Age of Religious Wars

As the feudal system declined in the 15th century, the monarchy gained more power, especially during the reign of Louis XI (1461-83). However, during the last half of the 16th century, the kings of France were mediocre leaders, and competing aristocratic factions sought dominant influence in the royal court. The House of Guise, a Catholic family, gained dominance in the court in the early 1560's. Their chief rivals were the Bourbons. The Bourbons allied with the Huguenots (French Protestants), who were being persecuted by the state. Because of this alliance, a political dispute became a religious one as well. Nearly 40 years of civil war followed. A climax was reached in 1572 when thousands of Huguenots were murdered in what came to be called the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. In 1589, the last Valois monarch, Henry III, was assassinated. Despite opposition by the House of Guise, Henry of Navarre, a Protestant Bourbon and a direct descendant of Louis IX, came to the throne as Henry IV. He worked to ease religious tensions. Henry converted to Catholicism in 1593, appeasing many Catholic opponents. In 1598, he issued the Edict of Nantes, granting partial toleration to the Huguenots.