Peace of Passau facts for kids
The Peace of Passau was an important agreement made in August 1552. It aimed to calm down serious religious arguments in the Holy Roman Empire. This empire was a large group of lands in central Europe, led by an Emperor.
For many years, there had been big disagreements between Catholics and Protestants. The Emperor at the time, Charles V, wanted everyone to be Catholic.
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Background to the Peace
After a war called the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, Emperor Charles V won against the Protestant forces. He then tried to make everyone follow Catholic rules again with something called the Augsburg Interim. This made many Protestant princes very angry.
The Princes' Revolt
In January 1552, several Protestant princes, led by Maurice of Saxony, decided to fight back. They made a deal with Henry II of France in the Treaty of Chambord. France gave them money and help. In return, Henry II was promised some lands in western Germany.
This led to a new conflict known as the Princes' Revolt, or sometimes the Second Schmalkaldic War. The Protestant alliance was very strong. They managed to push Emperor Charles V out of Germany and back to his family lands in Austria. At the same time, King Henry II of France took control of three important cities along the Rhine River: Metz, Verdun, and Toul.
What the Peace of Passau Achieved
By August 1552, Emperor Charles V was tired of the religious wars that had lasted for about 30 years. He finally agreed to the Peace of Passau. This agreement gave Lutheran Protestants the freedom to practice their religion.
The Peace of Passau also cancelled the Augsburg Interim, which had tried to force Catholic beliefs on everyone. Two important Protestant princes, John Frederick of Saxony and Philip of Hesse, who had been captured during the earlier Schmalkaldic War, were set free.
A Step Towards Lasting Peace
The Peace of Passau was a very important step. It came before an even bigger agreement called the Peace of Augsburg in September 1555. The Peace of Passau showed that Emperor Charles V had to give up his dream of having everyone in Europe follow the same religion. It was a big moment for religious freedom in the Holy Roman Empire.
In August 1552, Emperor Charles V's younger brother, Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria, officially signed the Peace of Passau. He formally accepted the Lutheran Augsburg Confession, which was a key statement of Lutheran beliefs. Emperor Charles V himself later confirmed this in the 1555 Peace of Augsburg.
