French Wars of Religion: 15621598

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French Wars of Religion 1562-1598
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Europe after the Reformation

• N. Europe mainly Protestant
• (Scandinavia / England / N. Germany / parts of
  France / Switzerland / Scotland)
• Unity of Western Christianity shattered
• Religious wars 100 years!!!
• Protestant Individualism
• encourages science, capitalism, nationalism, and
  new ideas about freedom and human rights

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The 16th and 17th Centuries

• Different type of warfare
• Larger (often State financed and operated) armies
  
• Gunpowder Siege Cannon kills at distance
  indiscriminately - not as noble as one-on-one
  combat
• Expensive so kings must find ways to finance
  war increased taxation usually of the lower
  class
• Numerous problems
• Religious (Catholic vs. Protestant
• Political (nobility vs. ruler peasant vs.
  nobility
• Social (new monarchy vs. feudalism)

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Religious Wars FranceHabsburg-Valois Wars

• King Francis I (1515-1547) (House of Valois)
• fighting Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain,
  Charles V (House of Habsburg)
• Concordat of Bologna (1516) nationalized French
  Church (Gallican Church) king has right to
  appoint bishops abbots
• Humanist patron of Leonardo da Vinci how the
  Mona Lisa gets to Paris!
• rebuilds the Louvre (1528) as luxury palace
• Begins persecution of Huguenots for political
  reasons (threat to authority)

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le Louvre
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Henry II Catherine de Medici

• Henry II (1547-1559) marries Catherine de
  Medici (1519-1589)
• HREmperor Charles V abdicates (1556) and his
  kingdom splits Spain to Philip / HRE to
  Ferdinand
• Philip also has Naples, Milan, Sicily America!
  LOTS OF POWER INFLUENCE OF SPAIN OVER EUROPE
• 1559, Habsburg-Valois Wars end w/ Treaty of
  Cateau-Cambresis
• King Henry II accepts Habsburg rule in Italy and
  Flanders
• Philip II (Spain) promises to leave ruling
  Valois family (France) in peace
• Henry II now turns his focus on the CALVINISTS in
  France
• Meanwhile back in France
• Cont. persecution of Huguenots for religious
  reasons 40 of French nobles had converted to
  Calvinism WHY?
• Henry II accidentally killed (1559) in a
  tournament

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Civil War in France, 1559-1598

• 3 weak sons Catherine de Medici
• (nominally Catholic when it pays to be)
• Francis II (r. 1559-1560) married to Mary, Queen
  of Scots! (related to strong, very Catholic,
  French nobility, the Guise family)
• Charles IX (r. 1560-1574)
• Henry III (r. 1574-1598)
• Monarchy weak and nobility is strong, so kings
  try to appease them by promoting religious
  toleration
• In northern/eastern France the ultra- Catholic
  Guise family (controls Francis II)
• In southern France - the Catholic Montmorency
  family
• From central France to southwest corner the
  Huguenot Bourbon family

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Henry III
Charles IX
Francis II Mary Queen of Scots
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Civil War breaks out

• 1560, at the age of ten Charles IX becomes king
  of France his mother is regent
• Tensions btw. Guise, Montmorency and Bourbon
  families rages undermining the authority of the
  king
• Guise family, devoutly Catholic, gains backing of
  Spain Jesuits
• Huguenots take advantage of political chaos
  become bolder in practicing their religion
• 1562 they seize the city of Lyon, force Calvinism
  on the population and desecrate Catholic churches
• Francis, duke of Guise retaliates by executing
  Huguenots found worshipping on his land in
  Toulouse 3000 killed in fighting
• 1563 duke of Guise assassinated by Huguenot

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Civil War Continues

• 1572 Catherine Charles lend military support to
  Dutch against Spanish in attempts to weaken their
  rival
• Guise family sees this as Protestant attempt to
  control the throne
• Admiral Coligny (member of House of Montmorency
  who had converted to Protestantism is blamed
  for murder of duke of Guise) gains influence over
  Charles IX
• Catherines dilemma how to maintain power and
  quell Protestant/Catholic infighting
• Marries daughter Margot to Huguenot Henry
  Bourbon, King of Navarre, but peace is not
  achieved because

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Civil War continues

• Catherine with House of Guise attempts to
  assassinate Adm. Coligny -assassination fails so
  on afternoon following her daughters wedding,
  August 24, 1572...
• St. Bartholomews Day Massacre Catholics attack
  Protestants at noon
• Massacre rages throughout France for 3-6 days
  3000 dead in Paris 10,000 dead outside of city
• Henry of Navarre returns to Navarre to plan new
  strategy
• Henry, Duke of Guise forms Catholic League
  swearing to drive out all heresy (and hopefully
  become king himself)

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St. Bartholomews Day Massacre
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Civil War continues

• Henry III (1574-1598) during his reign
• Huguenots rebuild their strength consider Henry
  of Navarre the rightful heir to the throne
• Henry Guise (w/aid of Philip II) plans to take
  the throne
• 1585 Henry III sides with Henry of Navarre
  Montmorency family! ! !
• 1585 Treaty of Nemours Catherine de Medici and
  Henry, duke of Guise, secretly abolish all edicts
  of religious toleration
• 1587 Mary, Queen of Scots executed, Guise family
  outraged that king Henry III could not stay
  execution
• 1588, Henry Guise storms seizes Paris
  becoming Chief Minister

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War of the Three Henrys

• Henry III has Henry Guise assassinated(1588)
  joins with Henry of Navarre (reconverted to
  Calvinism) against the Catholic League to retake
  Paris
• 1589 Henry III assassinated for his alliance w/ a
  Protestant
• So Henry of Navarre becomes Henry IV, the
  politique (politics before religion)
• Paris is worth a Mass converts (again) to
  gain the throne!!!
• 1595 declares war on Spain his popularity grows
• 1598 Spain signs Treaty of Vervins economic
  drain on both countries is too great
• EDICT OF NANTES 1598 limited tolerance of
  Huguenots, but internal peace