Palmer Wars of Religion FRQ

Describe and analyze the changes that led to Europe's rapid population growth in the 18^th c.

1. Internal Improvements in health and agriculture

• New agricultural improvements allow for increased food production, the lowering of food prices, and an overall bettering of the agricultural system

  • Jethro Tull's new iron plow and seed drill

  • New farming techniques such as the open field system

• Crops from the new world lead to healthier diets for the Europeans, and thereby a longer lifespan and increased population

• Decline of the Bubonic plague and increased awareness to health and hygiene leads to longer lives as well

2. Improvements in the global economy and working class life

• The development of foreign markets helps spur competition and capitalist enterprises

• European nations now have established colonies that lead to profitable gains for the country

• Throughout Europe, merchant capitalism, domestic industry, and mercantilism had been and would continue to grow rapidly

• At home, the domestic working class had established a good system of working from their homes

• Paid based off of their production, not a salary, so hard work is encouraged

3. Political Improvements

• Overall improvement of law and order, much larger sense of security

• End of many of the brutal religious civil wars

• Now, wars are for territorial gains and are much more reserved and tactful, rather than bloody brawls

Nicholas Malebranche, On Witchcraft

Nicholas Malebranche, An Excerpt from Search After Truth

Perry Sourcebook, Vol. 1 [pp. 355-357]

The Cartesian rationalist Nicholas Malebranche believed widespread fears of witchcraft to be a misguided, but understandable outlet of frustration for those exploited by society. Nevertheless, he, too, believed that witches were a real problem for society

A rationalist perspective
Malebranche was a student of Descartes, and he carried the same belief in a rational world
Thus, he looks at the social factors of France in a distinctly objective manner, quite literally projecting them onto his idea of a Cartesian coordinate system

Malebranche's analysis: the causes of witch paranoia
1. Local beliefs: many local cultures still retained a "pagan" understanding of the world, which often included witchcraft.
2. A negative view of life: Malebranche describes witchcraft as an "invisible power which thinks only about harming [those affected]." For the rural poor who so often accused people of witchcraft, life (and its cruel outcomes) was often determined by these outside forces. Thus, witches became an easy scapegoat.
3. Oral tradition: "Superstitions are not easily destroyed," Malebranche writes. Because these beliefs were passed down from generation to generation, they were deeply entrenched in the consciences of

Implications
Malebranche explores a more objective branch of social science, but still himself believes that witches exist.
In this sense, this phase of early Modern Europe has not fully embraced a rationalist perspective--it still lies somewhere in-between

Palmer #16, Question 4

Palmer #16, Question 4

Will Stewart

“Summarize and evaluate the Peace of Westphalia with respect to a) the religious settlement, b) territorial changes, c) constitutional issues within the Holy Roman Empire. Of what significance was the Peace of Westphalia for modern international relations?”

I. Background

a. Peace talks of Thirty Years War

b. Talks began in 1644, towns of Munster and Osnabruck

c. Attended by each individual German state

d. Hundreds of diplomats attended- from the HRE, Spain, France, Sweden, Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Venice, other Italian cities, the Pope

e. HRE reached settlement in 1648

II. Religious settlement

a. Put an official end to Counter Reformation in Germany

b. Renewed terms of Peace of Augsburg

i. Allowed each German state to determine religion

ii. Added Calvinism as option along with Lutheranism and Catholicism

c. Church territories secularized after 1552 were given entirely to Protestants

III. Territorial changes

a. Dutch and Swiss no longer belong to HRE

b. United Provinces and Swiss cantons (Helvetic Body)

c. French took control of small territories- Lorraine bishoprics

d. Sweden received new territories in Northern Germany

IV. Constitutional issues

a. Over 300 German states became virtually sovereign

i. Each had international relations and made treaties independently

b. HRE could not make new laws, could not raise taxes, could not recruit soldiers, could not declare war or ratify peace terms without consent of Imperial estates

i. Virtually impossible, never could happen

c. HRE ceases to be a real political entity

V. Significance in modern international relations

a. Made it clear that Europe was divided into independent sovereign states

b. People stopped pretending that Europe was significantly unified, religiously or politically

A Defense of Liberty Against Tyrants

The French Huguenots had a defense of their revolts against their Catholic lords: their true sovereign was God, and his vassal was the lord, so if the orders of the two conflicted, the Huguenots would have the right to disobey their lord.

Principles on which these Huguenots Lived:

· Lords must adhere to the doctrine of the Gospel

· Kings should be the vassals to God

· If God should hold the place of sovereign Lord, and the king as vassal, then a proud man should be obedient to God before his Lord if their orders contradict

· They believe they have the right to defend themselves in the same manner they are attacked

o i.e. sword for sword, words for words

· Seeing as the people choose and establish kings, it follows that the whole body of the people is above the king

· In the case that the Tyrant Kings should be intrusive upon civilian rights (as they were to the Huguenots and their religion), the laws of nature, of nations, and the Civil commands us to take arms against such tyrants

o Therefore, the meanest private man may resist and lawfully oppose such an intruding tyrant

Palmer #15, Question 3

Palmer #15, Question 3

Will Stewart

“Of what long-range significance was the position taken by the politiques in the civil wars of France?”

1. Background

a. Fought between Huguenots (Calvinists) and Catholics

b. Largely in an absence of government

c. English sided with Protestants, Spain sided with Catholics

d. Neither side could win

2. Influence of politiques on civil wars

a. Moderates from both sides began to feel that too much emphasis was being placed on religion

b. “No doctrine was important enough to justify everlasting war”

c. Secular rather than religious viewpoint

d. Willing to overlook religion if people would simply obey the king

e. Put hopes in monarchy

3. Long-term significance

a. France emerged from religious wars as modern state

b. Emphasis on royal absolutism and the sovereign state completely outside the realm of religion

du Plessis-Mornay, "A Defense of Liberty against Tyrants"

Du Plessis-Mornay defends the right of the people to resist a ruler who violates God’s Law, particularly to defend the position of the Hugenots.

• Rulers have a social contract with their people, and if the ruler does not respect his end of the contract (by ruling justly), the people have the right to disrespect the ruler
• Rulers have risen up from the common masses and were elected or approved by the people, so the people have the power to deem the ruler incompetent if necessary
• Rulers must, by their nature, conform to the laws that they stand for
• Rulers have a covenant with God, as stated in the old testament, that the ruler must obey God and respect his people; if he does not do this, he must be punished by both God and the people
• The people have just as much responsibility to respect the ruler as the ruler does to respect the people, otherwise the social contract fails