Part 41: Europa Universalis III: Chapter 11 - Reformation: 1500 - 1520

1500 - 1520: Reformation

Ernst II is a disinterested ruler who spends far more time hunting and throwing grand balls than on the matters of state. The only real effect of his rule is the establishment of yearly provincial festivals to celebrate the victory over France in a number of provinces.


Out of all the Swabian Emperors of past, he is among the least qualified to meet the revolution that is brewing in Brandenburg. The endless bribe wars between France and Swabia over the dominance of the Curia has turned Rome under Pope Innocentius VIII into a cesspool of corruption exceeding anything seen before. Every church of office is for sale, and Cardinals build enormous palaces while the Innocentius doles out church land to his many bastards. One summer day in 1500, a monk from Anhalt by the name of Martin Luther puts up 95 Theses against the sale of church offices on the door to the Cathedral of Anhalt. The Archbishop of Anhalt forces Luther into exile, and the monk flees to Brandenburg, where he finds a supporter in Charles James Hood, an english bishop serving at the Duke of Brandburg's court.

The subsquent reaction of the world takes everyone, most of all Martin Luther, by complete surprise.


The Pope first tries to force Luther to recant, and then excommunicates him. Unfortunately for the church, Brandenburg has become the world center for the printing arts, and printed editions of Luther's 95 Theses spread across the Empire, followed by the Brandenburg Bible, the first widely used Bible translation to German.

Discontent with Rome, and quite intrigued by Luther's ideas of obedience towards authority and the possibility of confiscating the extensive church lands, a number of lords in North Germany adopt the new faith, including most of the high nobility in Swabia's subject country Pommerania.


Following in its wake, the long-repressed Cathari faith joins arms with the Protestants, emerging once more to evangelise. Secret Cathari sects begin practicing openly, and by the time the Cathari gain their first significant supporter in Thüringia, several former Cathar states have adopted their old faith once more.


Ernst II remains passive, despite the fact that some of the newly converted states go so far as to secede from the Empire, citing the reason that they refuse to be ruled by a Catholic Emperor.


As the Catholic world begins to break apart, the Hammadid Caliph, having completely secured their hegemony over Iberia, has proclaimed himself to be Caliph of all Iberia, replacing the old feudal Hammadid ways with a new, centralized and exceptionally wealthy state.


By 1505, the Cathari faith has fully taken root in the lowlands, and Holland, Utrecht, Friesland and Gelre have all converted and broken their oaths of vassalage to Swabia. The entire Netherlands has been lost to the Empire, and still Ernst does nothing.


Not even when Cathar preachers begin mass converting the population of Ansbach does he do anything other than offer a lame condemnation before returning to the brilliant court life.


Finally, in 1506 Ernst's advisors succeed in waking up him up from his slumber, as Catharism spreads to Mainz, and the Pope begins to threaten Ernst with sanctions if he does not contain the heretical threat. Leaving the matter in the hands of the fanatically Catholic General Sülzla. Sülzla sends the Imperial Army against the Cathars, capturing and burning anyone suspected of being a Cathar. His heavy handed repression meets with success, though at the cost of destablizing much of Swabia for decades to come.


Meanwhile, Swabia's vassals continue to prove receptive to the new ideas, with the Dukes of Trier and Switzerland both converting to Lutheranism.


Sülzla next turns to Ansbach, sending in missionaries ahead of his troops to convert its population at the point of the sword.


By 1507, much of North Germany has become Protestant, and Catharism is marching through Burgundy, Flanders and Northern Swabia.


Innocentius VIII dies in 1508. The new Pope, Pius II, is a brutal and effective man, who immediately sets about addressing the schism threatening the very survival of the mother church. He charges Emperor Ernst with convening the Council of Landshut in Niederbayern.


The Council spawns the movement of Counter-Reformation, which is quickly adopted by the rulers of Europe that remain devoutly Catolic.



With Sülzla brutally clamping down on heretics the borders of Swabia, the main threat to the Hohenzollerns from the counter-reformation is a massive loss of support - several electors have converted and even among those who remain Catholic, Ernst's apathy in the face of so many member states seceding has crippled Swabia's prestige and standing, and Swabia now only maintains a narrow majority in the Electoral College.


Protestant risings continue in spite of the Counter-Reformation, as Irish Protestants rise against the rule of the newly proclaimed Great Britain.


France, whose ignorant serf population have been largely unaffected by the spread of the new faith, is quick to abuse the new situation to expand, subjugating Brittany, annexing the now unprotected Holland, and even starting and winning a short war against Iberia.




Protestant Denmark rises in revolt against Scandinavia in 1512.


Later in the same year, war is sparked between Cathar Verona and Austria over the succession of the Duchy of Urbino. Since Verona is the aggressor, Ernst is bound to intervene, once again leaving the matter to Sülzla.


Sülzla immediately sends two-thirds of the army against Verona, scattering its small army and letting his troops loose against its heretical population.


Verona and Mantua are taken through storm, and Verona is forced to cede Mantua to Swabia. Shortly thereafter, Verona also agrees to peace with Austria, ceding their claims to the throne of Urbino.



The annexation of Mantua is, mildly worded, not received well among the Electors. They sign a petition demanding an official apology and the return of Mantua to Verona. Pius II, on the other hand, urges Ernst not to return the province to Cathar rule.


Still, even Ernst is intelligent enough to realize that pressing through the annexation would have... consequenses.


Instead, he opts to compromise, making Mantua an Imperial City and a part of the Imperial Demesne. Even this is far from enough to placate the Electors, however, and Ernst's advisors tell him that any further land conquests on his part may result in open revolt or even a breaking of the Empire.


Verona resigns its Electoral status and withdraws from the Empire in protest, a move that turns out to not have been all that wise when they are immediately invaded and annexed by their neighbour Venice.



In autumn of 1513, the efforts to purge the heresy in Ansbach come to an end, with a frightened and decimated population that is once again adherant to the one true faith.


The revolt in Denmark is also over, although Protestism itself is spreading over Scandinavia at an alarming rate.


Religious uprisings in the Empire remain an almost weekly occurance, which Sülzla continues to combat with undiminished enthusiasm and brutality.


Ernst drinks himself to death in 1515. He leaves no legitimate heir, so the throne passes to his cousin, Waldemar V. Waldemar V is a true namesake of Waldemar the First, a brilliant administrator, a sound diplomat and a skilled general.



The long war with France and the need to keep troops well supplied to deal with the religious uprisings has led to rampant inflation, and Waldemar's first act as Emperor is to appoint a personal friend of his, a textile magate by the name of Anton Fugger, to oversee financial matters. Anton Fugger forms the Fugger bank, which takes charge of Swabian loans and mint.



The old King of Scandinavia dies in 1517. His son is strongly taken by Lutherism, and not long after he takes the throne, Swabia loses one of its strongest allies as Scandinavia adopts Protestanism as state religion.


Karl Heber, the great Renaissance philosopher, passes away in winter of the same year.


In the East, Lithuania continues its steady conquest of its neighbours, inflicting a devastating defeat on The Finns, and taking much of their territory. The King of Lithuania has begun referring to himself as Emperor, and claims to be on equal standing with Waldemar V and the Byzantine Emperor. Regardless of whether such claims have any merit, Lithuania is becoming an Orthodox Great Power capable of matching East Rome itself.


In 1520, a religiously divided Reichstag convenes to decide the future policy of the Empire.

The Establishment of the Imperial Mint has lost some support after the unity of the Empire was shattered by the Reformation, but it still remains a popular idea among the smaller powers that rely on trade for their revenue, and among Protestant and Cathari lords who would rather see an Emperor focusing on peaceful matters such as the economy for the next few decades.


In sharp contrast, the Defense of the Indivisible Church Act is solely supported by Catholic countries for understandable reasons - it suggests that Imperial law be altered in numerous fashions that disfavor the Protestants and Cathari member states, while effectively granting the Emperor full sanction to wage a war of conversion. This act represents an extremely aggressive policy, and while if successful it could result in religious unity being restored to the Empire, it runs the risk of triggering a mass secession of 'heretical' member states.


The Imperial Navy Expansion Proposal has support among a number of moderate and coastal members, who are less interested in religious bickering and more interested in the riches of the newly discovered world. The first step towards Imperial colonization would be the establishment of a proper Imperial Navy, which Swabia cannot do alone with its limited ports. This act would require all coastal member states to contribute with ships, allowing Swabia to build a real fleet for war and exploration both.


(Footnote for veteran EU3 players who are shaking their head at the idea of getting Grand Navy: My naval forcelimit is awful, and I've added some fairly crippling triggered modifiers for going over it, so Grand Navy really is an absolute must if we're to have a fleet)

Cast your votes, and no burning of heretics in the assembly chambers!