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The Huguenots were Protestants who were members of the French Reformed Church that was established about 1550 - 1555 and was based upon the teachings of John Calvin. The origin of the word Huguenot is uncertain. In Germany the Protestants were referred to as Eid Genossen, meaning sworn companions or confederates. It was an abusive name. The Protestants preferred to be referred to as "reformers" rather than "Huguenots". It was much later that the name "Huguenot" became an honorary one. |
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Catherine
de' Medici and her sons, Charles IX, Henry III, and Francis II, sought to
maintain a balance of power by siding with the Catholics or with the
Huguenots depending on which was the most politically beneficial at the time.
In 1560, the Huguenots attempted to end the persecutions suffered at the hands of Francis II, son of King Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, with the Conspiracy of Amboise. This ignited the Wars of Religion that would last for the next four decades. On March 1 1562, 1200 Huguenots were slain at Vassy, France. In 1570, the Treaty of Saint Germain temporarily ending the wars and gave the Protestants control of four cities; La Rochelle, Montauban, Cognac, and La Charite. In 1572, the massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day renewed the Wars of Religion. The Wars of Religion ended with the issuance of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 by Henry IV. |
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| The foremost Protestant leaders during this time were Louis I de Conde, Gaspard de Coligny, and Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV). Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre in August 23 and 24 1572 resulted in more than 8,000 Huguenots being murdered. This included Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, governor of Picardy and leader and spokesman of the Huguenots. It happened during the wedding of Henry of Navarre (Henry IV) to Marguerite de Valois, daughter of Catherine de Medici, when thousands of Huguenots attended the wedding in Paris. Coligny was the first victim, followed by the death of all Huguenots within reach of the soldiers and mob. The massacre continued even after a royal order to stop and spread from Paris into other sections of France. |
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On April 13 1598, Henry IV (Henry of Navarre, who himself earlier was a Huguenot) issued the Edict of Nantes. This brought an end to the Wars of Religion, in theory established Protestantism as a lawful religion, proclaimed freedom of worship, and allowed substantial political independence. More and more skilled artisans and members of the bourgeoisie became Huguenots, who thus constituted one of the most industrious and economically advanced elements in French society. |
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The
end of the Wars of Religion did not end the persecution of the
Huguenots.
Cardinal Richelieu resumed the persecution of the Huguenots after Henry IV was murdered in 1610. The Huguenot cities established by the Edict of Nantes fell as the forces of Cardinal Richelieu conquered them. The most important stronghold, La Rochelle, fell in 1629 after a siege lasting a month. Louis
XIV (the Sun King, 1643-1715) revoked the Edict of Nantes on 22
October 1685 and a new large scale persecution of the Huguenots began.
Hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled France to other countries. |
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Since the Huguenots of France were in large part artisans, craftsmen, and professional people, they were usually well received in the countries to which they fled for refuge when religious discrimination or overt persecution caused them to leave France. Most of them went initially to Germany, the Netherlands, and England, although some found their way eventually to places as remote as South Africa. Considerable numbers of Huguenots migrated to British North America, especially to the Carolinas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York. Their character and talents in the arts, sciences, and industry were such that they are generally felt to have been a substantial loss to the French society from which they had been forced to withdraw, and a corresponding gain to the communities and nations into which they settled. |
For more information on the Huguenots or Hugenotten in Germany try one of Ina's web pages by clicking HERE.