Wars Of The 16th Century

The eight wars of religion (1562-1598)

In the sixteen^th Century, France was to know a religious divide : the great bulk of the country remained faithful to Catholicism, whilst an important majority joined the Reformation. Coexistence of the 2 confessions throughout the Kingdom showed itself to be inapplicable. War could no longer exist avoided and civil tolerance had failed.

Eight wars of organized religion were to succeed each other throughout 36 years, with periodic interruptions of delicate peace. The wars will cease with the Edict of Nantes (thirty^th of Apr 1598), an edict that established a limited civil tolerance. The confessional duality established throughout French republic in 1598 was to wear away little by little until the revocation of the edict in 1685.

The ane^st war (1562-1563)

Massacre at Cahors en Quercy (November nineteen, 1561) © Musée Calvin de Noyon

On the 1^st of March 1562, the Duke François de Guise massacred a hundred Protestants attending a service of worship in a barn in the town of Wassy. This effect is considered to be the starting time of the first war of religion. Louis de Bourbon, prince of Condé, called upon the Protestants to take upward arms. He captured the town of Orléans on the 2^nd of Apr.

State of war spread throughout the kingdom. Both belligerents committed acts savage violence, specially the Protestant Businesswoman des Adrets in the Dauphiné and in Provence, and the Catholic Blaise de Montluc in Guyenne.

In the boxing of Dreux that opposed the troops of Condé and those of the High Constable of Montmorency, the royal troops had the advantage. The Duke de Guise laid siege to Orléans held by the Protestants (five^thursday of February). He was assassinated by Poltron de Mere, one of the Amboise conspirators.

On the 19^thursday of March the Amboise Edict of pacification was negotiated by Condé and the Loftier Constable of Montmorency.

The two^nd war (1567-1568)

As from the autumn of 1567, the Huguenots leaders decided to take upwards artillery over again. Worried by the increasing influence of the Cardinal of Lorraine on the young King Charles IX, they attempted to subtract the latter by forceful means from the Cardinal's control. This attempt became known equally the Meaux surprise. Only the male monarch was warned of it and outmanoeuvred it to return from Meaux to Paris under Swiss protection.

Several towns of southern France were taken over past the Protestants. Acts of violence are committed on both sides. In Nîmes, on St. Michael'due south day – the 30^th of September 1567 – the so-celled Michelade takes place : the massacre of leading Catholic citizens by Nîmes Protestants ; in Paris, besieged past the Huguenot army, Catholics violently attack Huguenots.

Condé'due south army captured St. Denis and went every bit far as Dreux. But on the x^thursday of November 1567, the battle of St. Denis ends in favour of the royal troops, despite the fact that the High Constable Anne de Montmorency was fatally wounded.

After lengthy negotiations, on the 23^rd of March, a peace treaty was signed : the Edict of Longjumeau that confirmed the Edict of Amboise.

The 3^rd war (1568-1570)

Moncontour (1570)

The peace of Longjumeau lasted simply five months.

The civil war in France was influenced by international events, especially by the revolt of the and so-called "gueux" : subjects of Philip Ii of Espana in kingdom of the netherlands. Their cruel repression by the Duke of Albe in the name of Philip II caused smashing emotion in French republic and the Huguenots, seeking foreign alliances, concluded an understanding with them.

Furthermore, each of the two sides benefited from foreign aid :

the Protestants were allied to the Prince of Orangish and Elizabeth of England ; the latter financed the expedition in Burgundy of the Palatine Count Wolfgang, Duke of the Ii Bridges, in 1569 ;
the Catholics received assistance from the King of Espana, the Pope and the Duke of Tuscany.

Battles were fought mainly in districts of Poitou, Saintonge and Guyenne ; these resulted in two master victories for the Catholics : i at Jarnac (13^th of March 1569) where the Duke of Anjou, the hereafter Henri Iii, was victorious over the Prince of Condé who was killed during the battle ; and the other at Moncontour, in the northern district of Haut-Poitou (3^rd of Oct 1569). Admiral de Coligny was injured during the battle but he managed to flee.

Despite these two setbacks, the Huguenots were non discouraged. Coligny returned north and reached La Charité-sur-Loire. In June 1570, the Protestant forces won the battle of Arnay-le-Duc.

The resulting peace indicated a political turn-nigh at the court where the moderates were recovering their influence while that of the de Guise decreased.

The edict signed at Saint-Germain on the 8^th of Baronial 1570, was brought near mainly by Rex Charles IX and marked a return to civil tolerance : freedom of worship was reinstalled in places where it had existed on the ane^st of Baronial 1570.

Protestants, moreover, obtained four strongholds for a flow of two years : they were La Rochelle, Cognac, La Charité-sur-Loire and Montauban.

4^th war (1572-1573)

Saint-Bartholomew'southward day-Baronial, 24,1572 © S.H.P.F.

On the 22 of Baronial 1572 – four days later on the marriage of Henri de Navarre to Marguerite de Valois, sister of Male monarch Charles Ix – Admiral de Coligny narrowly escaped an attempt on his life. In Paris the tension was very potent ; numerous Protestant noblemen had come to nourish the wedding. During the nighttime from the 23^rd to the 24 of August – St. Bartholomew's 24-hour interval – the royal Quango met, during which it was decided to eliminate the master Huguenot leaders. Coligny and other Protestant noblemen were assassinated at the Louvre too as in town. This execution of a express number of Huguenot leaders was followed by a barbarous massacre that will become on until the 29^thursday of August with some 4000 victims. The massacre spread throughout country areas and resulted in some 10.000.

Henri de Navarre and the Prince de Condé were spared considering of imperial lineage, but were obliged to adhere to Catholicism.

The violence that had been unleashed against them forced many reformed Protestants to abstain or flee to the countries of the "Refuge" : Geneva, Switzerland, the northern provinces of the netherlands or England. But in western and southern France battles raged over again. Nîmes and Montauban refused to accept the royal garrisons. La Rochelle was besieged but resisted. The siege was be lifted on the 6th of July 1573 and the King granted the Huguenots an edict of pacification : the Edict of Boulogne was registered past Parliament on the 11th of July 1573, only was less favourable than the preceding edict. The Protestants retain liberty of censor simply freedom of worship is granted to three towns only : La Rochelle, Nîmes and Montauban.

v^th state of war (1574-1576)

The Duke of Alençon – the King'due south young brother – took the lead of a motility made up of Protestant and moderate Catholics. This alliance of the "Malcontents" considered that tolerance towards reformed worship was primarily a affair of political reform. The movement stipulated demands for such reforms.

Later the death of Charles Ix (30th of May 1574), Henri Three was crowned on the 13 of February 1575. He refused the Malcontents' requests but was soon obliged to deal with them as his troops were far fewer than theirs. He signed a treaty of peace at Etigny, the then-called "peace of Monsieur". The Edict of Beaulieu (6^th of May 1576) confirms the victory of the Malcontents. It allows freedom of worship except in Paris and an surface area of ii leagues (five miles) around the metropolis. The reformed Protestants were attributed eight strongholds and express chambers in every parliament.

6^th war (1576-1577)

From the very beginning, the Edict of Beaulieu proved to be difficult to apply and raised opposition. Hostile Catholics gathered in defensive leagues. United states General was summoned and took place in Blois in an temper that was most unfavourable to the Huguenots. Le associates's abolitionism of the edict resulted in the resumption of the conflict. But lack of fiscal aid for both parties obliged them to take upward negotiations. A compromise was found and the peace of Bergerac (xiv^th of September 1577 was confirmed by the Edict of Poitiers, signed in Oct 1577.

7^th war (1579-1580)

War broke out in one case more than in local areas : the Prince de Condé captured La Fère in Picardy and in April 1580, Henri de Navarre – at the head of the Protestant party since 1575-1576 – resisted the provocations of Lt. General de Guyenne and took possession of the boondocks of Cahors. Some sporadic fighting occurred until the signing of the treaty of Fleix on the 26^th of November 1580. This treaty confirmed the Poitiers text. Every bit had been agreed upon at Poitiers, the strongholds were to be restored within half dozen years.

8^thursday state of war (1585-1598)

At the expiry in 1584 of François d'Alençon, Knuckles of Anjou and the King'southward terminal brother, Henri de Navarre became the legitimate heir to the throne. In gild to oppose this candidature to the throne, the Catholics establish the League or "Holy Union". Its leader Henri de Guise obliged Henri III to sign the treaty of Nemours (1585). The edict that followed was registered by Parliament on the 18^thursday of July 1585, refuting the political status to civil tolerance. It stipulated that Calvinists had 6 months to cull between abjuration and exile, that ministers of religion be banned and that strongholds exist given back.

The outcome was a strong decline in the number of Protestants throughout the state.

Just Henri de Navarre, victorious at Coutras, nonetheless held the southern provinces.

The League took command of northern France.

In Paris the "eatables'" league had been constituted independently from the princes' League. The two leagues at present united.

On the 12^th of May 1588, the city revolted : this was the "day of the barricades" and Henri Iii had to abscond.

He took refuge in Blois and began negotiations with the leaguers. But the power acquired past the de Guise clan worried him. Suspecting subversion, he fought against it at all costs. He decided to have the Duke Henri de Guise and his blood brother the Cardinal of Lorraine assassinated.

Henri 3 sought reconciliation with Henri de Navarre. Their two armies joined forces and headed for Paris.

But the citizens of Paris rose against their King who had made alliance with the heretics. In 1589 Henri Three was assassinated by a member of the League, the monk Jacques Clément.

Henri de Navarre became King Henri IV. But Paris was in the easily of the leaguers and the Male monarch had to conquer his kingdom.

In March 1590 the well-known battle of Ivry opened upwards the manner for the King to the siege of Paris.

In 1593 Henri Iv made known his intention to abstain and to undergo Catholic religious instruction. But the anointing and crowning of the King in Chartres succeeded in overcoming Parisian reserve. Paris yielded in 1594 and opened up its doors to Henri IV.

In 1595 Henri IV received absolution from the Pope and declared war on Spain whose numerous troops that had helped the League were all the same present in France.

In 1598, by means of the Treaty of Vervins, he obtained the departure of the Spanish troops. Henri IV besides obtained the submission of the Duke of Mercoeur, governor of Bretagnes, who had joined forces with the Spaniards.

The Edict of Nantes (xxx^thursday of April 1598)

It was in Nantes, in Apr 1598, that Henri IV signed the well-known edict putting an terminate to the wars of faith that had ravaged France for some 36 years. This edict is more than complete than the preceding ones. Information technology established a limited civil tolerance and inaugurated religious coexistence. The Reformed service of worship was authorised in all placed where information technology existed in 1597 and admission to all offices was guaranteed to Reformed Protestants.

Bibliography

Books
- BOISSON Didier et DAUSSY Hugues, Les protestants dans la France moderne, Belin, Paris, 2006
- CHRISTIN Olivier, La Paix de religion : l'autonomisation de la raison politique au Xvi^e siècle, Le Seuil, Paris, 1997
- COTTRET Bernard, 1598, L'édit de Nantes, Perrin, Paris, 1997
- CROUZET Denis, Les Guerriers de Dieu. La violence au temps des troubles de religion, Champ Vallon, Seyssel, 1990
- GARRISSON Janine, Les Protestants au 16^e siècle, Fayard, Paris, 1988
- JOUANNA Arlette, La France du Xvi^east siècle, PUF, Paris, 1996
- JOUANNA Arlette, JBOUCHER Jacqueline, Histoire et dictionnaire des guerres de religion, Laffont (Bouquins), Paris, 1998, p. 1526
- LIVET G., Les Guerres de faith, PUF, Paris, 1993
- MIQUEL Pierre, Les Guerres de faith, Fayard, Paris, 1980
- PERNOT Michel, Les Guerres de faith en France, SEDES, Paris, 1987
- VRAY Nicole, La guerre des religions dans la France de l'Ouest : Poitou, Aunis, Saintonge, 1534-1610, Geste Editions, 1997

Associated tours

The eight wars of religion in detail

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Wars of religion on the death of Henri IV (1562-1610)

In the 16th century in French republic, a war between the Protestant minority and the Catholic majority could not be avoided. In 36 years, between 1562 and 1598 there were 8...

Associated notes

The massacre of Wassy (1562)

From the protestant signal of view the wars of religion began with the massacre of Wassy, whereas from the catholic signal of view it was Louis de Condé's assail on...
The Edict of Nantes (1598)

This was Henri 4'south major achievement : the terms of this edict ensured the peaceful coexistence of Catholics and Protestants and brought a terminate to all hostilities in France after 36 years...
St. Bartholomew's Day (24th August 1572)

Charles Nine had tried to reconcile the two religious parties, but when this failed, he was driven by the Guise family unit to qualify the Catholics to electrocute the Protestant leaders; the state of affairs...
Gaspard de Coligny (1519-1572)

Gaspard de Coligny built-in in the influential Châtillon family, was naturally at the service of the King of French republic. However, afterward being made prisoner at the siege of Saint Quentin,...