Explain how the Peace of Augsburg, the Edict of Nantes, and the Peace of Westphalia all strengthened secular rulers. (4 points)
1. The Peace of Augsburg, signed in 1555, allowed German rulers to choose between Catholicism and Lutheranism as the official religion of their territories. This gave them greater autonomy and power to decide religious matters within their realms, thereby strengthening their control over their territories.
2. The Edict of Nantes, issued in 1598 by King Henry IV of France, granted religious tolerance to Protestants in the predominantly Catholic country. This allowed French rulers to maintain stability and unity within their realm by granting religious freedom to a significant minority population, thereby consolidating their power.
3. The Peace of Westphalia, signed in 1648 to end the Thirty Years' War in Europe, recognized the independence of individual states within the Holy Roman Empire and established the principle of state sovereignty. This shift towards state sovereignty and recognition of territorial boundaries strengthened secular rulers by giving them greater autonomy and authority over their territories, independent of religious authority.
4. Overall, these agreements and declarations all contributed to the increasing power and authority of secular rulers by granting them more control over religious matters within their territories, promoting stability and unity, and establishing the principle of state sovereignty. This trend towards secularization and the separation of church and state further entrenched the power of secular rulers in their respective realms.