[Prev Page][Contents][Next Page]

The Reformation in France

Early Years of French Protestantism

The French, like everyone else, were first influenced by the writings of Martin Luther, and the movement proceeded with Lutheran overtones in the 1520s and 1530s. After that, the reformers were distinctly Calvinist.

The Huguenots were persecuted by the state almost from the start. In 1534, for example, after Huguenots covered Paris and other cities with placards denouncing the Catholic Church, the government ordered widespread arrests of Protestants. It was in the wake of the "Affair of the Placards" that John Calvin fled France and ended up in Geneva. The crown went further in 1540, subjecting the Huguenots to the Inquisition. The government occasionally relented somewhat, but the French crown steadfastly opposed Protestantism.

Despite the persecution, Protestantism flourished, especially in southern and western France. By 1561, there were more than 2,000 Huguenot congregations in France. More significantly, about two-fifths of the aristocracy were Calvinist. Of particular importance were the Bourbons, led by the prince of Condé, and the family of Montmorency-Chatillon, led by Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. These families were staunch enemies of the Guise clan, who were Catholic and who enjoyed much influence at court.