."..I cannot and I will not recant anything I have said..." This one phrase out of a quote by Martin Luther to Charles V planted the seed to one of the most drastic, devastating, and controversial developments in history, the Protestant Reformation. Religious warfare, seemingly endless fighting, and zealotry are all easily associated with the Protestant Reformation. It indeed was a devastating, shocking, and flip-flopping point in history. During its time, many strange bedfellows were made, many wars were fought, and many religions clashed with each other. With it were two new religions, Lutheranism and Calvinism. The world learned what happens when religions collide. The events that occurred during its time left history at a standstill, and left behind many harsh consequences.

One of these consequences of the Protestant Reformation is the decline of Spanish Hapsburg power. Philip II "the Most Catholic King" wanted to make all the...