SPAIN! The most powerful country in the world at the time. HUGE navy, colonial empire in the America's. The kIng of spain, Charles I was also HR Emperor charles V. During his reign, the Reformation will begin. Remember, Charles was part of the Hapsburg family. The Haps controlled Austria and were ALMOST always elected HR emperor. Due to birth, he'll also end up as king of spain. Anyway, during the Reformation, a series of awful wars will break out throughout the HRE. Catholics V Lutherans. TERRIBLE violence. Terrible cruelty. The Wars will end with the Peace of Augsburg. IT allowed the princes of the HRE to determine if they'll be Catholic or Lutheran----from THERE, their subjects will have to share the religion of their prince. There is ONE denomination that is missing. The one that is the most militant, strict, and will be born i Geneva. It'll spread into the HRE, netherlands, England, france, scotland(doesn't matter the, the order)  As Charles got older, he grew tired of all of the fighting of these religious war.(From like 1540ish on you'll have a series of religious wars throughout HRE---THEN it'll get worse during the 30 Years War from 1618-48----!!Remember! one denomination was left out of peace of augsburg.) Charles steps down. His son Ferdinand becomes HR emperor. His OTHER son Philip, will become the King of Spain. Phillip will need to get married. Remember, marriage amongst royalty was not based on love, it was based on the hope of creating alliances. Phillip will see the power of Spain PEAK. 

 

LET's REWIND to before Luther. Let's go to England, 1509. Henry Tudor, the next in line to be king of england. He was VERY proud to be a Catholic. He'll greatly criticize Luther when he challenged the Pope. In fact, the Pope will aware him the title "Defender of the Faith."  Ok, VII Dies and his son Henry VIII will take over. Henry will marry a SPANISH girl--Catherine of Aragon. Her mom and Dad were ferdinand and isabella. Remember what they did for spain!? WHY would little England want their king to be married to a Spanish princess??Initially, she'll be wed to henry's brother. The brother will die and she'll be married to henry. The Bible warns against a brother "laying with his brothers wife." In order to ease these concerns, a special "Papal Dispensation" (permission) will be given. Basically the pope says "as pope, i speak for God and i say that this marriage will be ok and fruitful." It wasn't.