Edict of Nantes Issued

Setting the scene

France had been torn by Wars of Religion since 1562 between Catholics and Huguenots (French Calvinist Protestants). The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572 killed 5,000-30,000 Huguenots in Paris and the provinces. Eight civil wars devastated France, with the Catholic League, backed by Spain, fighting Huguenots and moderate Catholics. Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot leader, became heir to the throne in 1584, prompting the War of the Three Henrys. Paris, controlled by the Catholic League, refused to accept a Protestant king.

What happened

Henry IV converted to Catholicism in 1593, famously saying 'Paris is worth a mass,' and was crowned in 1594. After defeating the Catholic League and making peace with Spain in 1598, he sought to end religious conflict. On April 13, 1598, Henry signed the Edict of Nantes at Nantes in Brittany. The edict granted Huguenots substantial rights: freedom of conscience, public worship in specified towns, civil rights including access to universities and hospitals, and 100 fortified towns for protection, paid for by the crown.

Why it still matters

The Edict of Nantes was the first major decree of religious toleration in Europe, ending 36 years of civil war and allowing France to recover under Henry IV and his minister Sully. It made France the most religiously tolerant major power, though Catholics remained dominant. Louis XIV revoked the edict in 1685 with the Edict of Fontainebleau, forcing 200,000-400,000 Huguenots to flee to England, Holland, and Prussia, depriving France of skilled artisans and merchants. The revocation became a cautionary tale about religious intolerance, and the Edict of Nantes is now seen as a precursor to modern concepts of religious freedom and separation of church and state.

Background

It was later revoked by Louis XIV in 1685. Even centuries later, this episode remains a reference point for how empires rise, fracture, and transform.