The Wars of Religion

1
The Wars of Religion

• France
• 1562 - 1598

2
Background

• France had been Catholic since 6th century (1000
  years!)
• Religious law law
• Un foi, un loi, un roi

3
Important People

• King Henri II (r. 1547 1559)
• House of Valois
• Catholic
• Francois II (r. 1559-1560)
• Married to Mary Queen of Scots
• Neice of Duc de Guise.
• Catherine de Medici
• Power behind the throne of
• France for about thirty years

4
Important People

• Duc de Guise (Francois de Guise)
• House of Guise
• Catholic
• Brother is Cardinal de Lorraine
• Anne de Montmorency
• House of Montmorency
• Catholic but had protestant
• nephews (Admiral de Coligny)
• Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre
• Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Conde
• House of Bourbon
• Mostly Protestant (Antoine flip-flops)
• Next line to rule France after the Valois Dynasty

5

• Tensions between the royal families of Valois,
  Guise, Montmorency, and Burbon
• Alliances too
• Catholic Triumvirate House of Guise, House of
  Montmorency, House of Bourbon
• Catherine de Medici wanted peace between
  Catholics and Protestants.
• 1962 Edict of Toleration

6
The First War 1562-63

• Cause Massacre at Vassy
• Started by servants of the Duc de Guise.
• Effects
• Leadership of Huguenots changes
• New Protestant allies
• New Catholic allies
• Duc de Guise killed in battle at Orleans
• Antoine Burbon (only Catholic Bourbon) killed
• 1st generation of Catholic leaders all killed
• Royal treasury starts to empty
• Crown is weakened
• Resolution
• Edict of Amboise March 1563

7
The Second War (1567-1568)

• Cause
• Cardinal de Lorraine (House of Guise) pushes for
  suppression of Huguenots
• Catherine de Medici met with the Duke of Alva
• Spanish troops march through France to get to the
  Netherlands.
• Rumors spread that Catherine is plotting with
  Spain to kill all Huguenots.
• Huguenots try to kidnap King Charles IX
• Effects
• much the same as the first War
• Resolution
• Peace of Longjumeau

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Third War (1568-1570)

• Causes
• Cardinal de Lorraine wants to recapture
  Protestant cities of Conde and Coligny
• Effects
• Conde and Coligny ally with William of Orange
• House of Guise allies more closely with Spain
• Prince of Conde killed
• Treasury of France is depleting
• Resolution
• Peace of St. Germain
• More favorable to Protestants than other
  treaties.
• Tension between Catholics and Protestants
  increases due to a wider-spread war fought in the
  countryside impacting more.

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The St. Bartholomews Day Massacre 1572

• PEACE AMONG THE ROYALS!
• Catherine worked to promote peace between
  Protestants and Catholics
• Admiral de Coligny invited into the kings
  council
• Elizabeth of England considers marrying King
  Charles younger brother.
• Henri of Navarre marries Catherines daughter
  Margot
• TENSION REMAINS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE
• 1560s Protestant intellectuals start saying the
  Christians dont have to obey leaders who defy
  God.
• Francogallia
• Economic Issues
• Protestants secret organization
• Participation of Women in Church
• Catholics saw toleration as a disease
• VERY hot summer

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The St. Bartholomews Day Massacre 1572

• CAUSE
• Increased tension
• Aug. 17, 1572 Wedding of 19 yr. old Henri de
  Navarre and Margo de Valois
• Aug. 22 Admiral de Coligny wounded by a would
  be assassin.
• Aug. 23 Catholics decide to kill Coligny and
  other protestants with him.
• General population joins in the killing
• Massacres spread to provinces

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The St. Bartholomews Day Massacre 1572

• EFFECTS
• Coligny stabbed defenestrated
• 3 days of killings in Paris no control
• Henri de Navarre forced to convert to Catholicism
  under penalty of death became a prisoner of the
  court for 4 years.
• Destroyed an entire generation of Huguenot
  leadership.
• Beginning of the decline of the Protestant Church
  in France
• Survivors become RADICALS
• Distrust of King grows
• Protestants grow completely unwilling to disarm
• Huguenots become a state within a state

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Fourth War (1572-1573)

• CAUSE
• La Rochelle refused to pay taxes accept a royal
  governor due to Massacre
• King declared war on the town
• EFFECTS
• Henri dAnjou held Henri of Navarre hostage
• High casualties on both sides
• Royal treasury drained again
• RESOLUTION
• Catherine called off the war.
• Treaty of La Rochelle
• Same as treaty of St. Germaine

13
The Fifth War 1576

• 1574 Charles IX died.
• Brother Henri III became King of France.
• CAUSE
• Conde was raising money, troops and support from
  German Princes
• Henri de Montmonrency brought more troops
• February 1576 Henri de Navarre finally escaped
• Duc dAlencon becames friendly with Protestants

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The Fifth War 1576

• EFFECTS
• Paris was nearly invaded
• Crown was forced to negotiate
• Protestants grow in strength
• RESOLUTION
• Edict of Beaulieu/ Peace fo Monsieur
• Favorable to Protestants
• Henri III pays bills looks weak

15
The Sixth War 1577

• CAUSE
• Estates General meets with few Protestant
  delegates
• Decide to declare ONE religion for France
• Catholic League Forms
• EFFECT
• Able to take some northern Protestant towns
• Protestant strength was in the South
• RESOLUTION
• Peace of Bergerac
• More restrictive in where Protestants could
  worship
• Pretty much the same
• Forbid leagues and associations that were tryign
  to fight the growing Catholic movement.

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The Seventh War 1580

• CAUSE
• Henri de Navarre wants to increase his power
• EFFECT
• Henri de Navarre took the city of Cahors
• Henri consolidated his control of the South west
• RESOLUTION
• Treaty of Nerac/Peace of Fleix

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The War of the Three Henries 1584-1589

• CAUSE
• Fear of a Protestant King
• Henri de Navarre has the best claim on the throne
• Henri Duc de Guise seized the opportunity
• Guise revives the Catholic League
• Henri III tried to make himself the head of the
  League again
• Treaty of Nemours 1585 revoked all previous
  edicts of peace
• EFFECTS
• Catholic League dominated the North and East
• Navarre and Conde dominated the South

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The War of the Three Henries 1584-1589

• C. League become dissatisfied with Henri IIIs
  rule
• Civil War broke out in Paris
• Henri III fled the city
• Duc De Guise at the led the Catholic League and
  the government.
• Henri III has the Duc de Guise and his brother
  murdered.
• The Catholic League starts printing anti-Royal
  propaganda promote any citizen assassinating
  Henri III.
• League sent an army against Henri III
• Henri III turned to Henri of Navarre for help
• RESOLUTION
• Henry III killed by a monk.
• Henry Navarre named as King

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The Wars of the League 1589 - 1598

• CAUSE
• Henri IV (Navarre) became king.
• Catholic League tried to take over several cities
  in France.
• EFFECTS
• Catholic League weakened through deaths of
  leaders and losing battles.
• Spain tried to take control of the Crown
• 1593 Henry IV converted to Catholicism Paris is
  Worth a Mass
• 1594 Henry IV goes back to Paris and builds
  support
• RESOLUTION
• 1598 Treaty of Vervins with Spain
• Leaders of Catholic League all give up by 1598
• Edict of Nantes 1598