Protestant Reformation, Catholic and Counter-Reformations, Wars of Religion
The Wars of Religion in the 16th and 17th...
Transcript of The Wars of Religion in the 16th and 17th...
The French Wars of Religion
(at least 9 wars occurred
during last half of 16th century)
Overview
• Catholics vs. Calvinists (Huguenots)
• Spanish Catholic influence (Phillip II)
• The Guise Family
• Shift from Valois to Bourbon Dynasty
• Edict of Nantes
The French Wars of Religion
(1562-1598)
• French Calvinists (Huguenots)
– ≈ 50% of the French nobility
• The death of Henry II (1559)
– Weakened the monarchy
Henry II gets mortally wounded jousting at a celebration
Main Characters • The Valois Kings (Catholic)
– Francis II (r. 1559-1560)
• Sickly, dies within a year after his father Henry
– Charles IX (r. 1560-1574)
– Henry III (r. 1574-1589)
Their mother, Catherine de Médicis
(1519-1589)
Their mother, Catherine
de Médicis (1519-
1589)
• Served as regent for
Charles IX
• Sought out balance
the extreme beliefs of
the Huguenots and
Catholics
• Supported St. Bart's
Day Massacre
The Guise Family
• Ties to Spain
(Phillip II)
• Henry, Duke of
Guise
– Ultra-Catholic
– Later killed by
Huguenots
The Bourbon Family
• Prince of Condé
• Huguenots (for now)
Gaspard de Coligny
• Huguenot leader
• Assassinated in
1572
The Start of the Wars
1562: Massacre at Vassy
Catherine’s Dilemma
• Wanted a Catholic France…
– …but feared domination by the Guise family
– …so she played both sides
The Saint Bartholomew’s Day
Massacre (August 22, 1572)
Impact of the Massacre
• 20,000 Huguenots killed in 3 days
• Phillip II
– Battle of Lepanto (1571)
– The Dutch Revolt
• Phillip would be able to crush the revolt without
interference from the French
• Mobilized Calvinism and Protestantism against
the Catholics
– Catholic League vs. Huguenots
• Henry III had to ally with Henry of Navarre (a
Bourbon Huguenot)
The War of the Three Henrys
• Henry III and Henry of Navarre defeat the
Catholic League
• Henry III is assassinated by an angry
monk for aligning himself with a Protestant
• Henry of Navarre becomes King Henry IV
– A Huguenot?
• Not quite. Believed in a policy of tolerant
Catholicism. Came to throne as a politique
– “Paris is worth a mass”
– Birth of Bourbon Dynasty
King Henry IV
France under Henry IV
• The Edict of Nantes (1598)
– Religious toleration of Huguenots
– Catholicism still the official religion
– Granted Huguenots the right to fortify their
towns
• Assassinated by a Catholic fanatic in 1610
Death of Henry IV, 1610