A day that lasted weeks, a massacre effectively wiped out a large chunk of the Huguenot leadership and left their forces with no leader. Instigated by the powerful Catherine de Medici and carried out by her son King Charles IX of France, the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre also almost cost the life of the future King of France, Henry of Navarre.
This massacre was truly one of the most gruesome events that took place in Europe during the Reformation, so let's dive deeper and explore the 'whys' and 'when'.
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre Timeline
Below is a timeline outlining the key events leading to the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
| Date | Event |
| 18 August 1572 | Wedding of Henry of Navarre and Margaret of Valois. |
| 21 August 1572 | The first assassination attempt on Gaspard de Coligny ended in failure. |
| 23 August 1572 | St Bartholomew's Day. |
Afternoon | The second assassination attempt on Gaspard de Coligny. Unlike the first one just two days previously, this was successful, and the leader of the Huguenots died. |
| Evening | St Bartholomew's Day Massacre began. |
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre Facts
Let's dig into some of the facts and details of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
The Royal Wedding
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre took place on the night of 23 August 1572. This is an important period not only for French history but the history of religious division in Europe. With Protestantism on the rise in Europe, the Huguenots faced severe prejudice from the wider Catholic population.
Huguenots
The name given for French Protestants. The group arose out of the Protestant Reformation and followed the teaching of John Calvin.
France was divided, so divided in fact that this division eventually erupted into a full-scale, country-wide armed conflict between Catholics and Huguenots. This period was known as the French Wars of Religion (1562-98).
On 18 August 1572, a royal wedding was scheduled. King Charles IX's sister, Margaret de Valois, was set to marry Henry of Navarre.
Fig. 1 - Henry of Navarre
Fig. 2 - Margaret of Valois
Did you know? By marrying the King's sister, Henry of Navarre was put into the line of succession to the French throne.
The royal wedding took place around the Notre Dame Cathedral and was attended by thousands, many of which were members of the Huguenot nobility.
As the French Wars of Religion were raging at the time, there was mass political instability in France. To ensure the wedding was not associated with politics, Charles IX ensured the Huguenot nobility that their safety was guaranteed while they remained in Paris.
The Massacre Unfolds
On 21 August 1572, conflict broke out between admiral Gaspard de Coligny, a leader of the Huguenots, and King Charles IX. An attempted assassination on Coligny took place in Paris, but Coligny was not killed, only hurt. To appease his guests, Charles IX initially promised to investigate the occurrence, but he never did.
Did you know? Not only was Coligny's assassination never investigated, but the assassins began planning their next move, this time to strike a decisive blow against the Huguenots by successfully assassinating their leader.
Fig. 3 - Charles IX
On the evening of St Bartholomew the Apostle's day, 23 August 1572, Coligny was attacked again. This time, however, he did not survive. With direct orders from the King himself, mobs of Catholic Parisians descended on the Huguenots and began massacring them. This horrific ordeal continued for weeks and cost the lives of 3,000 men, women and children in Paris. The King's order, however, was not only for the Catholics to cleanse Paris but France. In the span of a few weeks, up to 70,000 Huguenots were killed by Catholics around France.
As the Catholic wrath descended on Paris, the newly-wed Henry (a Calvinist) narrowly escaped the massacre, all with his wife's aid.
Fig. 4 - Gaspard de Coligny
Nevertheless, the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was not instigated solely by Charles IX. His mother, Catherine de Medici, the former Queen of France and one of the most powerful women of the 16th century, was the largest driving factor behind the bloody massacre.
By eliminating Huguenot nobles and leaders, the Catholics would effectively leave their opponents without solid leadership. The assassination of Coligny was one such example of demoralising the Huguenots as much as possible.
Catherine de Medici, the Black Queen
Catherine de Medici was a fierce woman. Coming from one of the most influential families in Europe, Catherine was aware of the power she was destined to hold in her hands.
Fig. 5 - Catherine de Medici looking down upon the slaughtered Huguenots
Catherine has been linked to nationwide assassinations of political opponents as well as the indirect instigator of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre after a series of political decisions, earning her the moniker of the "Black Queen". Although not concretely confirmed, Catherine appeared to have issued the assassination of Coligny and his fellow Huguenot leaders - the event which effectively instigated the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
Effects of St Bartholomew's Day Massacre
One of the immediate effects of St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was that it became more vicious and bloodier. It also, most probably, prolonged the war instead of ending it sooner.
The French War of Religion ended with the arrival of a Protestant King to the French throne. Henry of Navarre was victorious in the War of the Three Henrys (1587-9), fought between Henry of Navarre, King Henry III of France, and Henri I of Lorraine. Upon victory, Henry of Navarre was crowned King Henry IV of France in 1589.
After converting to Catholicism from Calvinism in 1593, Henry IV issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, with which Huguenots were given religious liberties in France, effectively concluding the French Wars of Religion.
Did you know? Henry IV was notorious for having converted from Calvinism to Catholicism and back more than once. Some historians have counted about seven conversions in just several years.
Fig. 6 - Henry IV of France
"Paris is worth a mass"
This phrase is Henry IV's most famous saying. When Henry became king in 1589, he was a Calvinist and had to be crowned in the Cathedral of Chartres instead of the Cathedral of Reims. Reims was the traditional place of coronation for French monarchs but, at that time, was occupied by Catholic forces hostile to Henry.
When it was made known that France needed a Catholic King to ease the tensions of the religious wars, Henry IV decided to convert, uttering the words, "Paris is worth a mass". Thus implying that conversion to Catholicism was worth it if it meant reducing the hostility in his new kingdom.
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre Significance
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre is significant in one major way. It was an event of monumental importance that was a central point in the French Wars of Religion. With over 70,000 Huguenots killed around France and 3,000 in Paris alone (many of them members of the nobility), the massacre proved the Catholic resolve to fully and forcefully subdue the French Calvinists.
The massacre also saw the resumption of the French Wars of Religion. The "Third" War of Religion had been fought between 1568-70 and had ended after King Charles IX issued the Edict of Saint-Germain-en-Laye on 8 August 1570, granting Huguenots certain rights in France. With hostilities resuming in such a brutal way with the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre, the French Wars of Religion continued, with further conflicts arising throughout the end of the 16th century.
As Henry of Navarre was spared in the massacre, he was able to ascend the throne in 1589 as a Huguenot (or at least a Huguenot sympathiser, given his conversions). With King Henry IV at the helm of the French monarchy, he could navigate the French Wars of Religion and eventually reached peaceful resolutions in 1598 with the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to both Catholics and Huguenots in France. This saw the end of the period known as the French Wars of Religion, although conflicts still arose between the Christian denominations in the following years.
St Bartholomew's Day Massacre - Key takeaways
- The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre went on for several weeks.
- The massacre was preceded by a wedding of Henry of Navarre and Margaret of Valois.
- The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre began with the assassination of Huguenot Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.
- The massacre wiped out a large chunk of the Huguenot leadership, with Huguenot casualties in Paris reaching 3,000, while throughout France, it was up to 70,000.
- The St Bartholomew's Day Massacre was instigated by Catherine de Medici but ultimately launched by Charles IX.
- The French Wars of Religion continued due to the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Eventually, the civil war came to a close following the Huguenot-sympathising monarch King Henry IV of France when he issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598.
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