FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION

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FRENCH WARS OF RELIGION

• No wars are more terrible than civil wars. They
  are fought in the absence of government.
• Kishlansky and Palmer

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The arrival of Protestantism

• Arrived in 1540s through Geneva
• nobles and monarchy began to fight over power in
  France

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Calvinism

• 50 nobility was Calvinist (zealous, well
  organized)
• The Guise family (related to Mary Queen of Scots)
  was devoutly Catholic and wanted the Calvinists
  destroyed
• 1562 Calvinists began destroying Catholic
  Churches
• Catholics began slaughtering Calvinists in
  retaliation

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King Henry II Killed..

• .by accident
• ..in a jousting tournament..
• Had 3 sons
• Not smart
• Irresponsible
• Neurotic
• Dominated by mother
• Catherine de Medici

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1562

• Charles IX (under regent of his mother Catherine
  de Medici) was ruling
• Full scale religious war broke out
• Duke of Guise caught Huguenots preaching on his
  land (killed them)
• Huguenots then assassinated Duke
• Royal edict finally issued in 1563 allowed
  Calvinist congregations to preach (but no more
  could be spread)

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More war

• War broke out again between 2 groups
• 1572 Charles IX (and his mom) were giving
  military support to the Dutch Protestants
  rebelling against Spain
• WHAT? WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT??

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1572

• Catherine wanted to weaken her rival (Spain) so
  she helped the Protestants in the Netherlands
• The Catholic Guise found out and were furious, so
  the aid stopped

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1572

• Catherine arranged a marriage with her daughter
  Margaret (Catholic) and Henry of Navarre
  (Huguenot) to make peace
• Bad idea for the Huguenots

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Saint Bartholomews Day Massacre

• Huguenots attending the wedding (on St. Barts
  Day) were asked to come unarmed
• On the wedding day (August 24, 1572), Catholic
  assassins brutally murdered the Huguenot guests
  in Paris
• 6 day Catholic mobs stormed the streets (2,000
  Protestants killed)

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Saint Bartholomews Day Massacre

• Outside of Paris another 10,000 Protestants
  killed
• Pope held a special mass to celebrate the event
  (supposedly danced for joy when he heard the news)

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Henry III

• Charles IX died in 1574
• Succeeded by his younger brother Henry III
  (already sick when he took power)
• Ruled from 1574-1589
• Crown slipped twice from his head at his
  coronation (omen of bad luck)

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Henry III royal image

• Pious
• Went on pilgrimages
• Wanted a revival of Catholicism in France

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The real Henry III

• Enjoyed dressing up as a woman
• Spent incredible amounts of

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Henry III Royal Problems

• Fiscal crisis worsening
• Poor harvests throughout France
• Catholic forces around the king began to separate
• Politiques
• Devots (fanatics) led by Duke Henry of Guise

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The Catholic forces

• Politiques
• Moderates
• Tired of bloodshed
• Wanted politics ahead of religion
• Wanted to win the support of Protestant Moderates
  to make peace
• Wanted religious toleration

• Devots
• Organized a Catholic League
• Subsidized by Philip II
• Wanted Protestantism driven from France

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War of the 3 Henrys

• Henry of Guise pitted against Henry III
• Henry III had Henry of Guise brutally murdered
  and then joined forces with Henry of Navarre
  (Protestant) and defeated the Catholics
• Henry III was then assassinated (by a monk)

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Henry of Navarre

• 1593 Henry shocks France
• He changes his religion to Catholicism! (remember
  he had gone back and forth several times)
• This was a political move rather than a religious
  move

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Henry of Navarre

• Remember, H of N is a Politique
• Paris is worth a mass
• Henry then declared war on Spain in 1595 and
  peace was made in 1598

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Henry of Navarre

• Survived 9 assassination attempts by nobles and
  Jesuits allied with Spain
• 1598 Edict of Nantes
• Catholicism official religion in France
• Granted 2 million French Protestants freedom to
  worship at home and hold religious services (but
  not in Paris)

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Henry of Navarre

• Catholic Reformation flourished in France
• Jesuits allowed back in 1604

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The Real Henry of Navarre

• Intelligent, well organized (but smelled bad)
• 2nd wife Marie de Medici gave him 3 children (his
  mistresses gave him six more)
• Referred to his children as the herd

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The Real Henry of Navarre

• Henry IV (H of N) made France a strong power
• Reimposed royal authority and controlled the
  nobles but they still remained strong

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The French noble monarchy

• Three estates were established in France
  clergy, nobility, and everybody else (in that
  order)

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The French noble monarchy

• Nobles of the sword oldest, powerful, called on
  for military support
• Nobles of the robe claimed noble status based
  on high administrative office

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Finance minister, Duke of Sully

• Increased royal revenues and reduced the debt
• Raised the gabelle
• Sold royal offices for cash to nobles of the robe

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The end of the Henrys

• May 14, 1610 Henry IV left the Louvre to go to
  Sullys residence
• Guards left his carriage unattended to clear a
  traffic jam
• Ravaillac (a monk) stabbed king three times and
  killed him