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The Reformation in France

Beginnings of the Wars of Religion

In 1559, two events of great significance occurred. One was the Treaty of Cateau-Cambrésis, which ended the long war between the Habsburgs (the Empire) and the Valois (France). The Treaty seemed to promise peace for France. Her king, Henry II, was a solid king who was a determined enemy of the Huguenots. With the Treaty in hand, he could turn his attention to arranging matters at home.

The same year, Henry held a tournament to celebrate the marriage of his daughter to Philip II, king of Spain, a marriage that had been arranged (she was only thirteen) in part to help seal the new peace. Henry was an old-fashioned sort of king, and he insisted on participating in the tournament himself. Despite blunted lances and other precautions, Henry was mortally wounded in a joust when a lance pierced his visor. As a result, Francis II became king, and in an instant everything changed.

Francis II was only fifteen years old, chronically sick and destined to die young. He never for a moment really ruled France. Instead, he was dominated by Henry's formidable wife, Catherine de Medici. As so often happens with a regency, however, various powerful families saw in these events an opportunity to gain influence at court and advance their own interests.

Catherine had a difficult time trying to steer a safe course for her son between the powerful and ruthless families (Condé and Coligny, for example, in 1560 collaborated in an abortive plot to kidnap Francis in order to free him from the influence of the Duke of Guise). Her son France died in 1560, but she continued to reign as regent for her son, Charles IX (1560-1574). The queen mother was herself a staunch Catholic and desired the monarchy to remain true to Rome. But she likewise did not want a monarchy dominated by one faction of the nobility (Guise).

Catherine tried first to settle matters between Catholics and Protestants at a public debate, but the time for debates had long past. She so feared the influence of Guise that she turned to Coligny in 1562 and issued an edict of partial toleration for the Huguenots. Then, in that same year, the Duke of Guise came upon a Huguenot congregation in Champagne (he was marching with a private army) and massacred about a hundred people. This event, in March 1562 at Vassy in Champagne, markes the beginning of the French wars of religion.