French Wars of Religion 1562-1598

 

Calvinism starts in Geneva, then spreads and becomes more important than Lutheranism

 

The Huguenots

• French Calvinists
• Convert about 7% of the general population
• 1/3 à ½ of nobility converted
• Why?
• This was a way to increase their  power by using Calvin’s ideas of decentralization (no hierarchy) and local control. Will use as argument against the king.
• Tended to be better educated and prosperous
• Appeals to merchants (reduce holidays, and seems to say success in business says success with God — might be one of the Elect)
• Most dominant in SW France
• Opposed by the French monarchy

 

House of Valois

 

Charles IX   Henry III   Henry II   Catherine de Medici   Marguerite (Margo)   Francis II

 

Decisions, Decisions

Henry II dies after an accident in a jousting tournament

Charles IX   Mary Stuart (Mary, Queen of Scots

 

Catherine de Medici

 

• Mother of 3 Kings
• Often the de facto ruler of France
• A Politique
• Main goal is to maintain the stability of the country
• Does not want religious conflict to rip the country apart
• Prefers to be “at peace with God rather than war for him.”
• Usually sought recognition between Catholic and Protestant
• Primary goal was to preserve crown for her family

 

House of Valois Catherine and Sons (Moderate Catholics)     This leads to CIVIL WAR   They Want the Crown   House of Guise Henry, Duke of Guise (Arch Catholics)   House of Bourbon Henry of Navarre (Huguenot)

 

Peace of St. Germaine (1570)

• Granted Huguenots considerable freedoms and rights
• Regarded as “sell-out” by many Catholics

 

Coligny

• A Huguenot leader and advisor to Charles IX
• Sought to unite French Catholics and Protestants through war with Spain
• Catherine fears and resents him, and thinks the war idea is stupid—Spain is too strong
• She decides he HAS to go

 

A Wedding! (August 1572)

 

Henry of Navarre   Marguerite de Valois

 

Marguerite is NOT happy to marry Henry – NOT her choice

 

• Catherine chooses this occasion to get rid of Coligny
• Because of Coligny’s attempted assassination, the de Medici’s decide they must kill all of the French Huguenots
• Capture Henry of Navarre, but Margo pleads for his life

 

Henry’s Choice

“La Mort ou la Masse”

·           Henry of Navarre decides that he will convert to Catholicism rather than die

·           He will be a virtual prisoner of the de Medici family

 

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (Aug. 24, 1572)

 

• Once the de Medici’s have started killing the French Huguenots, the local French Catholics see what is going on, and start killing the average Hugenot
• By the end of the Massacre, between 3,000-5,000 people were dead

• Coligny will be one of the first people dead. His head is sent to the pope
• Pope’s Gregory XIII’s Reaction?
• He is VERY happy!

 

 

Charles IX dies not long after, and now, Henry III is king

 

War of the Three Henry’s     3. King!   2. Dies—No heirs!   1. Assassinates Guise   Henry of Navarre   Henry, Duke of Guise (and the Catholic League)   Henry III

 

(Catherine will die a few weeks after Guise)

 

“Religion is not changed as easily as a shirt.” – Henry of Navarre, 1584

 

• After all of the fighting, he converts for the 6^th time and goes to Catholicism, finally, when he is king.
• Why?
• France would have rejected him as king if he had not
• To him, it is worth it
• “Paris is worth a mass.” (1593)
• He is now Henry IV, and a politique like Catherine was

 

The Edict of Nantes (1598)

 

• This is religious toleration for Huguenots
• Provisions:
• Protestantism is allowed where it already prevails
• Protestants are granted the same rights as Catholics
• Protestants are permitted to maintain fortified cities