The opening event of the #FrenchWarsOfReligion (1562-1598; ~3 million dead) was on #ThisDayInHistory in 1562. In the #MassacreOfVassy, troops of the Duke of Guise entered a #Huguenot meeting house and butchered 50 of the 500 #Protestant worshippers present before passions cooled.

#OTD in 1572, a royal wedding took place in Paris that was meant to bring peace and heal religious devision. It didn't. Instead, it was followed by an assassination, a massacre in Paris, and bloodshed in other towns and cities...
https://www.tudorsociety.com/a-royal-wedding-and-a-massacre/
#StBartholomewsDayMassacre #Reformation #FrenchWarsofReligion

The St. https://www.worldhistory.org/St._Bartholomew's_Day_Massacre/ #History #Catherinede'Medici #FrenchWarsofReligion #Jeanned'Albret

Henry of Navarre became the nominal ruler of France after the assassination of Henry III of France (r. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2031/henry-iv-of-france--the-edict-of-nantes/ #History #EdictofNantes #FrenchWarsofReligion #HenryIVofFrance

At the dawn of the French Wars of Religion (1562-1598), Montpellier in southern France had a significant Protestant minority that controlled the city's institutions. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2236/montpellier-during-the-french-reformation/ #History #FrenchWarsofReligion #LouisXIIIofFrance #Montpellier

Margaret of Valois' eyewitness account of St. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2021/margaret-of-valois-account-of-st-bartholomews-day/ #History #Catherinede'Medici #FrenchWarsofReligion #HenryIVofFrance

Henry of Navarre became the nominal ruler of France after the assassination of Henry III of France (r. 1574-1589), whose marriage to Louise de Lorraine produced no heir. After years of attempts to deny the throne to Navarre, his enemies realized they could not defeat him militarily. The French Wars of Religion had exhausted the country, and it became clear that Henry would need to adopt the rel...https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2031/henry-iv-of-france--the-edict-of-nantes/ #EdictofNantes #FrenchWarsofReligion #HenryIVofFrance