Week 10: French Wars of Religion

Europe’s Reformations

France and Protestants: Schmalkaldic Wars

• French support for Schmalkaldic League (1540s-1550s)
• Peace of Augsburg (1555)
  • “Cuius regio, eius religio” (whose realm, his religion)
  • Excluded Calvinism and other Protestant sects

French Protestantism: Huguenots

• Marguerite de Navarre (1492-1549)
• Affair of the Placards (1534)
• 10% of the French population.
• Most dense in South.
• Noble support

Locations of Huguenot Churches

• The sister to the King of France, Marguerite de Navarre was keen on the new Faith.
  • She protected a circle of protestants at court, including the poet Clément Marot and the theologian Guillaume Farel.
  • She also commissioned the first French translation of the New Testament, which was completed in 1528 by Jacques Lefèvre d’Étaples.
  • She became an early center for the growth of Calvinism in France.
• Affair of the placards took place while the King of France was away. But placards attacking the Catholic mass were posted in public places, including on the door of the king’s bedchamber. This was seen as a direct attack on the king and led to increased persecution of Protestants in France.
• King of France arrived in Paris in December 1535 and ordered the arrest of Protestants.
• Associated Protestantism with political rebellion and treason, leading to increased persecution and violence against Huguenots in the following decades.
• Led to a mass of migrants fleeing France (including Calvin). This is when Calvin left for Geneva, which would become a center of Calvinism and Protestantism in Europe.
• Stats
  • 1,200 Protestant churches throughout France.
  • 1,800,000 Protestants.
  • 10% of the population.
  • Focus density in sout along the Midi.
  • 85% of Protestants were artisans or learned professionals.(printers, painters, jewellers, gold smiths. etc.)
  • Biggest problem: Large number of noble converts.
    • Bourbon Family. (princes of the Blood).
    • Chatillon Family.
    • protected Protestants in the countryside and especially the south.
• Tended toward locations with Estates (expropriated church lands to pay tax bills).
• Protestantism became linked to the local bourgeoisie in cities as a way to see their economic survival.

The Gallican Church and the French Crown

• Gallicanism
• French King as leader of the French church.
• Chambre d’Ardent (burning chamber):
  • court to prosecute heretics in the Parlement.

• Gallicanism:
  • the belief that the French church should be independent of the authority of the Pope and that the French king should have significant control over the church in France.
  • This was a long-standing tradition in France, dating back to the Middle Ages, and was reinforced by the French monarchy’s desire to assert its authority over the church and to limit the influence of the papacy in French affairs.
  • The French king was seen as the protector of the church in France and had the power to appoint bishops and other church officials, as well as to regulate.
• French king was seen as having sacral authority.
  • took the eucharist in both kinds.
  • Part of the role of hte King was to ensure the spiritual well being of his subjects.
• Chambre d’Ardent:
  • A special court established in France to prosecute heretics, particularly Protestants, during the 16th century.
  • The court was established in 1547 by King Henry II and was responsible for investigating and prosecuting cases of heresy, which included Protestant beliefs and practices.
  • The court had the authority to impose severe penalties on those found guilty of heresy, including imprisonment, fines, and even execution by burning at the stake.
  • The Chambre d’Ardent played a significant role in the persecution of Protestants in France during the Wars of Religion, contributing to the tensions and violence that characterized this period.

1559 - 1562: The French Crisis

• Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559)
• Death of Henri II (1559)
• François II (r. 1559-1560) 15 years old.
• Charles IX (r. 1560-1574) 10 years old.
• The Guise Family.
• Massacre of Vassy (1562)

• Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559):
  • A treaty signed in 1559 that ended the Italian Wars between France and Spain.
  • Ended the long-standing conflict between the two powers over control of territories in Italy and other parts of Europe.
  • Led to celebration.
• Death of Henri II (1559):
  • Jousting during celebration of the treaty and the marriage of his daughter to the King of Spain.
  • wood from the splintered lance went through visor and through his eye.
• François II (r. 1559-1560) 15 years old.
  • Son of Henri II and Catherine de Medici.
• Charles IX (r. 1560-1574) 10 years old.
  • Younger brother of François II.
• The Guise Family:
  • Two primary families of influence in French machinations:
    • Montmorency and Bourbon families.
      • led my Anne de Montmorency who lost the Battle of St-Quentin (1557) and was caputured and taken to Spain.
      • He was only returned to France after the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis (1559).
      • Created power vaccuum.
      • Antoine de Bourbon and Anne de Montmorency were allies.
        • They were strong Protestant families especially Anne de Montmorency’s nephews.
          • Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé.
          • Gaspard de Coligny, Admiral of France.
    • The Guise family.
      • Took advantage of the power vacuum.
      • Married their neice (Mary Queen of Scots) to the King of France (François II).
      • They were Catholic and anti-Protestant.
      • They were also very ambitious and wanted to increase their power and influence in France.
• Massacre of Vassy (1562):
  • A violent incident that took place in the town of Vassy in 1562,
  • The Duke of Guise happened upon a group of Huguenots worshiping in a barn and ordered his troops to attack them.
  • The attack resulted in the deaths of around 50 Huguenots and marked the beginning of the French Wars of Religion, a series of conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.
  • Started the Wars of Religion.

Series of Wars (1562-1598)

• 8 wars between Catholics and Protestants.
• Three groups:
  • Catholics Armies
  • Protestant Armies.
  • Royal Armies (supported Catholics when war broke out.)
• Driven by two issues:
  • Noble Rights to Violence.
  • Popular protection of the Catholicity of the domain.

Massacres

• Popular violence.
• Differences in violence:
  • Catholics
  • Huguenots
• The role of power:
  • The Case of Nimes (1567)

• Nimes was majority Protestant.
• Heightened by ongoing violence.
  • Spanish army was marching along the French border (spanish road) to support Catholics in Netherlands.
  • France raised an army to ensure they stayed out of France.
  • Huguenots nobles fearful that the French were coordinating with the Spanish.
  • Raised their own army to defend themselves.
• Nimes heard these stories and feared the Catholics in the city.
• The town council led by Catholics.
• The Nimes huguenot leader rose up arrested and killed over 200 Catholics.
• Targeted the Catholic elite and clergy.

St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572)

• Marriage:
  • Henry of Navarre (Protestant)
  • Margaret of Valois (Catholic)
• Failed Aassassination of Admiral Coligny (Protestant)
  • Ordered by the Guise.

• Execution of Huguenot leaders in Paris.
• Months of violence in Paris and throughout France.

The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre by Francois Dubois

Impacts

• 2,000-3,000 killed in Paris.
• 10,000-20,000 killed throughout France.
• Henry of Navarre forced to convert to Catholicism.
• Huguenots victory no longer possible.
• Huguenots no longer trust the Royal family.

Henri de Navarre and the end of the War.

• King of France’s Brother dies in 1584.
• Henry of Navarre becomes heir to the throne.
• Catholic League.
• War of the Three Henrys (1587-1589).

Assassinations

• Henry of Guise (1588)
• King Henri III (1589)
• Henry of Navarre becomes King Henri IV (1589-1610).

Henri IV (r. 1589-1610)

• Catholic League led by the Guise Family.
  • Gains support from Spain.
• Henri IV converts to Catholicism (1593).
• Henri IV coronation (1594).
• Declares war on Spain (1595).
• Peace of Vervins (1598).

Henri IV

Edict of Nantes (1598)

• Granted religious freedom to Huguenots.
• Places de sureté (safe places).
• Ended the Wars of Religion.