History 2403E Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Gallican Church, Parlement, Jousting
2 May 2018
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January 30, 2018
The French Wars of Religion
(1562-1594)
- 1562-1594 – series of 8 civil wars and 7 truces known as the French Wars of Religion
- Huguenots and Catholics
- not the traditional civil war
o in France, civil wars fought in the absence of government
o existed because government is so weak and borderline non-existent that conflict
arises
- not the civil war fought between two territories
o fought between 2 different ways of life – 2 worldviews
- A war of insurgency
o Small battles and assassinations
o Takes on the character of a blood feud
▪ Motivated by atrocities committed in the past which gives justification for
continued conflict in this setting
- Often involved outside influences
o Catholics – appealed to and received aid from Spain and parts of Italy
o Huguenots – appealed to and received aid from Dutch and the English
- About religion – were individuals motivated by pragmatic realities
o Line of class could be transgressed –
▪ find nobles/commoners or even country/city people fighting together
▪ people uniting
▪ only thing that allowed them to set outside their differences was religious
unity
- Causes
1. Poor royal leadership
a. France in 16thC has weak and ineffective kings
i. No central control
ii. 4 main challenges, the same as Isabella!
- French kings had successfully kept the nobles busy with fighting in wars
o Had been at war with Spain
- Estates-General
o 3 Estates: Clergy, Noble and Commoners
o Kings never called on the estates-general into session
o Had no right to seat themselves, only the King could allow that to occur
- Concordat (1516) – Gallican Church
o French Monarchs had power over the church
o Concordat – signed with French King and French Church (Gallican Church)
o Gave the French crown the ability to appoint all the senior officials in the roman
church in France
o All of the monarchs in western Europe, French kings have a unique relationship
with the Roman Catholic church
▪ Defend, protect and promote the interest of the Roman Catholic Church in
France
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Parlements = French Law Courts
o The judicial branch of the French government
o Parlement French king could force parlement to ratify those laws if he was in in
o French church plagued with all of the things that enraged Luther and other
Protestant Reformers
▪ Clergy having families, sale of offices, etc.
▪ Simony – the sale of offices
▪ Lack of training
- French kings need $$
o No system of bureaucracy and administration that allows them to tax effectively
- System is manageable as long as you have a strong monarch in the centre
- Francis I = 1495-1547
o Ruled: 1515-1547
o Grand and Charismatic
o When he dies in 1547, the French monarchy turns downhill
- Henry II – Rules from 1547-1559
o Succeeded his father Frances I
o Allowed his mistress, Diane de Poitiers to rule the country
o Issues
▪ Diane was incredibly intelligent, confident and beautiful
• Signed royal documents and decrees
• But she is a woman – French have a dim view of female rule in the
16thC
• Profoundly patriarchal and misogynistic society
• French had laws from preventing women to obtain the crown
• Becomes his mistress in 1554 when she is 35
o Henry was 15
• Not from one of the powerful families
o Nobles received to work with her, by extension Henry, in
any meaningful war
▪ Catherine de Medici, wife of Henry
o As long as the nobles were occupied, they couldn’t focus on Henry
- Changes in 1559 with the Habsburg-Valois Wars (1551-1559)
- Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis 1559
o Signed between kings of France and Spain because they’re both bankrupt
o Henry also has serious troubles at war – has to deal with the Huguenots
- Brutally persecuted protestants
o Pastors tongues ripped out, hanged, burned and tortured
- Nobles are angry and have nowhere to channel aggression other than Henry
- Elizabeth (Henry II) marries Philip II
o Philip was faithful to all of his wives
o Joust between knights of Spain and knights of France
▪ Henry decides to participate and fights a young knight
▪ Takes henry 10 days after the jousting accident before he dies
• Excruciating pain
• God brought justice to the crown – protestants rejoice
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
- Catherine de Medici took control as soon as Henry died
o Governed France in the name of her 3 sons
▪ Francis II – R. 1559-1560
▪ Charles IX – R. 1560-74
▪ Henry III – R. 1574-1589
o Goal: Make sure the environment her sons rule in is peaceful, stable and non-
threating as possible
o A regent – not a monarch, cannot govern independently
▪ Have the power of the crown without the crown
▪ An Italian – French hate foreigners
▪ A women
o Forced by necessity to rule in a shadowy way
▪ Reputation for being a ruthless leader
- Francis II – R. 1559-1560
o Took the throne at 15 years old
▪ Lacked the maturity and intelligence to rule
o Catherine de Medici rules in his name and was dependent on Duke of Guise
▪ Guise family the dominant catholic family in France
o Duke of Guise was primary advisor to Francis II
o Francis’ wife Mary Queen of Scots
▪ Niece of Guise family
o Religious persecution continued and increased
▪ Was a serious problem for Catherine
• Priority the wellbeing of her sons, not the church
• Secretly went to Huguenots and told them if they kept quiet, she
would leave them alone
o Wants no difficulties for her sons and them to accept his
rule
▪ Duke of Guise increases attacks
• Huguenots are upset at Catherine
o Feels betrayed by the Crown
o Out of control ear infections that causes death in 1560
▪ Infection grows so large that brain is crushed inside his own head
- Charles IX – R. 1560-74
o 9 years old when he came to the throne
o Catherine (41) formally becomes Regent of France
▪ Changed her affections of families to keep them off balance
▪ Gave Huguenot leaders power – allowed them into the royal council
• Anthony Bourbon and Louis Conde
• Wants to curtail the power of the Guise family and Catholic in
general
• Huguenot leaders began to worship openly and lash out openly out
of outrage and frustration
o Destroyed icons, destroyed catholic churches, etc.
• Protestants reach out to Dutch and English for aid
• Catholics ask Spanish for help to secure the throne
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
1562-1594 series of 8 civil wars and 7 truces known as the french wars of religion. Not the traditional civil war in france, civil wars fought in the absence of government: existed because government is so weak and borderline non-existent that conflict arises. Not the civil war fought between two territories: fought between 2 different ways of life 2 worldviews. A war of insurgency: small battles and assassinations, takes on the character of a blood feud, motivated by atrocities committed in the past which gives justification for continued conflict in this setting. Often involved outside influences: catholics appealed to and received aid from spain and parts of italy, huguenots appealed to and received aid from dutch and the english. Causes: poor royal leadership, france in 16thc has weak and ineffective kings, no central control, 4 main challenges, the same as isabella! French kings had successfully kept the nobles busy with fighting in wars: had been at war with spain.
