The period in French history from 1562-1598 is known as the French Wars of Religion, in which the country was torn by civil war and struggles for power between Catholics and Protestants. This podcast seeks to follow the conflict from its origins in the reigns of King Francis I and King Henry II, to its conclusion with the Edict of Nantes.
With the failure of the edict of toleration, Admiral Coligny and the Prince of Condé are forced to flee to the safety of La Rochelle, from which they wage the Third War of Religion. After a month of fighting, they capture most of Western France for the Huguenots.
11 Jul 2020
Episode 17: Broken Promises
After the second war, the royal ministry almost immediately turns their backs on the edict of toleration as the kingdom descends into chaos once again.
8 Jul 2020
Episode 16: The Siege of Chartres
In the final act of the Second War of Religion, the Prince of Condé lays siege to Chartres while the two sides hammer out a peace agreement.
28 Jun 2020
Episode 15: The Winter War
After the Battle of Saint-Denis, the Prince of Condé flees east to meet up with German mercenaries in Lorraine as his armies consolidate. Meanwhile, a rogue Protestant commander disobeys direct orders from Condé and fights to expel the royalists from the south of France.
28 Jun 2020
Episode 14: The Enemy at the Gates
In this episode, we return to Paris where the fate of the city is left to a brutal fight between the armies of the Prince of Condé and Anne de Montmorency near the suburb of Saint-Denis.
21 Jun 2020
Episode 13: The Michelade
At the same time while the Huguenots conspired to capture the king at Meaux, a group of Protestants in the city of Nîmes rise up to overthrow their city council, and extinguish Catholicism from their city once and for all.
21 Jun 2020
Episode 12: The Surprise at Meaux
The Protestants, fed up with the lack of enforcement of the edict of toleration, take it upon themselves to kidnap King Charles IX.
20 Jun 2020
Episode 11: Far From Home
This episode turns from the events in Europe to examine the Huguenot attempts at colonization in Brazil and Florida.
20 Jun 2020
Episode 10: The Armed Peace
After the peace, Huguenots and Catholics unite to drive the English from France. Afterwards, King Charles IX comes of age and celebrates with a royal tour of France to show off his force and make sure that the edict of tolerance was being enforced.
27 May 2020
Episode 9: The Road to Peace
After the Battle of Dreux, the Duke of Guise leads his army to Orléans for a final siege to end the war. Catherine and Condé negotiate a peace, but not without an untimely death.
27 May 2020
Episode 8: The Battle of Dreux
As 1562 comes to an end, the Catholics have a series of victories over the Huguenots, such as the fall of Rouen and the defeat of the Protestant forces in Aquitaine. Condé responds by trying the seize Paris, and the Battle of Dreux ensues to decide the fate of France.
27 May 2020
Episode 7: The Salvage of Provence
With Toulouse securely in Catholic hands, Joyeuse tries to reclaim the rest of Languedoc for himself. He lays siege to Montpellier, but in order to defeat the Huguenots, he first must link up with Catholic forces under Sommerive on the other side of Provence.
27 May 2020
Episode 6: Religious Riot
In May of 1562, the streets of Toulouse came alive with blood as religious riots gave way to urban warfare, leaving thousands dead. University students fought alongside their fellow townsmen, as snipers dominated the roofs of the city and barricades divided its streets.
25 May 2020
Episode 5: Eruption
A quarrel between the Duke of Guise and the Prince of Condé erupts into a full civil war as power struggles consume countless cities across France.
25 May 2020
Episode 4: A Feast Unto the Fowls
This time, the Duke of Guise makes new friends and enemies as he clashes with a Huguenot congregation in the city of Wassy, France. A massacre against the Protestants ensues, leaving fifty dead.
23 May 2020
Episode 3: The Weight of the Crown
The reign of Francis II was characterized by further religious tensions, as Protestants try to kidnap the king at court. However, the young king's death leads to Charles IX on the throne, and Catherine de Medici experiments with religious toleration.
23 May 2020
Episode 2: Seedbed of War
The second of three introductory videos that cover the background of the French Wars of Religion. This episode examines the reign of King Henri II of France, and how Protestantism continued to grow despite increased persecution from the government.
23 May 2020
Episode 1: Rising Tide
This is the first of three introductory videos that cover the background of the French Wars of Religion. In this video, I give a broad overview of the entrance of Protestantism into France under the reign of King Francis I.
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