Figure 1.--This engraving shows a group of Huguenots coming ashore at Dover in 1685. I'm not sure if it is based on a painting and when it was produced. An English reader tells us, "This is how my ancestors probably arrived in England. They came to Canterbury and were given refuge in the Black Prince's Chantry which is in the crypt of the South Transept of Canterbury Cathedral. This part of the Cathedral is now known as the Huguenot Chapel and Services are still conducted there, every Sunday, In French!"

After years of persecution under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, Louis XIV finally took the ultimate step--revoking the Edict of Nantes (1685). As a result of these percecutions life for many Protestants became intolerable in France. It was not just the lack of religious freedoms, but many other matters. The state refused to recognize Protestant marriages leaving the children illegitimate. This affected property rights and inheritannces. Large numbers of Huguenots fled France, leaving for Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, England, and the English colonies in America (especially New York, Massachusetts, and South Carolina). A s a result, many Americans of French ancestry are Protestants. Except for the Huguenots few French people emmigrated to America. France is one of the few Europrean countries in which large numbers of did not emmigrants to America. Interesting in that the French showed such an enthusiasm for America, No one knows precisely how many French Protestants emigrated. Louis attempted to discourage emigrantion and force them to convert. Estimates range from 0.4-1.0 million. About 1.0 million Protestants remained in France. Many settled in the isolated Cévennes Mountains becoming known as the Camisards. Louis XIV ordered them removed, resulting in the Camisard War (1702-05). It proved to be a disaster to France that would be paid in installments down to the 20th century. France by conservative estimates lost More than 0.4 million of her finest citizens with all their talents and abilitities. It many ways it was comparable to the NAZI campaign against its Jewish citizens--only worse because the Hugenots were a much larger portion of the French population. Those that managed to emigrate would fight Louis in his attempt to take over the Netherlands and subsequently to return James II to the English throne. Their descendens would play a prominant role in the German armies that fought the French down to World War II.

The Edict of Nantes (1598)

The Edict of Nantes is one of the great acts of religerous tolerance. It stemed from the Frence Religious Wars which tore the country apart. The Religious Wars including the eight outbreaks of violence occurred during the reign of Henry III who succeeded Charles IX. The Huguenots led by Henry of Navarre defeated the Catholic forces at Coutras (1587). The Huguenots were aided by infighting among the Catholics. The Duc de Guise was assainated by other Catholics (1588) as was Henry III himself (1589). With Henry's death the House of Valois became extinct and of all people, the Protestant laeder Henry of Navarre became king, the firsr monarch of the Bourbon line. To end the destructive civil wars, Henry converted to Catholocism (1593). He issued the Edict of Nantes granting almost complete religious freedom on the Protestants. With this freedom during the reign of Henry, the Protestants grew to be a major force in France. The Edict of Nantes was signed by Henry IV (1598). This ended the Wars of Religion. Under the terms of the Edict, the Huguenots were permitted to freely practice their faith in 20 specified French "free" cities. France was again became united and a decade of peace followed. Henry IV was murdered (in 1610)

Assasination of Henry IV (1610)

King Henry IV was murdered by a religious zealot (1610). The King was traveling from the Louvre to meet his great minister Sully. As a consequence of the Religious Wars, the King was usually well guarded in public, but after the passage of so many years without incident, the standards of precaution had fallen. Rather than using his heavy coach with class windows, the King who was incrwasingly dismissive of danger, cjose a light phaeton which had open sides. It was much more maneurable in the crowded streets of Paris. A hay wagon blocked the street. The King's guard left his side to clear the way. François Ravaillac a failed monk and school teacher who had halucinations had been stalking the King, seized on the opportunity. He jumped on the runninboard and slashed at the King with a knife. Henry was reading a letter and unprepared. His second blow severed the King's aorta. Ravaillac was seized and horably tortured to learn of anu conspirators. Ravaillac insisted he acted alone and this appears to have been the case. Henry's enligghtened reign had given France more than a decade of peace in the religious wars. Had he lived longer it might have proven to be an enduring peace. With his death, it proved to be only a true and the greatly improved power of the state in Catholic hands inrevokably changed the ballance of power between the two religions.

Louis XIII and Louis XIV

Henry IV is commonly considered one of the great monarchs of France. One serious failure, however, was his failure to develop in his son an enlighted attitude toward religion. This failure was to doom the Huguenots whose cause Henry had so valiantly championed. Louis under the influence of his mother grew up to be devoutly Catholic and intolerant. Louis XIII after the murder of his father, Henry IV, rose to the throne. He sought to create an absolutist monarchy and organized groups like the Hugeunots stood in his way. As a result, new persecutions were conducted and renewed fighting occurred. Hugenots that fell into Louis' hands were sentenced to the galleys. The campign to supress the Hugenots was conducted under the guidance of Cardinal Richelieu. Louis XIII is another important French king. This was not the result of Louis himself, but rather his choice of Richelieu to oversee his reign. Richelieu He focused on the campaign against the Huguenots. He adroit;y suceeded in breaking the political and military power of the Huguenots. After a protracted seige, the great Huguenot stronghod La Rochelle was finally taken (1628). He then attempted to conciliate the Protestants--to a degree. Louis XIV was even more committed to building an absolute monarchy. He is most famous for his statement, "I am the state." To this end, Louis ordered a mercilles percecution of the Huguenots, culminating in the revocation of the Edict of Nantes.

Louis XIV' Beliefs

Louis XIV fervently believed that diversity of religion weakened his kingdom and authority. It is npt alltogether clear how important religion was to him. It is clear that the thought religious division weakened him politically. This was especially the case because he was planning a series of wars with neigboring Protestant countries. He thought that France needed one common religion. This was not a novel idea. Many European monarchs shared this idea and would continue to believe this into the next century. The difference between Louis and other monarchs is that Louis had achieved an absolute monarchy. Thus the Hugenots in France had no protection of law beyond the Edict of Nantes. The situation wa quite different in many other countries, especially England. This is what Mary tried to do, but did not have Louis' powers. Any fear of just such an action would cost Charles I his head (English Civil War) and James II his crown (Miraculous Revolution).

Revocation (1685)

Just as the Edict of Nantes is one of the great acts of religious tolerartion, it's revocation by Louis XIV is one of the great acts of religious intolerance of history. After years of quiet persecution under Louis XIII and Louis XIV, Louis XIV finally took the ultimate step--revoking the Edict of Nantes (1685). The King's mistress, Mme. de Maintenon is believed to have helped make up his mind to supress the Huguenots. The revocation was issued as the Edict of Fontainebleau (October 1685). The revocation opened the way for the destruction of Protestant churches and schools. This was not the beginning of the persecution of the This policy officialized the persecution of the Huguenots. It made official royal policy that had been made possible after Huguenot military power was broken at La Rochelle (1628). Louis XIII and Louis XIV gradually chipped away a Protestantism in France. The Revocation did raise the level of action against the Huguenots. The King in the Edict ordered, " The Edit of Nantes shall be abolished in its entirety. The Protestant temples shall be destroyed without exception. ...."

Text

Louis' Edict of Fontainebleau revoking the Edict of Nantes is notable for the focus on the wealth and childtrn of the Hugenots. The text read,

* The Edit of Nantes shall be abolished in its entirety.

* The Protestant temples shall be destroyed without exception.

* The Reformed clergy who do not immediately renounce, must leave the kingdom within two weeks under penalty of the galleys. Children over seven years of age may not be taken aboard, since they are of age in religious matters.

* All Reformed schools shall be dissolved, and all Reformed religious instruction prohibited.

* The followers of the "allegedly Reformed religion" (the religion which displeases the king) are prohibited from assembling for services or other meetings in any location whatsoever, or in a private residence, under penalty of seizure of their property and themselves.

* The children born to Reformed parents are to be baptized Catholic and sent to the Catholic churches (under penalty of 500 livres or more). The judges of the towns are explicitly instructed to supervise the enforcement of these decrees.

* The subjects, their wives and children, are prohibited from emigrating, or from removing their possessions and goods from the country under penalty of the galleys for the men and the seizure of body and possessions for the women. Those who already had left the country had four months to return without penalty, if they renounced.

Persecution

The destruction pf Protestant churches did not begin with the Revocation, but the pace quickened. Louis was determinte to utely destroy Protestantism in France and to annihilate those Huguenots who refused to convert. François Michel le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, (1641-91) was Louis XIV's Minister of State and War. He played a major role in building the French Army into the most powerful in Europe. And he used the Army to exexcute the King's orders to destroy Protestantism and recalcitrant Huguenots. Louvois instituted the dreaded dragonnades. These were armed raids by the military to capture Huguenots and seize their property. They were accompsnied by torture and pillage--the torture was both gratuitous and to make sure all the valuables were turned over. Protestant areas in the provinces which refused to convert were laid waste. Languedoc in particular were targeted. Louis within a few moths reduced the number if Orotestants by anout three-fourts. Faced with extinction, most converted. Those who publically refused conversion faced execution or the galleys. The other option was emigration. Louis attempted to prevent this by confiscating the property of those who attempted to flee. Protestants were denied public office and often the ability to make decent livlihood. Violence against ondividual Protestants varied. There were forced conversion in the countryside. Some induviduals who spit out the host were burned at the stake in scenes reminisent of the Inquisition. King Louis ordered the arrest of the most prominant Protestant nobels in Paris under lettres de cachet. They were incarcerated in the Bastille under harsh conditions, but not tortured. They were held their until they accepted conversion. Many died there rather than renounce their religion.

Conversion

About 1.0 million Protestants remained in France. It is difficult to assess how sincere the conversions were. Some Huguenots managed to descretely practice their religion. We know this because in the next century Protestabts reappeared in France, but with much reduced numbers. Descretly practicing Protestantism was difficult because of both the children and servants--some of the problems the Jewish Meranos faced in evading the Inquisition. French Protestants could avoid going to Church, but the children were not only a danger when young, but they were likely over time to be drawn into Catholic culture. Notice the emphasis placed on the children in thee text Louis' revocation order.

Refugees

Life for Protestants as a result of Louis' Revocation policies became intolerable in France. It was not just the lack of religious freedoms, but many other matters. The state refused to recognize Protestant marriages leaving the children illegitimate. This affected property rights and inheritannces. Large numbers of Huguenots fled France. They became productive citizens in the countries which offered them refuge. They fled tp Switzerland, the Netherlands, Germany, England, and the English colonies in America (especially New York, Massachusetts, and South Carolina). A s a result, many Americans of French ancestry are Protestants. Except for the Huguenots few French people emmigrated to America. France is one of the few Europrean countries in which large numbers of did not emmigrants to America. Interesting in that the French showed such an enthusiasm for America, Many Huguenots also went to South Africa where they started the wine business. Most of them became Afrikaans-speaking Boers. No one knows precisely how many French Protestants emigrated. Louis attempted to discourage emigrantion and force them to convert. Estimates range from 0.4-1.0 million.

Camisard War (1702-05)

Some Huguenots seeking to avoid conversion settled in the isolated Cévennes Mountains becoming known as the Camisards. Louis XIV ordered them removed, resulting in the Camisard War (1702-05).

Impact

The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes proved to be a disaster to France that would be paid in installments down to the 20th century. France by conservative estimates lost More than 0.4 million of her finest citizens with all their talents and abilitities. Among the Huguenot refugees were some of the luminaries of French finance, science, and industry. One such individual was Christtiaan Huygens. He was the inventor of the pendulum clock and first theorized that the stars were distant suns. Huygens fled back to his native Netherlands. Students oof history will immediately appreciate that France's fatal weakness in its coming wars with England was finance. And the loss of Huguenots in finance and industry was one factor in France's weakness. France's loss helped to build industries in the Protestant neigbors that would resist Louis XIV and his descendenrts. Silk makers set up an English industry and glass makers did the same in Denmark. Perhaps the greatest impact was in the military realm. There were 600 military officers that deseted the King's army and joined those of his enemies. Those that managed to emigrate would fight Louis in his attempt to take over the Netherlands and subsequently to return James II to the English throne. Huguenots played a prominant role in William's Protestant army at the Batyle of the Boyne. The Prussian monarchy welcomes the Huguenots and they their descendeants would play a major role in the subsequent Prussian/German wars with France down to World War II. It was odd that during World War I and World War II some French generals had German names (Huntzinger, Koenig) while there were German commanders with names like de Maizière and Foucqué. In World War I Huguenot descendents included General von François and Admiral Souchon. In World War II we see Lutwaffe commander Adolf Galland. Another famous Luftwaffe ace of Huguenot descent was Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille. He had 158 victories. but Was shot down in North Africa, age 22. (The high victory count of Luftwaffe fighter pilots were primarily achieved in the East.)

Other Historical Acts of Religious Intolerance

The Revocation of the Edict Nantes was one of the several notable acts of religious intolerance. Another occurred in France--the suppression of the Cathars (13th century). This led to the creation ofvthe Holy Office of the Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition is the best known, but the Inquisition offered in other countries as well. Another act was the Spanish expulsion of the Jews (1492) and subsequent expullsion of the Moors. The English in cotrast persecuted the Catholics. The Japanese suppression of Christians is another example, The French Catholic campaign against the Huguenots is similar to the NAZI campaign against its Jewish citizens--only worse because the Hugenots were a much larger portion of the French population. In modern times, the Soviet aehism campaign is another exampe. The one recurrent thread through these different acts of religious intollerance besides the tragedy for the people targetted was how the country which expelled them was adversely affected. Perhaps the ultimate example here was the NAZI persecution of the Jews. The Jewish refugees played a major role building the atomic bomb. Ahd had the NAZIs not surrendered (May 1945), could have been used on Germany rather than Japan.

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Created: 7:23 AM 5/6/2009
Last updated: 10:06 PM 5/8/2009