The massacre began in Paris. Many had gathered for the wedding of Marguerite, daughter of the queen mother, Catherine de Medici, to Henry, Prince of Navarre. Catherine de Medici, her son Charles IX, King of France, and her daughter Marguerite were Catholic. Henry of Navarre was a Huguenot, and many French Huguenots had gathered in Paris for the wedding. Other important personnages in the story of the massacre include Gaspard de Coligny, a prominent Huguenot in Paris, and the Henri, the Duke of Guise, a prominent Catholic and military leader.
The massacre began with the execution of Gaspard de Coligny, a prominent protestant in Paris, led by Henri de Guise. No one knows who gave the orders that began the violence. Some believe that it was the work of Catherine de Medici, others attribute it to King Charles IX. Contemporary accounts tell us that Guise gave the orders to begin the massacre after de Coligny's execution. Perhaps the people misinterpreted his words, or perhaps the carnage that ensued was what the king or queen mother had planned.
The violence spread from Paris into the countryside, and continued into September. The number of Huguenots killed is not known, but estimates range from 8,000 to 20,000.
The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre had a long lasting religious impact. Many protestants left France, or converted to Catholicism; however, many more became politically active, publishing pamphlets and encouraging a new form of government. The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre provided the French Huguenots with martyrs for their cause, and ensured the continued survival of French protestantism.
For more information, see http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1572s... http://www.vwc.edu/library_tech/wwwpages...
Go To Page: 1
