THE RELIGION WARS
1550
Valladolid debate. Las Casas views triumph over Sepulveda’s and judges and troops are sent to the America’s to make the settlers to obey the Laws of Indias. (They will be just a bit more effective than IOTL).
1551 The Hapsburg house suffers a terrible blow when the Bohemian and Moravian lands rebel with support from the Emperor. An ottoman army raids Bavaria and Tyrol, but the just sack some towns, burn the fields and take some cattle.
The Pope makes a call to the English king to participate a council to end the division of Christianity, but Edward’s envoyees do not arrive on time to Rome before war erupts.
The combined fleets of Spain and France attack England. The French manage to land an army near Dover, although the French fleet suffers terrible losses in the process. Calais is also under siege of French forces. A Spanish army lands in Ireland, sparking a rebellion against the English. Catholic agents try to arise the local catholic population but to no effect. In the north the Scottish invade a siege York.
The French army defeats the English one, but it is unable to siege London, lacking supplies it has to retreat to the south of London during the winter. The situation of the Allies is better in Ireland as English forces return to England and abandon the island.
Henry II publishes the edict of Orleans: the Huguenots will be expelled of France. Some rebel, but the majority flees to the north of Flanders where the local Calvinists shelter them.
The Spanish court is officially established in Seville, where Miguel I orders the building of an impressive Royal Palace.
Foundation of the University of Mexico.
1552 Charles of Hapsburg meets John Frederick of Saxony in Magdeburg. The Holy Roman Empire is transformed into the German Empire, Charles recognizes John Frederick as the only Emperor. Bohemia and Moravia are ceded to Ludwig of Wittelsbach as compensation for his rights over Bavaria. The protestant part of Flanders is ceded to the Emperor. All the catholic bishoprics are deprived of their Elector character.
John Frederick of Saxony dies and Maurice of Saxony is the new Emperor.
During the summer campaign, the Spanish army reinforced with Irish militias lands in Wales and the North West of England, defeating Edward’s army near Manchester while French forces siege London again.
An Imperial army under Maurice of Saxony enters France, but they are defeated near St. Quentin. However the French victory is pyrrhic and inconclusive. Maurice retreats to Germany.
Edward VI is captured near Oxford by a small French force.
Foundation of Niew Amsterdam IOTL Ghana, thousands of calvinist colonists are sent there to alleviate the situation in the Netherlands.
1553 Emperor Maurice dies. Augustus of Wettin is appointed as new German Emperor. Charles of Hapsburg disputes him the throne with the help of some Elector Princes.
Edward is forced to cede the crown to Mary, who grants Irish independence. The Irish nobles accept a Spanish prince, Fernando de Trastámara, married to a French princess as king.
1554 The Huguenot Diaspora moves to northern Germany and Niew Amsterdam as the Netherlands cannot host more refugees.
After the victory of the Restoration League, Charles of Hapsburg calls for the creation of an alliance of Catholic German princes for the liberation of Austria. Augustus who is enraged after Charles dared to dispute him the Imperial crown agrees with the ottomans to remain neutral in their conflict with the Hapsburg.
Fearing religious violence, thousands of Scottish Calvinists flee to Norway and Denmark.
1555 Miguel I accepts French presence in the Americas in the territory of Nouvelle Bretagne (OTL Georgia) and to the north. Scotland receives also permission for the creation of some colonies in the North of America (around Manhattan Island and Chesapeake bay).
Charles of Hapsburg dies in Innsbruck. His son Philip receives the lands of his father.
The Royal Palace of Seville is finished, becoming one of the wonders of the world.
1556 The Spanish Bishops propose to hold an ecumenical to solve the Imperial issue, the Reformation and the Turkish threat.
Emperor Augustus I invades the Netherlands trying to crush the Calvinist rebels. Henry II, fearing that he would invade France, mobilizes his army and requires Scottish and Spanish help.
Miguel I sends an small army to Naples. He plans to lead it to the North of Italy and then to Austria to fight against the turks, but he falls ill.
Mary I of England restores the Catholic Church in England and pursues non-Catholics that flee from England in another exodus. The German Emperor, enraged, decrees similar measures, depriving catholics of most of their civilian rights.
The following months the roads in Europe will be flooded with refugees fleeing from religious violence. Bands of Catholics group and present resistance in Germany. Bands of Calvinists and Anglicans start a guerrilla war in Scotland and England, while Calvinists in France also fight the royal forces.
1558 A Papal-Spanish army enters Austria from the south reaching Munich under the command of the Duke of Alva. They recover some towns in Austria and Tyrol.
Several skirmishes between French and Imperial forces take place in Lorraine.
Intense diplomatic activity and several attacks over corsair ports make the mahgreb princedoms to move away from the ottoman orbit. Some of them even declare themselves as Spanish Vassals.
Mary of England dies heirless. Causing a crisis with France and Spain that do not accept Elisabeth (that is in Denmark) as heir, and do not accept the others candidates, Mary Stuart or Fernando of Ireland. Finally Emmanuele Filiberto is accepted as king of England after abdicating of the Saboyan crown.
1559 An Ottoman army invades Italy threatening the Spanish communication lines with northern Italy.
Venice is under siege. The Dux proposes a Peace treaty to Suleiman. That he accepts in exchange of Cyprus and Crete. Henry II prepares to move to Milan.
1561 Battle of Pavia: the Ottoman army invades Milan in order to cut the Papal territories from France. They are stopped by Pavia where a French garrison resists; when everything seems lost a Spanish army under command of Alva appears from the North. The Ottoman army caught between two fires is crushed and destroyed.
Suleiman’s advisors notice that the ottoman army is badly outclassed by western style armies with more firepower and discipline. Unfortunately the only solution they find is hiring German mercenaries.
The Spanish army invades Venice and occupies it, preparing to recover the rest of Austria.
Augustus tries to create an army to invade France as the French king is busy in Italy, but the electors are tired of fighting other Christian nations that are fighting Muslim forces. They start to consider Spanish proposals about having an ecumenical council to settle all those disputes.
1562 Hispano-Hapsburg forces retake Graz.
The application Martín de Azpilicueta and the School of Salamanca’s ideas impulse an economic boom in Spain with the help of the American silver. Trade and banking start to be seen by Spanish noblemen as a way of increasing their power and not as a dirty activity. Wool will be woven in factories in Burgos, Valladolid and Santander. On the other hand the Cortes claims more power and regular meetings. The King is forced to cede in order to get money to support the army in Austria.
Construction of the cathedral of Merida in Mexico.
1565 A huge army composed of Spanish, Catholic germans, Italians and French led by Philip of Hapsburg and the Duke of Alva retakes and holds Vienna. The ottomans make up to three attempts to recover it, but their army is exhausted and they finally retreat to Buda.
The Great Mosque is converted back into a Cathedral.
Infant Miguel, heir of the Spanish crown, marries Mary of Hapsburg, sister of Philip.
1566
Suleiman “the Magnificent” dies.
The defeat in Vienna and the death of Suleiman causes riots in Istanbul. The crowds blame Roxelana and his son. Finally Selim II becomes Sultan after a civil war that will last ten months.
Several battles are fought in Bavaria, Flanders and the Rhine, some favour the Emperor and others not. Europe is exhausted and finally Lutherans and Catholics agree to hold a Council in Strasburg.
1568-1572 The Council of Strasburg ends without reconciliation between Catholics and Reformed, but they agree that the lands will follow the faith of their rules but free passage would be allowed to followers of other faiths to settle in other places. The Emperor would give back the Hapsburg lands back except those where the Protestants are a majority (like Moravia and Bohemia) and the German Empire will only include Reformed Church lands.
The Catholics will recreate again the Holy Roman Empire.
The Papacy that was holding Venice, cedes it to Philip of Hapsburg as a counterweight to the power of France and Spain in Italy.
Selim offers shelter to all the prosecuted by their religion in Christian Europe, the proposal is accepted by lots of Calvinists that try to make their way to the Empire.
1569 Small clashes are fought between ottoman and Austrian forces in Hungary.
Birth of Infant Diego to Mary and Miguel the heir to the Spanish throne.
Philip I is crowned in Vienna as Holy Roman Emperor.
Miguel I will not attend to the coronation as he dies in Naples. He will be known as Miguel I “el Grande”. His heir Miguel is crowned in Seville.
1571
The Miquelinas islands (OTL Philippines) are incorporated to the Spanish crown and named after the new king. Foundation of Manila.
1572 Miguel II calls for a crusade in Morocco against the sultan of Fez.
The French manage to create some factories in India, while Scotland builds factories in the Cape.
Riots in Amsterdam between Catholics and Calvinists endanger the conclusion of Strasbourg council.
1574 Declaration of Metz in which the Lutheran and Catholic churches agree to start theological discussions, condemn the prosecution on religious issues of Christians and the primacy of the Papacy plus the college of Cardinals. The Calvinists drop from the declaration and the tension arises in the territories where they are majority.
Bullinger claims from Zurich that the German reformed church has committed treachery over Luther’s legacy.
Riots between Catholics and Calvinists arise in several Swiss towns.
1575 Fez is conquered by Miguel II.
Religious riots between Calvinists and Catholic-Lutherans spark all around Europe. They are especially intense in the Netherlands and France.
1576 New Religion Laws in France where the Huguenots are expelled. Thousands of them will flee to Calvinist Switzerland and to the Ottoman Empire.
The Netherlands rebel against the German Emperor and the exiled Calvinists in Norway flee to the Netherlands. Due to the increased population, the United Provinces meditate creating some colonies in Africa and decree the expulsion of Catholics and Lutherans.
1578 The German Emperor is unable to control the rebellion in the Netherlands. The catholic swiss cantons accept Hapsburg rule in exchange for protection against the Calvinist ones.
A Spanish fleet sacks and destroys Niew Amsterdam, they abandon the burned town and check periodically to verify that they have been eradicated. However the colonists moved to the interior where they took control of the Sultanate of Mali. Tumbuktu is renamed New Jerusalem and the Sultanate as the Free Republic of Afrika.
1582 Martin VI is elected Pope by a cardinal college including Catholic and Lutheran cardinals. The Schism is officially closed. However the German church keeps her Patriarcade. The Danish and Swedish Protestant churches under pressure of their kings will remain independent although they agree to settle many theological issues. The Polish Reformed Church will also keep her Patriarcade and close ties with Rome.
The Basque towns request again participation in Castilian courts and full incorporation in the Castilian crown. This time Miguel II accepts.
1585 Emperor Augustus I dies, his son Christian I is appointed as Emperor.
Some units formed by calvinist christians are used by the Ottoman army against Persia with an incredible effect. The new military advances will be soon incorporated to the rest of the Imperial army.
1591 Henry II of France dies. Francis II is crowned and will follow a more aggressive policy in the Colonies against the Spanish.
The Spanish Cortes ask for more political reformations. Miguel II cedes in some points but forces all the Cortes of the three Kingdoms (Castile, Portugal and Aragon) to be held in Seville in a Palace built specially for them. The Trastamara king thinks that this way he could control them easily or even use the delegates of towns of one Kingdom against another.
1592 England creates some factories in the Caribbean and Africa with Spanish permission.
Innocentius X is elected Pope. He was a Spanish cardinal and his election reflects the power of Spain.
1595 Incorporation of most of Tunis to the Spanish crown.
1596 Growing tensions between France and Savoy.
1598 Reorganization of the overseas Hispanic Possessions, the trade with the colonies boosts the creation of private enterprises. The School of Salamaca of Economy is created.
1599 Some members of the School of Salamanca are given possitions in the Universities of Sto. Domingo and Mexico. Incorporation to the Spanish cortes of representatives of the towns of the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily.
