Lesson 5 - 1572 - St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
During the 16th and 17th centuries, European states were often divided by religion. By the late 17th century, usually one religious group came to dominate the state. For example, in France under Louis XIV of France, and after a century of religious conflict, the The Edict of Fontainebleau (1685) forced Protestants to leave the country. In Britain, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 resulted in the establishment of the Protestant King, William of Orange. Catholics were denied the right to vote and to become MPs and the monarch was forbidden to be Catholic or to marry a Catholic, this latter law remained in force until 2015.
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The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre 1572
Between 1555 and 1563 nearly ninety Calvinist preachers were sent to France to propagate their ideas. Secret printing presses were established and ideas spread quickly. By 1560, as many as 10% of the French had converted to Calvinism. They were given the nickname of Huguenots, nobody really knows where the name came from. As Huguenots gained influence as many of French nobility converted and more openly displayed their faith. But Catholic hostility grew. A series of religious conflicts followed - known as the French Wars of Religion - which were fought intermittently from 1562 to 1598. The wars ended with the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted the Huguenots substantial religious, political, and military autonomy. The Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day was the most notorious event of the French Wars of Religion. One room of the Reformation Museum in Geneva is dedicated to it. The French king was Charles IX. Under the influence of a leading Huguenot, Admiral de Coligny (Reformation Wall), Charles IX granted Protestants greater freedom of worship and control of four cities. To help cement the deal, he agreed to allow his sister to marry a Huguenot prince. The problem was the king's mother Catherine de Médicis. Catherine was very unhappy that she was losing influence over her son. Using the opportunity of the royal wedding, she plotted the assassination of Coligny. However, the assassination attempt failed. Fearing that the plot would be uncovered, Catherine de Médicis met secretly with a group of Catholic nobles to organise the complete extermination of the Huguenot leaders, who were still in Paris for the wedding party. Shortly before dawn on August 24, St. Bartholomew's Day, the massacre began. One of the first victims was Coligny. The homes and shops of Huguenots were pillaged and their occupants brutally murdered; many bodies were thrown into the Seine. Bloodshed continued in Paris even after a royal order of August 25 to stop the killing, and it spread to the provinces. Huguenots in Rouen, Lyon, Bourges, Orléans, and Bordeaux were among the victims. |
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Estimates of the number that perished in the disturbances, which lasted to the beginning of October, have varied from 2,000 to 70,000. Modern writers put the number at 3,000 in Paris alone.
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François Dubois - Le massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy (The Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre), 1572-1584.
A case study in the use value of art in history. The most famous representation of the St Bartholomew's massacre was painted by François Dubois. You should begin your investigation by having a look at the painting in detail through a high resolution copy. Alternatively, you could go to Lausanne to see the original at the MCBA! 'French history through images' website includes a close analysis of the painting, as well as this excellent film below. |
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Activities
1.What sort of questions do we need to ask about paintings to decide how useful they are to historians? Give at least three different questions. You can use the film and diagram below to help you... This won't be the last time you see this.
1.What sort of questions do we need to ask about paintings to decide how useful they are to historians? Give at least three different questions. You can use the film and diagram below to help you... This won't be the last time you see this.
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2. With reference to the origin, purpose and content of the painting of François Dubois, consider the value and limitations of the painting as evidence of the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. You will need to watch the film above carefully in order to begin to answer this question.