The Reformation in Europe is a socio-political and religious trend that led to a break with the Catholic Church and the creation of a fundamentally new dogmatic teaching. In addition, this stage entailed the redistribution of landed property, the creation of a class of the so-called new nobility and, in general, changed the cultural image of a number of Western European countries.
Prerequisites for the phenomenon
The beginning of the reformation in England was a continuation of the already emerging trends in other states of Western Europe. The fact is that in Germany at the beginning of the 16th century the teachings of Martin Luther spread widely and a new, Lutheran, church was created, which differed significantly from the Catholic one. A number of historians are inclined to believe that such changes had deep socio-economic reasons. The fact is that in the era under consideration, the monasteries and the church were the largest feudal landowners, and the bourgeoisie and the middle and petty nobility, which was gaining strength, were interested in obtaining land plots. The royal government, which needed their support, took a number of serious measures to confiscate monastic and church property and handed them over to their adherents.
Reasons for changes in the country
The beginning of the reformation in England should be considered in terms of the characteristics of its socio-economic, political and cultural development. This country was the first to set foot on the path of active capitalist development. It was here that the active introduction of machines into production began, the invention of various technical devices, which led to the rapid development of industry and trade. That is why a layer of the bourgeoisie and entrepreneurs formed very early in the state, who were interested in enrichment and profit.
This new ideology was very widespread and even subsequently found support from the royal government. Another reason that contributed to such a serious change is the fact that absolutism has never been developed in this country. The beginning of the reformation in England should be associated with the last fact: the kings here especially needed the support of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility, who became the main economic and social force, so they could not be ignored.
The first years of the reign of the new king
The beginning of the Reformation in England dates back to the first half of the 16th century. It was by that time that the preconditions for fundamental changes in all spheres of life had already matured enough. However, it should be noted here that in other European countries the formation of a new church has already begun, despite the fact thatCatholic authorities took serious measures to suppress it. The emergence of the Reformation began under the new king of the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII, having ascended the throne, at first supported Catholicism and even wrote a special pamphlet to the Pope in defense of this faith. However, it is believed that the authorship was nominal and that the text belongs to his closest assistant, Thomas More. Moreover, the king married Catherine of Aragon, who was the aunt of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. He pursued a policy of rapprochement with Catholic France: in a word, the beginning of his reign was marked by support for Catholicism. However, very soon Henry VIII abruptly changed course, the reason for which were serious shifts in socio-economic and political development.
Family Crisis
It has already been mentioned above that deep and serious prerequisites for changes in all spheres of life have ripened in the country. The bourgeoisie and the new nobility wanted to get the lands of monasteries and churches, which, in fact, served as the impetus for the coup. The beginning of the Reformation in England, the date of which usually refers to 1534, is connected, however, with an external factor. The fact is that the king wanted to divorce his wife, since she did not give male offspring and, moreover, was much older than him. To this state calculation, a personal reason was added: Henry fell in love with Anne Boleyn, who demanded a legal marriage.
Break with Rome
The beginning of the reformation in England, the date of which is closely connected with the domestic policy of the king, was the result of a purely external push, whichled to a crisis in relations between the government and the Catholic Church. According to the rules of that time, only the pope could allow a divorce. Heinrich turned to him in the hope of obtaining permission for a divorce. However, the father refused. The reason was the fact that he was actually under the complete control of Charles V, who was the nephew of Catherine of Aragon. Then the angry king announced that he was no longer subject to papal authority and proclaimed the independence of the English church.
Changes in governance
The biggest European event was the beginning of the reformation in England. The year 1534 was a turning point in this regard: after all, it was then that the king issued the Act of Supremacy, which proclaimed him the head of the Anglican Church. This measure, however, did not mean a radical reorganization of church administration, since in essence it affected only the upper level of administration, while the same organization continued to exist in the localities as before. The episcopate was also retained.
Innovations in the organization
Roy alty and the reformation in England, in fact, did not oppose each other too much, as was observed, for example, in France. On the contrary, in Great Britain the government itself took the first step towards this political and religious upheaval. Despite the preservation of the traditional Catholic ritual and episcopate, Henry VIII took over the distribution of church revenues. In addition, the government received the right to appoint bishops. But the next steps were even more radical: the government went to confiscatemonastery property: jewelry and land. The latter did not remain in the treasury for a long time: they were distributed among the nobles and the bourgeoisie that was gaining strength.
Distinguishing Features
Features of the reformation in England were as follows: firstly, it was not accompanied by serious cataclysms, as, for example, in France or Germany (in the first, Huguenot wars broke out for several decades, and in the second, religious wars and a peasant war began). Secondly, political, economic and religious reforms were carried out by the royal power. In this one can see some similarities with the German principalities, in which a number of rulers also supported the new doctrine. However, in England all this happened on a countrywide scale. Finally, the reformation took a very moderate character in this country. According to a number of leading experts, the Anglican Church occupied a middle, intermediate place between Catholicism and Protestantism. In England, Catholic rituals and episcopacy have been preserved.
Society attitude
One of the major themes in early modern history is the Reformation in England. Briefly, the attitude of public circles towards it can be reported as follows: the majority of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility accepted these reforms. However, they were also dissatisfied. Among the Protestants there were those who demanded an even greater simplification of church organization, following the example of the Calvinists. Others, on the contrary, advocated a return to Catholicism. The king equally persecuted both parts of the opposition, and thus the reformation in the country retained its moderate character. However, supporters of a more radical change in the church still retained and even strengthened their positions by the 17th century. They began to be called Puritans, and it was under their auspices that the English bourgeois revolution took place during the reign of Charles I Stuart.
Consequences of reforming the church
The results of the reformation in England turned out to be very serious for its socio-political and religious structure. By distributing the lands confiscated from the monasteries to the new nobility and bourgeoisie, the king thereby created a support for himself in their person. Thus, a layer of people has formed in the country who are interested in continuing reforms and consolidating the existing situation. The new nobles wanted to keep the land they had received, and therefore they all unanimously supported the accession of Elizabeth I, the king's daughter from Anne Boleyn, who set a course to preserve the changes that her father had made.
Another result of the reformation was the creation of a new, Anglican, church, which still exists today. The moderate nature of the transformations contributed to its preservation and even spread, while more radical movements were losing the number of their supporters.
Continuation of the policy of establishing Protestantism
The Reformation years in England span from 1534, when Henry VIII issued the Act of Supremacy, to 1603, when his daughter, Elizabeth I, died, essentially cementing her father's accomplishments. It is characteristic that after the death of the king, his policy was continuedregents under his young son Edward VI, who belonged to the Protestant party. However, he did not rule for long, and after his death, Henry's daughter Mary came to power, who began to pursue a policy of returning Catholicism. She married the Spanish king, a supporter of Catholicism, and began the persecution of Protestants.
However, after her death, Elizabeth I proclaimed a course to establish a new doctrine in the country. Henry's conversions were legalized, Protestantism was proclaimed the state religion, and conversion to Catholicism was equated with high treason. Catholics had to pay higher taxes than Protestants. Thus, the moderate reformation was finally established in England.
Meaning
The Reformation in England played a decisive role in the development of capitalism in the country. The fact is that the new religion proclaimed the need for material enrichment and the accumulation of economic resources as the main goal. This ideology fully corresponded to the aspirations of entrepreneurs and the bourgeoisie. From now on, their desire to increase their income received a dogmatic justification. The further deepening of reform ideas is evidenced by the fact of the spread of the Puritan trend, which advocated the deepening of reforms.
The development of capitalism in the context of the reformation
The Reformation in England must be seen in the context of changes in Europe as a whole. The reason for its victory should be sought in the maturity of capitalist relations and the final formation of the bourgeois class, whichsupported this movement. While in some other countries, for example in France, the reform movement was defeated due to the fact that feudal relations were still very strong there.
The Reformation in England (the table below illustrates its causes, course and results) was a stage in the pan-European religious changes.
| Rulers | Reasons | Move | Results |
| Henry VIII | The need to create a social support for royal power in the face of the bourgeoisie and the new nobles. The development of capitalism required a new ideology that would justify the desire to accumulate material we alth | The Act of Supremacy; proclaiming the king head of the new Church of England, but retaining the episcopate. Confiscation of lands and property from monasteries and distribution of them to the nobility and nobles, as well as the bourgeoisie | Creation of a new social stratum of the nobles and the bourgeoisie, further development of capitalism due to the concentration of land in the new nobility |
| Elizabeth I | The need to preserve and strengthen the transformation of Henry VIII, which met the aspirations and desires of the majority of the bourgeoisie and the new nobility | Declaration of Protestantism as state religion, higher taxes for Catholics, moderate reformation progress | The final formation of the Anglican Church, which occupied an intermediate position between the Catholic and Calvinist |
England was essentially a country of victorious capitalism, and this socio-economic layer required justification, which gave itreformation. It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the reformation in its spirit was in perfect harmony with the English mentality with its practicality and efficiency.
