1. Chapter 12: The Wars of Religion
October 31, 2008

2. Catherine de Medicis and the Guises
After the death of Francis II, Catherine de Medicis became regent
She was worried about the power of the Guise Family and wanted to protect the monarchy
She allied herself with the Protestants

3. Catherine de Medicis and the Guises
Issued the January Edict which allowed Protestant public worship outside of town and private within
In 1562, the Duke of Guise massacred a gathering of worshippers which launched the wars of religion in France

4. Catherine de Medicis and the Guises
Catherine moved closer to the Guises as the Protestants became more powerful
She was behind the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre in which 20,000 protestants were killed in 3 days.

5. The Rise to Power of Henry of Navarre
Henry III, last son of Henry II was on the throne
Found France split down the middle with the Catholic Guises on one side (The Catholic League) and Huguenots who wanted revenge on the other
Henry was a politique who wanted to save France from itself

6. The Rise to Power of Henry of Navarre
He was forced into an alliance with Henry of Navarre because the Catholic League (meaning the Guise Family) had become too powerful
Henry III was assassinated and Henry of Navarre, who was the next in line for the throne
Henry IV, as he was called, wanted a stop to the religious wars.
He gave up his Protestant faith and converted to Catholicism. “Paris is worth a mass I think!”

7. The Edict of Nantes
Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes which guaranteed minority religious rights to the Protestants
One of the first guarantees of religious rights from a ruling monarch.
This edict will be in effect until the reign of Louis XIV