History of Europe

Did Phillip II believe it was his duty to defend Protestantism from its enemies in Europe and the Ottoman Empire?

Phillip II did not believe that it was his duty to defend Protestantism. Phillip II was a devout Catholic, and he was fiercely opposed to Protestantism. He believed that Protestantism was a threat to the Catholic Church and to the Spanish Empire. He worked to suppress Protestantism in Spain and in other parts of Europe, and he supported the Catholic forces in the Ottoman Empire.