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The true German religious war, as contrasted to the Peasants' War, began in 1546, a few months after Luther's death. The Protestant Saxon army was badly beaten at Lochau.
By 1547 a kind of settlement was reached but in 1552 all Germany was at war again. Charles V abdicated, giving Germany to his brother Ferdinand and Spain and the Netherlands to his son Philip. Charles, himself, died in 1558 in a monastery where he had been living in royal splendor. The greatness of the Holy Roman Empire died with Charles.
The religious Peace of Augsburg, negotiated by Ferdinand, marks the end of the Reformation period. The adopted formula of 1555 recognized the legality of the status quo - in both religious and territorial sovereignty. Ecclesiastical officials had the right to convert to Protestantism, but they could not secularize their property. The only real victory of the Lutherans in this peace treaty was a legal recognition of their existence. Four factors colored the second half of this 16th century in Germany, as recorded by Rodes (Ref. 184 ):
It was a bad century for Hungary, beginning with a great revolt of the peasants, under George Dozsa. This uprising against the aristocracy was finally put down in a sea of blood by John Zapolya. Immediately the Werbocz Code was proclaimed, which made the serfdom of the peasants perpetual. A strike by Hungarian miners in 1525 and 1526 started that industry on a downward slide. (Ref. 292 )
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