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[[File:Bart One.jpg|thumbnail|350px|left|Painting of the St Bartholomew Day’s Massacre]]
====Background====
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.
Both the Protestant and the Catholic factions were led by nobles. The Catholics were led by the Guise family, who believed that the Huguenots were heretics that should be exterminated.<ref> Diefendorf, p. 45</ref> The Huguenots by the Admiral Coligny and Henri of Navarre. Violence became common and sectarian massacres became a feature of French life. The Guise family ignited the First war of religion in 1562 when they massacred Protestant worshipers and it lasted until 1564, in a stalemate. There were two more wars the second in (1567-68) and the third (1568-70), they were all bloody stalemates. These wars were marked by massacres and an endless cycle of sectarian violence. Law and order broke down and bandits roamed the countryside freely. The French king was largely powerless to stop the violence and the wars.<ref> Dienfendorf, p. 75</ref> By 1572 the Huguenots had been able to establish themselves as a powerful force in France, to the disgust of many Catholics. Despite the official end of the third war of religion, the sectarian violence was ongoing and religious rioting was the norm. The French Kings were too weak to either stop the violence or crush the Huguenots. The situation was greatly complicated by the growing power and ambitions of the Guise family and their faction. The French Royal Family were fearful of the growing power of the Guise faction and as a result was keen not to allow them to become too powerful.
Nevertheless, religious tensions remained high. The Catholic clergy had warned that the marriage would provoke the wrath of God on France. Many Catholics feared Huguenot influence at the court and that this would involve France in wars in the Netherlands and Spain. There was an attempt to assassinate the French Protestant leader, Coligny and this lead to an increase in tensions and many Huguenots blamed the Queen Mother, Catherine De Medici. This is highly unlikely. However, the Huguenots reaction drove the Royal family and the Guise family together out of fear of the Huguenots, they decided to launch a preemptive attack. The Royal Council ordered the militia to mobilize and to detain or kill the Protestant leadership. In the early, morning the Royal Guard killed Coligny and other Protestant leaders.<ref> Diefendorf, p. 75</ref> Some more leaders, such as Henri of Navarre were detained.
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.
====Failure of the Massacre====
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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>
====Weakened Huguenot Cause====
====References====
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Update January 28, 2019
[[Category:French History]] [[Category:Religious History]] [[Category:European History]][[category:wikis]]
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