The Peace of Augsburg gave repose to Germany for more
than sixty years, but it did not form a complete settlement of the religious
question in that country. There was still room for bitter disputes, especially
over the ownership of Church property which had been secularized in the course
of the Reformation. Furthermore, the peace recognized only Roman Catholics and
Lutherans and gave no rights whatever to the large body of Calvinists. The
failure of Lutherans and Calvinists to cooperate weakened German Protestantism
just at the period when the Counter Reformation inspired Roman Catholicism with
fresh energy and enthusiasm.
POLITICAL FRICTION
Politics, as well as religion, also helped to bring about
the great conflagration. The Roman Catholic party relied for support on the
Hapsburg emperors, who wished to unite the German states under their control,
thus restoring the Holy Roman Empire to its former proud position in the
affairs of Europe. The Protestant princes, on the other hand, wanted to become
independent sovereigns. Hence they resented all efforts to extend the imperial
authority over them.
