The French Wars of Religion and the Edict of Nantes

The French Wars of Religion (1562-1598) pitted Catholics against Calvinist Huguenots for nearly four decades. The Huguenots enjoyed the support of part of the French nobility, including the House of Bourbon, while the House of Guise led the uncompromising Catholic faction for most of the conflict. The regent Catherine de' Medici initially attempted policies of conciliation between the two factions, but the 1562 Massacre of Vassy, carried out by troops of the Duke of Guise against a Huguenot congregation, formally ignited the fighting. The conflict unfolded as eight successive wars between 1562 and 1598, punctuated by unstable truces, and the Catholic League, founded in 1576, sought to block any Protestant candidate from ever reaching the French throne.