St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

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St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre was the assassinations of several leading, and killings of thousands of common folk Huguenots in Paris, followed by numerous mob attacks throughout France by the Catholics. The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre took place in 1572 during the French Wars of Revolution when Charles IX was the king of France. Huguenots were French Protestants who followed the teachings of John Calvin (1509-64). John Calvin was a French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation who opened the first Huguenot church in Paris (1555), and influenced the shape of Calvinism. Calvin was a strong influence on French Protestants because of his, “education and implementation of doctrine; second, his experience of cooperation and conflict with urban authorities; and finally, his formation as a religious refugee,” (Kümin, 109). The Huguenots were in direct theological conflict with the Catholic Church. The strong Protestant presence would begin to threaten the Catholic churches hold over the state, and potentially threaten the churches financial holdings in France. The significantly increasing population of Huguenots, including some ranks of nobility, led to aggression that started conflict in the Catholic Church and state. The St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre was instigated by the French Wars of Religion, the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-laye, and the religion crossing wedding of Henry of Navarre and Margaruite de Valois. The conflicts escalated to war fare after an attempted assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny was made. Catherine de’ Medici was the Queen of France from 1547-1559 until King Henry died, along with his heir, making her ten year old son Charles IX king. Catherine continued to rule until August of 1563 when Charles IX declared his majority, but she still ruled through her son (Britannica). Catherine
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