The Age of Religious Wars

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Chapter 12

• The Age of Religious Wars

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French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)

• Catholics v. Huguenots (Calvinists)
• Catherine de Medicis v. the Guises
• Political/Social/Religious Thought

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Introduction Background

• 1st ½ 16th CenturyCentral Europe Lutherans
• 2nd ½ 16th CenturyWestern Europe Calvinists
• Peace of AugsburgLutherans HRE
• Cuius regio eius religio

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IMPORTANT!

• Roman Catholic
• Episcopal
• Hierarchical
• Pope?Priest
• One King/One Church/ One Law
• Baroque art
• Rubens
• Bernini

• Calvinists
• Presbyterian
• Church boards represent individual churchES
• Restrained art
• Wren
• Rembrandt

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Pope?priest

• One King/One Church/One Law
• Baroque art
• Rubens
• Bernini

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FrenchAnti Protestant(until Henry IV)Francis
I captured by Charles V(curry favor
released?protestant persecution)Shift in power
from France to SpainInternal conflict3 families
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Guise

• Strongest
• Militant Catholicism
• Firm control
• Connection to crown through Francis II wifeMary
  Stuart (well learn about her later)
• you cant swing a dead cat in Europe without
  hitting somebodys royal relative!

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Bourbon

• Huguenot (Protestant) for political reasons
• Louis I (Conde) political leaders of French
  protestant resistance
• Eventually rises to top (Louis XIV, etc)

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Montmorency-Chatillon

• Huguenot (Protestant) for political reasons
• Colignypolitical leader of French protestant
  resistance

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Appeal--Huguenots

• Many aristocrats and townspeople joined the
  Huguenots in opposition to Guise-dominated French
  monarchy.
• Indirectly served forces of political
  decentralization.

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• 1561 more than 2,000 Huguenot congregations
  existed
• 1/15 total population
• Majority of population in
• Dauphine
• Languedoc
• Over 2/5 aristocracy became Huguenots

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Calvin Beza curried favor w/ aristocrats

• Beza - Converted Jeanne dAlbert, future mother
  to Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)
• Calvinism used as aids to achieve long-sought
  political goals
• Benefited both political religious dissidents

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Calvinism gave political resistance justification
inspiration, and the forces of political
resistance made Calvinism a viable religious
alternative in Catholic France.KOT 391
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Religious conviction was neither the only nor
always the main reason for becoming a Calvinist
in France in the second half of the 16th century.
KOT 391
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Catherine de Médicis and the Guises
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Who was Catherine?

• Florence 1519-Blois 1589
• Power behind the throne? 3 sons
• Francis II (r. 1559-1560)
• Charles IX (r. 1560-1574)
• Henry III (r. 1574-1589)

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January Edict

• 1562
• Influenced by Beza Coligny
• Granted protestants freedom to worship publicly
  outside town and hold synods

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However.

• March 1562
• Duke of Guise ordered massacre of a Protestant
  congregation
• Beginning of French wars of Revolution

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Protestantsfear of annihilation

• International measure of struggle
• Hesse Palatinate fought w/ Huguenots
• 1st war (1562-1563)? Duke of Guise assassinated
• 2nd war (1567-1568)?resumption of hostilities
• 3rd war (Sept 1568-Aug 1570)?
• BLOODIEST of all conflicts

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3rd war?

• Condè was killed
• Leadership was passed to Coligny?a blessing in
  disguise
• Coligny?better military strategist

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Peace of Saint-Germain-En-Laye

• Ended the 3rd war
• The crown acknowledged the power of the
  Protestant nobility
• Granted the Huguenots religious freedoms within
  their territories and the right to fortify their
  cities

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Catherine.

• Plot w/ Guise faction to assassinate Coligny???
• Coligny struck (not killed) by assassins bullet
• Fear Kings reaction to her complicity Huguenot
  response to assassination attempt

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Peace? Yeah, right!

• St. Bartholomews Day Massacre
• 24 August 1572Paris
• Coligny 3,000 Huguenots butchered
• 20,000 slaughtered in next 3 days throughout
  France
• Pope Gregory II Philip II (Spain)
  celebratedwhy?
• France internal civil war ?no French resistance
  in Netherlands

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Catherine?

• NOT a politique
• Uneven balance between Catholics Huguenots
• Wanted CATHOLIC France
• Thwart Guise attempt at domination

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6º of separation

• Catherine flip-flopped
• Bourbon faction grew in influence
• Called on Guise to suppress Protestant support

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International concerns

• REAL FEAR
• Louis of NassauNetherlandsProtestant
• Coligny influenced King Charles IX
• Invade Netherlands ? assist protestants
• FRANCE v. SPAIN

Controlled Netherlands
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Meanwhile

• Henry III (r1574-1589)
• Steer course between 2 factions
• Catholic League
• Vengeful Huguenots
• Therefore gain support from moderates in both
• Save Francecompromise religious creeds
• POLITIQUE

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The Peace of Beaulieu

• May 1576
• Granted the Huguenots almost complete religious
  and civil freedom
• Less than seven months later, the Catholic League
  objected!!
• In order to maintain his political power, it was
  necessary for Henry III to revoke the Peace of
  Beaulieu in October 1577.

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Results of the Peace of Beaulieu

• After the Peace of Beaulieu
• Protestants and the Catholics resumed a policy of
  military political resistance.
• In opposition to Henry III
• Catholic League assumed total power in Paris,
  with the help of Spain.

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The Day of Barricades

• Henry III launched a surprise attack against
  the Catholic League in Paris in 1588.
• The attack failed miserably, and Henry was forced
  to retreat.

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Assassination

• The kings position was seriously weakened, so he
  resorted to a drastic tactic assassination.
• He plotted the assassination of the duke and
  the cardinal of Guise.
• Henrys plot was successful.
• Led by yet another member of the Guise family,
  the Catholic League revolted angrily.

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Henry III forms an alliance Henry of Navarre

• April 1589
• Weakened by the Catholic League, Henry III had
  only one remaining option to join the Protestant
  Huguenots, who were led by Henry of Navarre.

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Henry of NavarreHenry IV

• Henry III murdered by Dominican monk
• Heir to French throne by marriage to
• Henry IIIs sister Margaret
• PROTESTANToh NO! Say is aint so!!
• Philip II Pope panic
• POLITIQUE
• Paris is worth a mass
• Protestant AND Catholic

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The Reign of Henry of Navarre

• Henry of Navarre was well-liked and supported by
  the French people.
• On July 25, 1593, he denounced Protestantism and
  officially embraced Catholicism.
• He hoped that tolerant Catholicism would
  politically unite France.
• The majority of the French people and church
  supported Henrys decision. (They wanted unity
  too!)

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In 1596...

• The Catholic League was dispersed.
• The Catholic Leagues ties with Spain were
  broken.
• The French Religious wars came to an end.

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Edict of Nantes--1598

• Formal religious settlement
• France officially CATHOLIC
• Recognize SANCTION minority religious rights
• Public worship/right to assemble/admission to
  public offices universities/maintain fortified
  towns
• TRUCEhowever, distrust/cold war
• Henry IVlaid groundwork for absolute monarchy