AP European History Religious and Civil War in France

I. Background - The wars of religion in France were only in part due to actual religious conflicts. In actuality, according to many sources, these wars are representative of the traditional conflict between the established powers in France (the king, the nobility, the Parlements …). Some sources site the convening of the Estates General (1560 – 1561) as important in pushing the French towards war. “What do you think the king wanted?” “How do nobles or representatives of the ‘estates’ sometimes respond in these situations?” The Kings of France were either weak or short lived. Each son of the Henri II, the last strong Valois king, was dominated by the mother Catherine di Medici.

II. Religion - Due to the establishment of the Gallican church (Concordat of Bologna) most Frenchmen were Catholic. - However, many of the French nobility became Calvinists. “Why?” Many sources suggest that many Huguenot commoners were true in their reformed convictions.

In the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in 1572, paranoid Parisian Catholic mobs killed thousands of Huguenots. Sources suggest 20,000 Protestants died in the fighting. The rioting was sparked by the attempted assassination of Admiral de Coligny – leader of the Protestant faction. Some sources suggest that the Spanish were responsible for the attack. “Who was pulling on the Milch Cow’s tail?”

In the following civil war (s) - atrocities war committed by both factions.

In 1589, Henry of Navarre or Henri de Bourbon, a Protestant (r – 1610), became King Henry IV of France. Henry converted to Catholicism and issued the Edict of Nantes (1598) in an attempt to promote civil and religious unity. “How are these actions reflective of Henri’s Politique stance?” The Edict of Nantes (1598) allowed the Huguenots to worship freely in France. The Edict also sanctioned the maintenance of La Rochelle a Protestant military stronghold. Both the issuance and revocation of the Edict on Nantes in 1685 by Louis XIV, grandson of Henry IV, are significant turning points in French history. Henry IV and the Edict on Nantes 1589 “Paris is well worth a mass.”

Think about it?

Discussion Questions: What was Busbecq’s take on the civil wars in France between 1562 and 1589?