
II. Reading1 )245, The !0ecution of 6ary 7ueen of 3cots -/rimary 3ource.
%%%. +ideo1 Henry VIII, Marigical History Tour
Key terms
%. 8The "ing$s 9reat 6atter8
%%. *enry +%%%
%%%. 6ary %
%+. !li:abeth %
+. Tower of #ondon
+%. /rotestant Reformation
Focus Questions
i. 8The ,ivine Right of "ings81 #eaders, even today, make a connection to 9od. 'hy;
*ow do you challenge someone picked by 9od; 'hat are the consequences;
ii. Elizabeth Tudor has been regarded as the greatest monarch in English history. What
made Elizabeth great?
Lecture Notes
Realpolitik (realism in politics)
i. /racticed by *enry +%%% < in real terms it means the ends &ustifies the means.
ii. /olitical policy is based on practical considerations rather than ideological
considerations. ften power is the only consideration < what was moral would be
disregarded in order to accomplish goals and to ensure powerful alliances.
iii. ,o you agree with this political philosophy; 'hen should it be practiced;
he Renaissance (!ne" #irth!) $ so "hat chan%e&, "here an& most importantly '
"hy(
i. There was a huge decrease in the !uropean population following the =lack ,eath.
This allowed for social mobility that was unimaginable during the middle ages. Coupled
with the ideas the 9reek knowledge that had returned with the Crusaders, the
renaissance would represent on a true rebirth in 'estern !urope. 'hat is meant by
>social mobility?;
ii. %t began in %taly and represented a (@@-year outburst of art, science, philosophy and
knowledge. %taly was fertile ground for the start of the Renaissance for several reasons.
The %talian peninsula had suffered less from the collapse of the Roman !mpire than the
rest of 'estern !urope as the Catholic Church maintained literacy and some central
authority. 6any of the Crusades had departed and returned to %taly, much of the AnewB
information they discovered was brought back therefore to %taly first. Cinally, independent
city-states within %taly competed with each other to be the best in terms of art culture and
architecture. *ow and why would city-states compete with each other;
iii. The Catholic Church played a huge role in the Renaissance, as the /ope would
commission artists such as 6ichelangelo and Rafael to work on a variety of artist
endeavors within the +atican. The Church also was in many ways functioned as the
government and was a huge economic enterprise. There was a demand for secular
education, as the church required the Renaissance equivalent of an accountant. The
Church had maintained literature and writing throughout the middle ages, providing the
basis for education moving into the Renaissance. ,espite all of this the Church would
later become the greatest opponent to the 3cientific Revolution. 'hy would the Church
oppose the 3cientific Revolution after maintaining the arts and literature for so long;
iii. The merchant class would emerge as national and international trade grew through
this era. This class was in a unique position in %taly and other !uropean nations. They
did not belong to clergyD they were not part of the landing owning aristocracy from the
medieval era and they far too wealthy to be peasants. 6erchants e0isted outside of the
established social pyramid and they would begin to demand their share of power within
society. They would prove to be the catalyst for social change for the ne0t three hundred
years. 'hat class would this provide the basis for moving forward;
iv. Eohann 9utenberg < a 9erman inventor that created the first printing press with
movable type. This invention would make the written word available to everyone in the
vernacular. 'hy was writing in the vernacular important important; 'hat did the printing
press do to the value of books;
v. Remember, the Renaissance did not spread evenly throughout !urope < some
nations started the Renaissance as other were finishing. Although it is easy to try to think
of history in nice neat bo0es, it doesnBt fit.
T*%F" A=GT %T < have you ever heard some referred to as a >renaissance man?;
'hat does this mean; %s it a complement or did someone &ust insult you; 'ho was the
first >renaissance man?; "eep this mindD we will come back to it tomorrow at the start of
our lecture and during morning notes.
Renaissance an& )n%lan&
i. %t is arguable how much of this physical and spiritual e0pansion had immediate effect
on the great ma&ority of the population of =ritain. *owever, the Renaissance certainly
influenced court life, courtly manners and architectural buildings, and *enry +%% and
*enry +%%% in !ngland, and Eames %+, Eames + and 6ary in 3cotland, were, in their own
ways, Renaissance monarchs.
Life in u&or )n%lan& * +u&or ,asics+
i. !ngland was very much a middling power in the )H
th
century. 3pain was the
preeminent power in !urope with a windfall of wealth from her new colonies in the
Americas.
ii. The population of !ngland was ( million -)2(@. and doubled to I million by )H@@. This
population boom results in high unemployment, crowded and unsanitary living
conditions, and high crime rates. There would be an increasing demand for new territory
to e0pand the influence of the "ing -and later 7ueen. and to provide living space for
!nglish colonists. ,id the !nglish succeed in their quest for e0pansion despite the
challenge of 3panish dominance of 3outh America; *int1 what language are you
reading right now;
iii. The currency1 /ounds, 3hillings and /ence. The 8J8 is for /ound -from the #atin libra,
meaning pound weight.
iv. ,isease1 the first year of life being the most dangerous - ) in 2 children die before
their first birthday. A full twenty-five percent never see their tenth birthday. This fact
contributed to the idea of original sin and the need for childhood baptism. As we make
our way around !urope we will pass by, and occasionally through, some very old
cemeteries. Take a look at the head stones < they tell a very real and grim story of
morality rates. %f that doesnBt get you thinking about how lucky we are to live in the world
of modern medicine wait until we get to the catacombsK
v. ,uring the Tudor era < e0ploration became far more common as merchants searched
for new and rare lu0ury items. The unfortunate side effect of global travel was the
introduction of new diseases to new areas. The results were often dire as was seen with
the introduction of tuberculosis and smallpo0 into the Americas. ther diseases came to
!urope with these travelers, such as syphilis, which appeared shortly after Columbus
returned from his first voyage. Typhus arrives from the 6iddle !ast and influenza from
China. /ersonal hygiene is poorD most Tudor era people are dirty L smelly with really
bad teethK =eware of streets called 8Rose Alley8 - it$s probably named after $plucking a
rose$ the !li:abethan slang for urinatingK
he Protestant Reformation & -enry .///
i. 6artin #uther, a Catholic priest, on (M ctober )2)H, at 'ittenberg -in modern
9ermany., nailed ninety-five theses in vernacular, condemning papal indulgences to the
door of a church. /osting ideas for debate at this time was a common practice, but this
particular posting would cause a rift with the Catholic Church that would change
Christianity forever. /ope #eo N accused 6artin #uther of heresy and risked
e0communication if he did not appear before the %mperial Assembly at the ,iet of 'orms
-located in the Rhine, 9ermany.. 'hat were these indulgences and why were they so
important to the Catholic Church;
ii. %n a five day meeting at the ,iet of 'orms #uther was found guilty of heresy. =efore a
punishment could be carried out, /rince Credrick smuggled #uther away to his 'artburg
Castle. #utherBs ideals would fuel several wars as /rotestants and Catholics would battle
for religious control of !urope. As we travel around !urope ask yourself, which side did
the people here support /rotestant or Catholic; 'hy;
iii. !ngland and 3cotland both re&ected #uther$s ideas and remained supporters of the
Catholic Church. %n )2(), as a reward for attacking #utheran ideas, /ope #eo N
conferred the title of fidei defensor -defender of the faith. on *enry +%%%. This wouldnBt
last, as *enry would put into practice realism in politics.
-enry ./// an& his ,a#y ,oy
i. *enry +%%% requested an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon when she
failed to produce and heir. The basis for the request of an annulment was that Catherine
had been married to *enryBs older brother Arthur, who had died in )2@(. This created
some really problems for the /ope as Catherine was the aunt of the *oly Roman
!mperor and "ing of 3pain Charles %. /ope Clement had to choose < grant *enry his
annulment and risk the wrath of the king or deny *enry and risk making an enemy in
!ngland. 'hy was a baby, specifically a boy, so important to *enry;
ii. The first discussions concerning the sub&ect had taken place in secret in 6ay )2(5,
but by Euly )2(O, Pope Clement VII had declared that the matter could only be settled in
Rome. After further inquiries, Clement +%% refused to grant permission for annulment, so
*enry began the process of a split with the Catholic Church. 'hy do you think Clement
sided with Charles and not *enry;
iii. Thomas More - a lawyer and #ord Chancellor tried to persuade *enry to take back
Catherine, and submit to Rome. 6ore resigns his post and refuses to take the ath that
recogni:es *enry as 3upreme Ruler. 6ore, later refused to attend the coronation of
Anne =oleyn. *is defiance lands him in the Tower of #ondon, where he is eventually
e0ecuted on Euly H
th
)2M2 for treason. *is head was stuck on #ondon =ridge where it
stayed for several months -his daughter later bought it..
iv. Aided by his new chief administrator, Thomas Cromwell, *enry was confirmed as
$3upreme *ead of the Church of !ngland$ following a parliamentary Act of 3upremacy in
Fovember )2MI. %t was one of the most blatant acts of $Realpolitik$. *enry then marries
Anne oleyn, and has a daughter !lizabeth I. Anne too does not produce a male heir.
3he is falsely charged with witchcraft, incest and adultery and is e0ecuted at the Tower
of #ondon on 6ay )O
th
)2MH.
v. f *enry$s subsequent wives1 "ane #eymour, Anne of Cle$es, Catherine Ho%ar& an&
Katherine Parr, only Eane is able to give *enry a son < !dward. 'hat happened to all of
*enryBs wives;
)0 he Rise of )li1a#eth * )n%lan&!s 2reatest Queen
i. *enry +%%% dies Ean (4
th
)2I5 - leaving his son !dward -later becomes !dward +%, the
first protestant monarch. in charge. 'hen !dward dies, a power struggle between 6ary,
a Catholic, and !li:abeth, a /rotestant, ensues.
ii. %nitially, the throne is given to #ady Eane 9rey - 8The O ,ay 7ueen8, by !dward +% &ust
before his death, in an attempt to avoid a Catholic revival. 3he is e0ecuted )22I,
whereupon, 6ary takes the throne.
iii. 6ary$s main ob&ectives as 7ueen1 Restore Catholicism to !ngland and prevent her
half-sister !li:abeth from succeeding her. 6ary persecutes and sentences nearly M@@
/rotestants to burn at the stake for heresy, earning her the title 8=loody 6ary8. 'hen we
visit the Tower of #ondon pay attention to the graffiti in the Tower and any dates you
might see. 'ho was locked up when;
iv. !li:abeth is arrested and sent to the Tower. Fumerous attempts to e0tract a
confession of crimes against the 7ueen fail. !li:abeth is released on partial *ouse-
Arrest.
v. Childless and possibly suffering from ovarian cancer, 6ary relents and passes the
empire to !li:abeth on her death bed, Fov )5
th
, )224. !li:abeth becomes the third
7ueen of !ngland.
$Her mind has no womanly weakness," "Her perseverance is equal to that o a
man, and her memory lon! keeps what it quickly picks up." "o!er Ascham
'hat was Ascham trying to say; *ow would you interpret this if someone said this about
a woman today;
vi. !li:abeth and 3pain < !li:abeth would support the ,utch in their rebellion against
/hillip %% of 3pain. /hillip was determined to crush the protestant and illegitimate 7ueen
of !ngland. *e sent the 3panish Armada to subdue !ngland. The destruction of /hillips
fleet would change the course of 'estern history and cement !li:abethBs reputation as a
great leader.
vii. Gnder !li:abeth$s I2 year reign, !nglish culture flourishes and is known as the
89olden Age8. 3he has her cousin, 6ary 7ueen of 3cots, e0ecuted for treason and
funds numerous voyages of e0ploration. 3he withstands the assault of the 3panish
Armanda in )244 and oversees the transition of !ngland from middling power to world
power. 'ith no heir, she passes control of the throne to Eames +% of 3cotland upon her
death in )H@M, ending the Tudor dynasty. *e later becomes Eames % of !ngland and
effectively unites the two countries.
3hat &i& the u&ors accomplish(
i. The Tudors were able to establish !ngland as a world power. They did so by
positioning their country as a peacemaker between the dueling powers of Crance and
3painPthe *oly Roman !mpire.
ii. They also gave !ngland a century of dynastic stability. 'ith the e0ception of #ady
Eane 9rey$s brief reign and Catholic attempts to place 6ary, 7ueen of 3cots, on
!li:abeth %$s throne, most Tudor monarchs came to the throne - and remained on the
throne - unchallenged.
iii. This lengthy period of peace allowed !ngland a much-needed respite from the
#ancastrian-Qorkist wars. The government ran more efficientlyD royal power replaced
that of aristocrats and there was a uniform system of &ustice and ta0ation throughout the
country. And, as always in times of peace, the arts flourished.