1. French Wars of Religion
French Civil Wars

2. French Wars of Religion
Huguenot: French Calvinist
40-50% of the French nobility became Huguenots
The House of Bourbon (Huguenot, Navarre)
The House of Valois (Catholic, French crown)
Guise Family (ultra-Catholic, loyalty from Paris and large sections of northern and northwestern France, the papacy and the Jesuits).
Politiques: placed politics above religion and believed that no religious truth was worth civil war.

3. French Wars of Religion
1562: Guise Duke massacres congregation of Huguenots.
St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre – August 1572
Apparent truce b/t the factions when Charles IX’s (king of France) sister marries Henry of Navarre.
Huguenots travel to the wedding in Paris.
Guise family persuades Charles and his mother (Catherine de’ Medici) that the guests pose a threat.
Kings guards assassinate leading Huguenots
Catholic mobs begin roaming the streets, killing Calvinists.
After 3 days, 3,000 Huguenots lay dead.
Discredited the Valois dynasty without ending the conflict.

4. French Wars of Religion
War of the Three Henries –
The “Holy League” vows to put Henry, duke of Guise on the throne.
Henry III (Valois) sits on the throne
Philip II (Spain) pays Henry (duke of Guise) to seize the throne – becomes chief minister.
Henry III assassinates Henry, duke of Guise and joins Henry of Navarre to rid Paris of the Holy League.
After Henry III is assassinated by a fanatic monk, Henry of Navarre takes the crown
And becomes Catholic – again…

5. French Wars of Religion
Ends with the coronation of Henry of Navarre as the Catholic king of France
Fighting continues until the Edict of Nantes (1589)
Acknowledges Catholicism as the official religion of France
Allows Huguenots religious freedom and certain strongholds throughout the state for protection.
They could also hold public office
Was more out of political necessity that conviction.