In the first half of the 16th century, Western Europe experienced a wide range of social, artistic and geographically political changes that created conflict within the Holy Roman Empire. This conflict is called the Protestant Reformation, a religious and political movement that gave birth to Protestantism and Catholic reform throughout Europe. "It is fair to regard the Reformation as revolutionary, for it shattered the unity of the Christian church, which had for the previous one thousand years provided the cultural and organizational foundation of the Western Civilization" (Strayer 1995: 3...

• Word Count: 2755
• Approx Pages: 11
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate