Importance of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598)

Alsina González
Specialist journalist and researcher

It is paradoxical as religions, which in their vast majority if not all, preach universal peace, love for one's neighbor and mutual respect, have traditionally been one of the main reasons for war, although it has also been mixed with other motivations such as economic. One of these cases is that of the wars of religion that occurred in France between 1562 and 1598.

The religious wars in France were various episodes of religiously motivated fighting between Catholics and Protestants, with the background of the creation of the same kingdom of France and the struggle for power in it, together with the intervention of foreign powers.

The conflict must be understood within the framework of the creation of the kingdoms that would later come to lead to the modern states that we know today in Europe. West, as well as in a general religious conflict between the Catholic Church and the Protestant movements after the agitation provoked by the proposals of Martín Luther.

Tensions between both religious currents had already existed since before the mid-16th century, with violent episodes on both sides. To this we must add the confrontation between the families that wanted to control power in the country: the Guise, the Montmorency, and the Bourbons (who, in the end, would emerge victors), all of them under the reign of the Valois.

It goes without saying that the monarchy He had to weather a delicate situation between the two religious groups, making difficult balances to please everyone and not disappoint any. The situation was an easily exploded powder keg, because there were precisely several interested parties (the families that were fighting and the foreign powers, above all the English and Spanish monarchies) in which in the balance it was blown up in the kingdom French.

Since 1515, the Valois kings (Francis I and Henry II) had persecuted Protestants Calvinists (called Huguenots) and favored Catholics, although Protestantism was gaining adherents in France.

In 1562 the Protestant uprising took place, whose doctrines had taken strong root in the cities and among the nobility opposed to the crown (although in the latter case more for interest than for conviction).

The Protestants asked England and Geneva for help, as well as the declaredly Protestant territories of the Sacred Roman empire-Germanic, while the crown and the Catholic nobles did the same to the Spanish crown and the Italian states.

Although the initiative came from the Protestant forces that were able to gain control of several cities (such as Lyon, Orléans or Rouen), although they were unable to seize continuous territory, allowing Catholic forces to lay siege to these cities and others.

With both sides technically tied, a peace agreement was reached the following year that allowed Protestants freedom of worship, albeit with certain restrictions. It was, however, a false peace, as the war had fueled hatred between the two religious communities.

Violence broke out again in the open in 1567, provoked indirectly by Spanish troop movements to contain the revolt in the Netherlands.

The French crown armed itself, recruiting Swiss mercenaries, among other troops, to face a possible Spanish invasion. The movements of all these troops made the Huguenots fear a motion of pincer hatched between the French (Catholic) crown and the greatest European Catholic power at the time (Spain) to finish them off, so they decided it was better to strike first.

And they did it trying to kidnap the royal family in an audacious but failed operation that today we would qualify as "commando", historically known as the "Meaux Surprise", but which failure.

Despite an initial Huguenot offensive against a weakened crown, neither side was able to sustain the war effort, leading to a new peace in 1568. It would not take long for the third confrontation to arrive.

The Huguenots were dissatisfied with some points of the last peace treaty, and after a few months the fighting resumed.

In response, the Queen Mother Catherine de' Medici outlawed all religions other than Catholicism, and went on the offensive.

The Protestants were defeated at the Battle of Jarnac, forcing them to regroup and reorganize, appealing to the Protestant nobles of the Holy Empire for help.

However, they were again defeated at Moncontour and the Protestant force was forced to fortify itself at La Rochelle.

Unable to take the square, and facing threats of occasional insurrections in the rear, the royalist forces found themselves unable to to liquidate their enemies, which led to a new negotiation and a new peace agreement, through which the freedom of worship.

The link between Margarita de Valois, princess royal, with King Henry III of Navarre (and who would be IV of France), stressed the court, since Enrique (from the Bourbon family) had fought with the Huguenots in the previous conflict.

The Huguenot bosses planned to lead France to break its alliance with Spain by intervening in the Netherlands on behalf of their religious brothers, but they were surprised by the assassination attempt on one of their main leaders (Gaspar de Coligny) attacked in an attack after which was Catherine de Médicis, and after this, by a series of massacres perpetrated in various cities.

In Paris the Huguenots were taken by surprise and almost annihilated in a massacre that lasted three days (the so-called "Saint Bartholomew Massacre").

It was not the only extermination attempt, and the situation led the Calvinists to take up arms and entrench themselves in La Rochelle. Again the scheme of the previous conflict is repeated: the royalists are not capable of taking the fearsome fortification nor to continue the war, which leads to the negotiation and signing of a precarious peace, in 1573.

The death of King Charles IX of France in 1574 and the struggle for his succession triggered the fifth war of religion, which would last until 1576.

Henry III, more fundamentalist than his predecessor, began by repressing the Huguenots wherever and however he could.

This provoked the reaction of the Calvinists, who entered the country from the Holy Empire with the help of German mercenaries. The mere threat of the invading army was enough for numerous Catholic nobles to refuse combat and desert.

Henry flees to Navarre, and is finally forced to sign the Edict of Beaulieu, with which he grants an unprecedented victory to the Huguenots, who have obtained rights and privileges.

The sixth war of religion in France began with the convocation of the States General in the same 1576, although these were not recognized by the Huguenots as they were predominantly dominated by the catholics.

The war would not be long in coming, though it would be brief. The exhaustion of both sides after fourteen years of intermittent conflict was appreciable, and neither was in a position to endure a long campaign or deal a final blow.

In addition, the integrity of the kingdom was in danger, and this matter of state ended up weighing on the families that fought for its control, so that they always ended up taking into account that the situation did not "get out of hand" and get out of hand, splitting the kingdom or decreasing their possessions.

Finally, this new armed outbreak ended in 1577, giving the French two years of respite.

In 1579 the penultimate episode of this sad series of armed confrontations began. It was the Protestants who opened fire, taking advantage of the court sex scandals.

On this occasion, the war would not last long either, ending the following year, 1580, with a new peace agreement.

If what happened up to then left the French fields strewn with corpses, the last phase of the war, which took place between 1580 and 1598, was the most violent.

Henry III could not have children, which triggered a power struggle. The most well-placed candidate was Henry of Navarre (the future Henry IV of France), who was a Huguenot and therefore unrecognized by Catholics.

The Catholics took control of the north of France, while the Protestants took control of the south. However, the Catholic forces, in their advance towards the south, were defeated by the Protestants.

The Catholics sided with Spain, while the Protestants sided with the Dutch rebels.

The assassination of the members of the Guise family by King Henry III, and his subsequent assassination at the hands of of a Catholic friar, left the way clear for Enrique de Navarra to occupy the throne of France under the name of Enrique IV.

Of course, before being crowned, Enrique de Navarra had to convert to Catholicism, pronouncing the famous phrase "Paris is well worth a mass”, With which he came to say that possessing the French throne was well worth his conversion.

Enrique IV will reveal himself as an excellent monarch, appreciated by his people, and who knew how to put an end to religious conflicts.

Despite the fact that Catholicism was recognized as the state religion, Enrique promoted the tolerance religious, and he sought the welfare of his subjects.

It also put Spanish interference in French domestic policy at bay and managed to stabilize the national economy. He is responsible for promoting the first Gallic expeditions to America, which led to the establishment of populations in present-day Canada, precedents for Quebec.

Unfortunately, a Catholic fanatic would end the monarch's life in Paris in 1610. Although the agitation on the part of a few had not ceased, Henry was able to put an end to decades of armed struggles for religious reasons that sowed terror and sadness in France.

Fotolia image. kmigaya