The Age of Confessional Division and the Religious Wars of France, Essay Example

During the 16th century, The Age of Confessional Division directly contributed to France experiencing four decades of civil war. This was largely due to the death of Henry II in 1559, as upon his death, his heirs were not able to keep the peace that he had previously established (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476). The causes of the religious wars in France specifically arose because of the large numbers of Huguenots, which were French Calvinists, that emerged during this time (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476). Many nobles were part of the French Calvinists, and this partly influenced the start of the The Religious Wars. This was because of different factions in France seeking power and control, which included the Huguenots, the royal family and the Catholic nobles, led by the Guise family (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476). The Catholics, or the Guise family, severely persecuted the Huguenots and these attacks are what cause the subsequent 40 years of war (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476).

In 1572, there were attempts to end the war because neither sides were advancing, however this is also when the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre occurred (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476). Huguenots and Protestants were killed during this slaughter, which was perpetrated by the Guise and approved by Catherine de’ Medici and King Charles IX (Levack et al., 2011, pp. 474-476). This once again renewed the religious wars, and it was not until the 1589 assassination of Henry III that finally saw an outcome to the wars. This assassination left the leader of the Huguenots, Henry Bourbon, King of Navarre, as the successor to the throne (Levack et al., 2011, p. 476). However, in order to claim the throne, Henry Bourbon has to renounce Protestantism and convert to Catholicism, and in 1598, Henry gave the Huguenots limited freedom under the Edict of Nantes (Levack et al., 2011, p. 476).

References

Levack, B., Muir, E., & Veldman, M. (2011). Chapter 15: The Age of Confessional Division In The W: Encounters & Transformations, vol I (Rev: 3). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Longman.