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The In 1572, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre (1572) led to deaths of 10,000 Huguenots at the hands French Catholics. It was one of the bloodiest episodes in Early early Modern French history. It and marked a turning point in the religious wars that devastated France from the 1560s to 1590s. The impact of the massacre was profound. The massacre changed the course of French history and initiated a new and bloody chapter in the Wars of Religion. The massacre began as a series of events that changed the Huguenots and weakened the French monarchy. The massacre also failed to end the war and instead prolonged it.

Prior the massacres, France had become increasingly divided between Catholics and Protestants in the mid-16th Century. The massacre can only be understood, within the context of French politics and the deep religious hatreds of the times. France had been weakened after the early death of King Henry II in a jousting accident in 1559. This led to a period of profound instability in France, Henry's sons all proved to be weak and incompetent rulers. Francis II (1559-60), Charles IX (1560-74), and Henri III (1574-89), were either under the influence of their ambitious mother, Catherine De Medici or various noble families. The country at the same time saw a rapid increase in the number of Protestants. These flourished despite often brutal persecution by both the Church and State. Many Huguenots as the French Protestants became known hoped to turn the realm into a Protestant kingdom.<ref> Barbara B. Diefendorf, <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312413602/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312413602&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=41f4b002ee046258210097ec03ad09bb The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre: A Brief History with Documents]</i> (Faber, London, 2008), p. 67, 89</ref> The Huguenots were followers of Jean Calvin and they believed that they were the ‘elect’ and that they were destined to be saved, unlike their Catholic neighbors. The Huguenots soon established churches all over France, but they were particularly strong in the South of France. Soon Huguenots and Catholics were living in separate and mutually hostile communities.

The actions of the Royal Guard inspired Catholic mobs to form and they attacked and murdered any Protestant they could find. There had been no plan for a general massacre of Huguenots but events seemed to have spiraled out of control. Catholic mobs murdered Huguenots in many horrific ways and paraded the bodies through the streets.<ref> Smithers, p. 31</ref> The King ordered the violence to stop but the bloodshed continued for another week. The news of the massacre prompted Catholics in other cities and towns to murder Huguenots. The violence did not end until several weeks later. Many Huguenots only escaped because of the bravery of their Catholic neighbors. The exact number of Huguenots killed in the massacres that swept France in the Autumn of 1572 will never be known.<ref> Dienfendorf, p. 75</ref> There were exaggerated reports by both sides. Modern research has shown that up to 10,000 Huguenots were killed during the massacres and that 5,000 of these were killed in Paris. The news of the massacres shocked Protestant Europe, on the other hand across Catholic Europe there was were widespread celebrations at the news. The Pope ordered the bells to be rung in Rome to commemorate the joyous news of the massacre of heretics in Paris and elsewhere in France.

The Parisian mob, whipped up by fiery Catholic preachers attacked the Huguenot population of the city.<ref> Sutherland, p 116</ref> This had not been foreseen by the planners and was not wanted by them. The King tried to stop the violence but it took a full week before the royal guard restored order in the city. The violence spread to other cities and towns, and the Guise faction hoped that the Huguenots would be annihilated. This was not the case. The Huguenots were more determined than ever to fight for their religion. Despite the fact that, their leadership was either killed or imprisoned they were still well-organized and well-led.<ref>Sutherland, p. 117</ref> The Huguenots still have many strongholds and a formidable army. They also had the support of foreign Protestants. The massacres did not fundamentally weaken the French Protestant cause as expected. This was borne out when the French Catholic army attacked Huguenot strongholds. They laid siege unsuccessfully to several French Protestant strongholds. After two years of fighting the Catholics had not achieved any of their objectives and the fourth religious war was another stalemate. By 1594 a peace agreement was thrashed out and although the Huguenots lost some privileges and rights they had survived the Catholic onslaught. It could be argued that the French monarchy was weakened by its ill-advised participation in the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre as they had alienated the Huguenots and they became ever more dependent on hardline Catholics.<ref> Dienfendorf, p. 95</ref>