The French Wars (1562-1598)
Marissa, Anna, and Manvir
Summary
Main Causes
- Primarily caused by the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics
- As French Calvinism spread, the French ruler Catherin de Médicis showed tolerance for the Huguenots when
- Catholics massacred a Huguenot congregation at Vassy in 1562, which caused an uprising in the provinces
- England funded the Protestants, and Spain helped the Catholics which angered other powers
Catherine de Médicis
The French Ruler who was influenced by French Calvinism being spread which led to her tolerating the Huguenots which angered the Guise family.
Henry of Navarre (Henry IV)
The Huguenot leader, who later became heir to the French throne.
Admiral Gaspard de Coligny
The military and political leader of the Huguenots. He was nearly killed was Catholics attempted to assassinate him on the day of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
King Henry III of France
Henry I, Duke of Guise
Timeline
1561- Anti-Protestant edict begins to drive refugees from France
1562- 1563 First War
1563- Treaty of Amboise ends First War
1563- Council of Trent closes
1567- 1568 Second War
1568- 1570 Third War
1568- Treaty of Longjumeau ends Second War
1569- Peace of St. Germain ends Third War
1572- 1573 Fourth War
1572- St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
1574- Truce ends Fourth War
1574- Henri III becomes king of France
1576- Fifth War
1576- Pro-Protestant Peace of Monsieur signed
1576- Militant Catholic League forms
1577- Sixth War
1577- Sixth War ended by slightly restrictive Peace of Bergerac
1580- Seventh War
1580- Treaty of Nerac and Peace of Fleix end Seventh War
1584- Henri of Navarre becomes heir to French throne
1588- Henri III forced to surrender to Guises and Catholic League
1589- Henri III stabbed, names Henri of Navarre his successor
1589- Catherine de Médicis dies
1593- Henri IV converts to Catholicism
1598- Edict of Nantes returns civil and religious freedom to Protestants
Outcome
- Huguenots were given generous rights and freedoms by the Edict of Nantes, however it didn't end antagonistic vibes towards them
- An uneasy truce between Catholics and Protestants was put in place
- Henry began to accept Roman Catholicism
- 2,000,000-4,000,000 people were killed as a result of war, famine, and disease
- Foreign powers did not succeed in weaking France in order to gain territories
- Catholic church's superiority is upheld in France, but monarchy is left weakened
Signifigance
The French Wars of Religion (1562– 1598) is the name of a time of common infighting and military tasks fundamentally between French Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). During the wars, complex conciliatory arrangements and agreements of peace were trailed by restored strife and power battles.
Primary source
The Edict of Nantes, which was signed in April 1598 by King Henry IV of France, gave the Calvinist Protestants of France (Huguenots) substantial rights in the country, which was still considered to be Catholic at the time. In the edict, Henry focused on civil unity. The edict separated civil unity from religious unity, treated Protestants as more than schismatics and heretics, and opened a path for secularism and tolerance.