Bartholomew's Night or "massacre in honor of St. Bartholomew" (Massacre de la Saint-Barthélemy) began in Paris on the night of August 24, 1572, on the eve of the feast of St. Bartholomew, and lasted three days. The killers did not even spare babies.
“Neither gender nor age evoked compassion. It really was a massacre. The streets were littered with corpses, naked and tortured, and the corpses floated along the river. The killers left the left sleeve of their shirt open. Their password was: “Praise the Lord and the King!”- a witness of the events recalled.
The massacre of Protestant Huguenots on St. Bartholomew's Night was organized by the will of Queen Catherine de Medici; her weak-willed son, King Charles IX, did not dare to disobey his imperious mother.
The sad angel of the Church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois in Paris, from which at three o'clock in the morning the bell rang - a signal for the beginning of the massacre of the Huguenots.
Both Catholics and Huguenots died in the battles of St. Bartholomew's Night. City bandits took advantage of the general turmoil, robbing and killing Parisians with impunity, regardless of their religious views. It was up to the city guard to restore order in Paris, who “as always were the last to come running.”
On the eve of the bloody night, the leader of the Huguenots, Admiral de Coligny, was predicted that he would be hanged. The powerful leader of the Huguenots, whom half of France actually worshiped, laughed at the magician.
“It is said that Coligny received eight days ago, together with his son-in-law Teligny, the prediction of an astrologer, who said that he would be hanged, for which he was ridiculed, but the admiral said: “Look, there is a sign that the prediction is true; at least, I heard the day before that my effigy, such as I was, would be hanged within a few months.” So the astrologer spoke the truth, for his corpse, dragged through the streets and mocked to the end, was beheaded and hanged by the feet on the gallows of Montfaucon to become prey for crows.
Such a pitiful end befell the one who had recently been the ruler of half of France. They found a medal on it, on which were engraved the words: “Either complete victory, or lasting peace, or an honorable death.” “Not one of these wishes was destined to come true,” wrote the court doctor, who witnessed the bloody events.
It is believed that initially the queen wanted to get rid of only the leader of the Huguenots, Admiral Gaspard de Coligny and his associates, but the planned political murder spontaneously escalated into a massacre.
According to another version, the massacres were also planned. The Queen decided to put an end to Huguenot claims in France forever. St. Bartholomew's Night began 10 days after the wedding of Catherine's daughter Margot with Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot by religion. All the Huguenot nobility came to the celebration; no one imagined that they would soon face cruel reprisals.
On the eve of St. Bartholomew's Day. A young Catholic lady tries to tie a white bandage on her Huguenot lover, the identifying mark of Catholics. He hugs the lady and removes the blindfold.
On the eve of St. Bartholomew's Night, August 22, there was an assassination attempt on Admiral Coligny. Catherine de Medici and Charles came to him on a courtesy visit. Coligny warned them that if the assassination attempt was repeated, he would strike back at the royal family.
According to letters from the Spanish ambassador:
“On the said day, August 22, the most Christian king and his mother visited the admiral, who told the king that even if he lost his left arm, he would have his right arm to take revenge, as well as 200 thousand people ready to come to his aid to repay for the insult: to which the king replied that he himself, although a monarch, had never been able and would never be able to raise more than 50 thousand people.”
The Ambassador describes the course of events of St. Bartholomew's Night. At midnight on August 23, the king called his entourage and ordered Coligny to be killed, he ordered " cut off the head of the admiral and the people from his retinue.”
The Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois with the tower, from where, according to legend, the signal for the beginning of St. Bartholomew’s Night was given (without repairs in the frame there is no way)
At three o'clock in the morning on August 24, the signal to begin the “operation” sounded:
“On Sunday, St. Bartholomew’s Day, the alarm sounded at 3 o’clock in the morning; all the Parisians began to kill the Huguenots in the city, breaking down the doors of houses inhabited by them and plundering everything they found.
Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois was built in the 12th century on the site of an ancient temple, the favorite temple of Catherine de' Medici. Over the centuries the church has been rebuilt
“King Charles, who was very careful and always obeyed the Queen Mother, being a zealous Catholic, understood what was going on and immediately decided to join the Queen Mother, not to contradict her will and resort to the help of Catholics, fleeing the Huguenots...”- Queen Margot writes about the influence of her mother, Catherine de Medici, on her weak-willed brother, Charles.
King Charles IX
The main goal of St. Bartholomew's Night was the elimination of Coligny and his entourage. The king personally gave orders to his people.
According to the recollections of the royal physician:
“They held a council all night in the Louvre. The guards were doubled and, so as not to alert the admiral, no one was allowed to go out except those who presented the king’s special pass.
All the ladies gathered in the queen's bedchamber and, unaware of what was being prepared, were half dead with fear. Finally, when they began the execution, the queen informed them that the traitors had decided to kill her on the coming Tuesday, her, the king and the entire court, if you believe the letters she received. The ladies were speechless at this news. The king did not undress at night; but, laughing with all his might, he listened to the opinions of those who composed the council, that is, Giza, Nevers, Montpensier, Tavanna, Retz, Biraga and Morvilliers. When Morvillier, who had been awakened and appeared, all alarmed as to why the king had sent for him at such an hour, heard from the lips of His Majesty the subject of this night's conference, he felt such a fear seize his heart that before the king himself came to him turned, he slumped in his place, unable to utter a word.
When he felt somewhat better, His Majesty asked him to express his opinion. “Sire,” he replied, “this matter is quite serious and important, and it can again initiate a civil war, more ruthless than ever.” Then, as the king questioned him, he pointed out to him the imminent danger and ended, after much hesitation and subterfuge, with the conclusion that if all that he had been told was true, the will of the king and queen must be carried out and the Huguenots put to death. And while he spoke, he could not hold back his sighs and tears.
The king sent without delay for the king of Navarre and the prince de Condé, and at this inopportune hour they appeared in the king's bedchamber, accompanied by people from their retinue.
When the latter, among whom were Monen and Pil, wanted to enter, guard soldiers blocked their way. Then the King of Navarre, turning to his people with a dejected face, said to them: “Farewell, my friends. God knows if I will see you again!
The church tower from which the signal was given for the start of the massacres
At the same moment, Guise left the palace and went to the captain of the city militia to give him the order to arm two thousand people and surround the Faubourg Saint-Germain, where more than fifteen hundred Huguenots lived, so that the massacre would begin simultaneously on both banks of the river.
Nevers, Montpensier and the other lords immediately armed themselves and, together with their men, partly on foot and partly on horseback, took up the various positions which had been assigned to them, ready to act together.
The king and his brothers did not leave the Louvre.
Caussin, the captain of the Gascons, the German Boehm, the former page of M. de Guise, Hautefort, the Italians Pierre Paul Tossigny and Petrucci with a large detachment came to the hotel of the admiral, whom they were ordered to kill. They broke down the door and climbed the stairs. At the top they came across a sort of makeshift barricade formed from hastily piled chests and benches. They entered and encountered eight or nine servants, whom they killed, and saw the admiral standing at the foot of his bed, dressed in a fur-lined dress.
Dawn began to break, and everything around was dimly visible. They asked him: “Are you the admiral?” He replied yes. Then they pounced on him and showered him with blows. Bem pulled out his sword and prepared to thrust it into his chest. But he: “Ah, young soldier,” he said, “have mercy on my old age!” Vain words! With one blow Bem knocked him down; Two pistols were discharged into his face and he was left prostrate and lifeless. The entire hotel was looted.
Meanwhile, some of these people came out onto the balcony and said: “He’s dead!” Those below, Guise and others, did not want to believe. They demanded that he be thrown out of their window, which was done. The corpse was robbed and, when it was naked, torn to shreds...”
The ambitious admiral Gaspard de Coligny died on St. Bartholomew's Night
The Spanish ambassador describes Coligny's murder a little differently:
“The aforementioned Guise, d'Aumal and d'Angoulême attacked the admiral's house and entered it, putting to death eight of the Prince of Béarn's Swiss, who were guarding the house and trying to defend it. They went up to the master's chambers and, while he was lying on the bed, the Duke of Guise fired a pistol at his head; then they grabbed him and threw him naked out of the window into the courtyard of his hotel, where he received many more blows with swords and daggers. When they wanted to throw him out of the window, he said: “Oh, sir, have mercy on my old age!” But he wasn't given time to say more
...Other Catholic nobles and courtiers killed many Huguenot nobles...
...On the said Sunday and the following Monday, he saw the corpses of the admiral, La Rochefoucauld, Teligny, Briquemo, the Marquis de Rieux, Saint-Georges, Beauvoir, Peel and others being dragged through the streets; they were then thrown onto a cart, and it is not known whether the admiral was hanged, but the others were thrown into the river.”
Meanwhile, massacres continued in Paris; good Catholics did not spare those of other faiths.
“...Cries were heard: “Beat them, beat them!” There was a fair amount of noise, and the carnage kept growing...
... Nevers and Montpensier combed the city with detachments of infantry and horsemen, making sure that they attacked only the Huguenots. No one was spared. Their houses, numbering about four hundred, were robbed, not counting their rented rooms and hotels. Fifteen hundred persons were killed on one day and the same number on the next two days. All that could be found were people who fled and others who pursued them, shouting: “Beat them, beat them!” There were men and women who, when, with a knife put to their throat, they were demanded to renounce in order to save their lives, they persisted, thus losing their soul along with their life...
As soon as daylight came, the Duke of Anjou mounted his horse and rode through the city and its suburbs with eight hundred horse, a thousand foot, and four picked troops destined to storm the houses that offered resistance. No assault was required. Taken by surprise, the Huguenots thought only of escape.
Among the screams there was no laughter. The winners did not allow themselves, as usual, to vigorously express joy, the sight that appeared before their eyes was so heartbreaking and terrible...
The Louvre remained locked, everything was immersed in horror and silence. The king did not leave his bedchamber; he looked pleased, had fun and laughed. The yard had long been put in order, and calm had almost been restored. Today everyone is eager to take advantage of opportunities, seeking positions or favors. Until now, no one would have allowed the Marquis de Villars to take the position of admiral. The king is frightened, and it is unclear what he will command now..."
Next to the church tower and arch is the district mayor's office
Many foreigners of other religious denominations became victims of murderers. Guests of the French capital had to pay a lot of money for shelter in the homes of Parisians. Often the owners threatened to hand them over to the murderers as Huguenots if they did not pay.
An Austrian student described his view of the bloody events. Neither women nor children were spared. Compassionate townspeople who tried to save Huguenot children were also killed as traitors:
“Haitzkofler and many of his fellow students lived and ate with the priest Blandy, in a very good house. Blandy advised them not to look out of their windows for fear of the gangs that were roaming the streets. He himself positioned himself in front of the front door in priestly vestments and a four-cornered hat; Moreover, he enjoyed the respect of his neighbors. Not an hour passed without a new crowd appearing and asking if there were any Huguenot birds lurking in the house. Blandy replied that he did not give shelter to any birds except students, but only from Austria and Bavaria; Besides, doesn’t everyone around him know him? Is he capable of sheltering a bad Catholic under his roof? And so he sent everyone away. And in return, he took a good amount of crowns from his boarders, by right of redemption, constantly threatening that he would no longer protect anyone if the outrages did not end.
I had to scrape down the bottom, where there wasn’t much left, and pay for three months’ board in advance. Three of their dinner companions, French Picardians, refused to pay (perhaps they did not have the required amount). So, they did not dare to stick their heads out, because they would have endangered their lives, and begged Gaitzkofler and his friends to supply them with traveling clothing, which they brought from Germany: with such a change of clothes, a change of housing would not pose such a danger. And so these good Picardians left the priest's house; their old comrades never knew where they had gone, but one poor man came to tell Gaitzkofler that they were in a fairly safe place, that they thanked them from the bottom of their hearts and would like to express their gratitude in person as soon as possible; finally, they ask permission to keep for the time being the clothes that were given to them.
The killings began to decline after the royal proclamation, although they did not stop completely. People were arrested at home and taken away; This was seen by Gaitzkofler and his comrades from a window in the roof of the house. The house stood at the crossroads of three streets, inhabited mainly by booksellers, who had burned books worth many thousands of crowns. The wife of one bookbinder, to whom her two children clung, prayed at home in French; a detachment appeared and wanted to arrest her; since she refused to leave her children, she was finally allowed to take their hands. Closer to the Seine they met other pogromists; they screamed that this woman was an arch-Huguenot, and soon they threw her into the water, followed by her children. Meanwhile, one man, moved by compassion, got into a boat and saved two young creatures, causing the extreme displeasure of one of his relatives and the closest heir, and was then killed, since he lived richly.
The Germans did not count more than 8-10 victims among their own, who, due to imprudence, ventured out into the suburbs too early. Two of them were about to cross the drawbridge at the front gate when a sentry accosted them and asked if they were good Catholics. “Yes, why not?” - one of them answered in confusion. The sentry replied: “Since you are a good Catholic (the second called himself a canon from Munster), read “Salve, Regina.” The unfortunate man could not cope, and the sentry pushed him into the ditch with his halberd; This is how those days ended in the Faubourg Saint-Germain. His companion was a native of the bishopric of Bamberg; he had a beautiful gold chain hanging around his neck, because he believed that looking important would help him leave. The guards nevertheless attacked him, he defended himself with two servants, and all three died. Having learned that their victim had left the beautiful horses at the German Iron Cross Hotel, not far from the university, the killers hastened there to pick them up.”
Other cities were also hit by a wave of mass religious murders.
“At Rouen 10 or 12 hundred Huguenots were killed; in Meaux and Orleans they got rid of them completely. And when M. de Gomicourt was preparing to return, he asked the Queen Mother the answer to his commission: she answered him that she did not know any other answer than the one that Jesus Christ gave to the disciples, according to the Gospel of John, and said in Latin: “Ite et nuntiate quo vidistis et audivistis; coeci vedent, claudi ambulant, leprosi mundantur,” etc., and told him not to forget to tell the Duke of Alba: “Beatus, qui non fuerit in me scandalisatus,” and that she would always maintain good mutual relations with the Catholic sovereign.”
Memoirs of Queen Margot about St. Bartholomew's Night:
Queen Margot, episode of the film with Isabelle Adjani
“It was decided to carry out the massacre on the same night - on St. Bartholomew. We immediately began to implement this plan. All the traps were set, the alarms rang, everyone ran to their quarters, in accordance with the order, to all the Huguenots and to the admiral. Monsieur de Guise sent the German nobleman Bem to the admiral's house, who, going up to his room, pierced him with a dagger and threw him through the window at the feet of his master, Monsieur de Guise.
They didn’t tell me anything about all this, but I saw everyone at work. The Huguenots were in despair at this act, and all the de Guises whispered, fearing that they would not want to take proper revenge on them. Both the Huguenots and the Catholics treated me with suspicion: the Huguenots because I was a Catholic, and the Catholics because I married the King of Navarre, who was a Huguenot.
They didn’t say anything to me until the evening, when in the Queen Mother’s bedroom, who was going to bed, I was sitting on a chest next to my sister, the Princess of Lorraine, who was very sad.
The Queen Mother, talking to someone, noticed me and told me to go to bed. I curtsied, and my sister took me by the hand, stopped me and burst into tears loudly, saying through her tears: “For God’s sake, sister, don’t go there.” These words scared me very much. The Queen Mother, noticing this, called her sister and angrily forbade her to tell me anything. My sister objected to her that she did not understand why she would sacrifice me by sending me there. There is no doubt that if the Huguenots suspect something is wrong, they will want to take out all their anger on me. The Queen Mother replied that God willing, nothing bad would happen to me, but be that as it may, I needed to go to bed, otherwise they might suspect something was wrong, which would prevent the plan from being carried out.
Margot saves a Huguenot on St. Bartholomew's Night
I saw that they were arguing, but I didn’t hear about what. The Queen Mother once again sternly ordered me to go to bed. Shedding tears, my sister wished me good night, not daring to say anything more, and I left, numb with fear, with a doomed look, not imagining what I should be afraid of. Once at home, I turned to God in prayer, asking him to protect me, not knowing from whom or from what. Seeing this, my husband, who was already in bed, told me to go to bed, which I did. Around his bed stood from 30 to 40 Huguenots, whom I did not yet know, since only a few days had passed since our wedding. All night they did nothing but discuss what had happened with the admiral, deciding at dawn to turn to the king and demand punishment for Monsieur de Guise. Otherwise, they threatened that they would deal with him themselves. I couldn’t sleep, remembering my sister’s tears, overwhelmed by the fear they aroused in me, not knowing what I should be afraid of. So the night passed, and I didn’t sleep a wink. At dawn my husband said he wanted to go play rounders while waiting for King Charles to wake up. He decided to immediately ask him for punishment. He and all his associates left my room. I, seeing that the dawn was breaking, and considering that the danger that my sister spoke about had passed, told my nurse to close the door and let me sleep to my heart's content.
The clock on the fatal tower that gave the signal
An hour later, when I was still sleeping, someone, knocking on the door with their feet and hands, shouted: “Navarre! Navarrese!" The nurse, thinking it was my husband, quickly ran to the door and opened it. On the threshold stood a nobleman named de Leran, wounded in the elbow with a sword and in the arm with a halberd. He was pursued by four shooters, who ran into my room with him. In an effort to defend himself, he threw himself on my bed and grabbed me. I tried to break free, but he held me tightly. I did not know this man at all and did not understand his intentions - whether he wanted to harm me or whether the arrows were against him and against me. Both of us were very scared. Finally, thank God, Monsieur de Nancy, captain of the guard, arrived to us, who, seeing the state I was in and feeling compassion for me, could not help but laugh. He became very angry with the shooters for their tactlessness, ordered them to leave my room and freed me from the hands of this unfortunate man, who was still holding me. I ordered him to be put in my room, bandaged and treated until he felt well.
While I was changing my shirt, as I was covered in blood, Monsieur de Nancy told me what had happened, assuring me that my husband was in King Charles's room and that he was all right. They threw a dark coat over me and the captain took me to the room of my sister Madame de Lorraine, where I entered more dead from fear than alive.
Other clocks - astrological
Here, through the hallway, all the doors of which were open, a nobleman named Burse ran in, fleeing from the shooters who were pursuing him. Three steps from me they stabbed him with a halberd. I lost consciousness and fell into the arms of Monsieur de Nancy. When I woke up, I entered the small room where my sister was sleeping. At this time, Monsieur de Miossan, the first nobleman from my husband’s entourage, and Armagnac, my husband’s first servant, came to me and began to beg me to save their lives. I hurried to King Charles and the Queen Mother and threw myself at their feet, asking them for this. They promised to fulfill my request..."
The events of St. Bartholomew's Night were condemned even by Ivan the Terrible, who himself never stood on ceremony with his enemies. From the king’s letter to Emperor Maximilian II: “And what, dearest brother, do you mourn the bloodshed that happened to the King of France in his kingdom, several thousand were beaten to the point of mere babies; and it is fitting for the peasant sovereign to mourn that the French king committed such inhumanity over so many people and shed so much blood without reason.”
Only the King of Portugal expressed his congratulations to Charles IX after the bloody events:
“To the greatest, most powerful and most Christian sovereign Don Charles, king of France, brother and cousin, I, Don Sebastian, by the grace of God king of Portugal and the Algarves, from one sea to another in Africa, lord of Guinea and conquests, navigation and trade in Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia and India, I send my great greetings, as to those whom I greatly love and respect.
All the praises that I could offer you are due to your great merits in the fulfillment of the sacred and honorable duty that you have undertaken, and directed against the Lutherans, the enemies of our holy faith and the opponents of your crown; for faith did not allow us to forget many manifestations of family love and friendship that were between us, and through you commanded us to maintain our connection in all cases when it was required. We see how much you have already done, how much you are still doing, and what you embody daily in the service of our Lord - preserving the faith and your kingdoms, eradicating heresies from them. All this is your duty and reputation. I am very happy to have such a king and brother who already bears the name of the Most Christian, and could now earn it anew for myself and all the kings who are their successors.
That is why, in addition to the congratulations that Joan Gomes da Silva from my council, which is at your court, will convey to you, it seems to me that we will be able to unite our efforts in this matter, which is so due to both of us, through the new ambassador, whom I am now committed to I attach; which is Don Dionis Dalemcastro, senior commander of the Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ, my very beloved nephew, whom I send to you, a man in whom, due to his qualities, I highly trust and in whom I ask you to place full and heartfelt confidence in everything that I need to tell you , highest, most powerful, most Christian sovereign, brother and cousin, may our Lord keep your royal crown and kingdom under his holy protection.”
King Charles claimed that he did not expect such bloodshed. “Even my beret didn’t know about anything.”- said the king.
According to another version of the chroniclers, the king approved the massacres.
“This massacre appeared before the eyes of the king, who looked at it from the Louvre with great joy. A few days later he went in person to see the gallows at Montfaucon and the corpse of Coligny, who was hanged by the feet, and when some of his retinue pretended that they could not approach because of the stench of the corpse, “The smell of a dead enemy,” he said, “is sweet.” and pleasant."
Arrest of the Huguenot
“On the said day, the most Christian king, dressed in his royal robes, appeared at the palace and announced to parliament that the peace he had concluded with the Huguenots, he was forced to conclude for the reason that his people were exhausted and ruined, but that at the present time , when God granted him victory over his enemies, he declares that the edict that was issued in commemoration of the said peace is invalid and meaningless, and that he wishes that the one that was published before and according to which no other faith than the Catholic, will be observed. apostolic and Roman, cannot be confessed in his kingdom.”
Thanks to the St. Bartholomew's massacre, Catherine de' Medici gained the special love of her subjects. In total, the good Catholics plundered about one and a half million gold pieces.
Catherine de' Medici
“...The tragedy continued for three whole days with bursts of unbridled rage. The city has hardly calmed down even now. A huge loot was looted: it is estimated at one and a half million gold ecus. More than four hundred nobles, the bravest and best military leaders of their party, perished. An incredibly large number of them showed up, well provided with clothing, jewelry and money, so as not to lose face at the wedding of the King of Navarre. The population became rich at their expense.”
"In the morning, at the entrance to the Louvre"
“The people of Paris are happy; they feel that they have been comforted: yesterday they hated the queen, today they glorify her, declaring her the mother of the country and the custodian of the Christian faith.”- wrote a contemporary of the events.
In total, about 30 thousand people died for the good of the kingdom. Two years after the bloody events, King Charles IX died in the arms of Catherine de Medici. Presumably he was poisoned. The queen gave the poisoned book to her enemy Henry of Navarre. Not knowing about the poison, Henry gave the book to “cousin Charles” to read... So the queen unwittingly killed her own son.
Coat of arms on Catherine de Medici's favorite church. We have a specialist for coats of arms
St. Bartholomew's Night is the mass extermination of Huguenots (Protestant Calvinists) by Catholics in France during the Wars of Religion. It began in Paris on the night of August 24, 1572 (the feast of St. Bartholomew).
Catherine de' Medici (mother of Charles IX) Charles IX
It was organized by the mother of the French king Charles IX, Catherine de Medici (both Catholics) and the Catholic League, which was led by representatives of the aristocratic family of Guise. Fearing the strengthening of the Huguenots (as Calvinist Protestants were called in France) and the influence of their leader, Admiral Coligny, on the king, they decided to destroy their political opponents, taking advantage of the wedding of one of the Huguenot leaders, Henry of Navarre (later King Henry IV), scheduled for that day in Paris. the king's sister Margaret.
Henry of Navarre (later King Henry IV) with the king's sister Margaret.
Huguenot houses in the city were marked with white crosses. The massacre began late at night. During St. Bartholomew's Night, Coligny and other influential Huguenots died, as well as several thousand ordinary townspeople.
Scene in Margarita's bedroom on St. Bartholomew's Night
The differences between Protestant movements were minor. Rejecting Catholicism, Protestants abolished many sacraments, agreeing to retain only baptism and the Eucharist (communion). They rejected the doctrine of grace, the veneration of saints, relics and images. Prayers for the dead were canceled, and houses of worship were cleared of altars, images, statues, bells and magnificent decorations. The service was simplified and reduced to preaching, prayer, singing psalms and hymns in the native language of the flock. The Bible was proclaimed the only source of doctrine and translated into national languages.
The murder of Coligny on St. Bartholomew's Night.
In Protestantism there were no monks and there was no vow of celibacy. And most importantly, which the Vatican could not agree with, the authority of the Pope was rejected and the principle of a universal priesthood was introduced, when the duties of a priest could be performed by any member of the community.
Naturally, the new religious movement met fierce resistance, resulting in bloody confrontations and wars. France became the scene of fierce confrontation between Catholics and Protestants, where the new teaching was spreading in the form of Calvinism. French Catholics began to contemptuously call the followers of Calvin's teachings Huguenots, but soon this name took root among the Protestants themselves.
Millet. The painting depicts a romantic couple, the girl is trying to tie the protective bandage of Catholics to the young man,
so that they don’t kill him, because he is a Huguenot. But he refuses and hugs the girl with one hand, and with the other hand he decisively removes his bandage.
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On the eve of the wedding of Henry and Margaret, a large number of high-ranking Huguenots and a lot of nobles came to Paris. The population of the capital, among whom Catholics predominated, greeted the appearance of the Huguenots with extreme hostility. These attitudes towards the Huguenots were skillfully fueled by the Catholic clergy. Rumors spread in the capital about a Huguenot plot to overthrow the king and introduce a new religion.
The magnificent wedding, which took place on August 18, 1572, only strengthened the townspeople's hostility towards the Huguenots, whom they saw in the royal retinue. Events grew rapidly. On August 22, an assassination attempt was made on Admiral Coligny, the organizer of which was Duke Henry of Guise, who was popular among the Parisians as a defender of the faith. The wounded admiral was visited with condolences by the king and Catherine de Medici. But the Huguenot nobility demanded that the king punish Guise. Rumors spread among the Huguenots about the inevitability of a new war. Calvinists began to leave Paris.
Catherine de Medici skillfully took advantage of the current situation, convincing the king of the need to physically eliminate the Huguenot leaders in order to prevent a new civil war. On August 23, the Paris municipality was ordered to close the gates and prepare the city police for action.
On the night of August 24, the conspirators, having killed the guards, broke into Coligny and pierced him with swords. The alarm bell sounded in the city churches, calling on the people to reprisal the Huguenots. An outright massacre began; Huguenots were killed even in the royal palace. Only from the urban suburb of Saint-Germain-des-Prés did some of the Huguenots manage to escape in battle and flee. The coordinated destruction of the Huguenots began in other French cities. In the capital, the king mercifully spared the lives of Henry of Navarre and his cousin Henry of Condé, but demanded that they convert to Catholicism.
The massacre in Paris continued for several days. Protestant houses were marked in advance with chalk. Catholics, enraged with blood, burst into them and killed everyone indiscriminately. Not only the French Huguenots were destroyed, everyone who had a faith other than Catholicism was slaughtered. Catholic priests organized “information support” for the murders. Those who doubted the justification of such cruelty were convinced or threatened with excommunication; murderers were absolved of their sins right on the blood-stained streets; services were held in churches in gratitude for ridding the city of the Huguenots.
Ilyas Fayzulin Vision of St. Bartholomew's Night. 1998.
This moment is presented in the form of mysticism, which, according to the artist, adds great tension to the ongoing event. The composition is held by the figure of the author, lying in a delirious oblivion on the pillows and seeing this nightmare. The coloring of the picture is disturbing. In the faint light of torches, prowling murderers are depicted - Catholics in search of their victims - Huguenots. This is the plot side. The artistic concept is revealed by the color of the picture and the plastic solution. In the upper right corner is an ominous mystical figure of a Catholic priest blessing this massacre. Below on the balcony are the masterminds of the massacre - Catherine de Medici and her son Charles IX
Milles. St. Bartholomew's Night
On August 26, Charles IX officially admitted that the destruction of the Calvinists was carried out on his orders, as he sought to disrupt the new Huguenot conspiracy and punish the rebels.
It is believed that between 2.5 and 3 thousand Huguenots died in Paris these days, and about 10 thousand throughout the country. The events in France were greeted with approval in the Catholic world. Pope Gregory XIII not only supported the massacre, but even to celebrate, he set off fireworks in the Vatican and ordered the production of a commemorative medal. In fairness, we note that 425 years after the Night of Bartholomew, Pope John Paul II condemned the massacre of the Huguenots.
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Who hasn’t read A. Dumas’ novel “Queen Margot” and watched its latest French film adaptation? From the first frames, filmmakers showed the nervous, full of hatred, extremely aggravated situation in the French capital that reigned after the wedding of the royal sister Margaret with the Protestant Henry of Navarre.
In 1570, the Treaty of Germain ended the third religious war in France. But radical Catholics, led by the Guise family, sought to prevent the strengthening of influence Huguenots at the royal court. The leader of the Huguenots, Admiral Gaspard Coligny, aroused particular hatred.
The Huguenots had a well-armed army, significant financial resources, and control of the fortified cities of La Rochelle, Cognac, and Montauban. King Charles IX and the Queen Mother herself, Catherine de Medici, needed money and were willing to compromise. The wedding of the daughter (the king's sister) and the Protestant prince Henry of Navarre was supposed to be the living embodiment of this compromise. But neither the Pope, nor the Spanish King Philip II, nor the Catholic elite of France wanted to accept such a compromise.
Many of the wealthiest and most prominent Huguenots gathered in predominantly Catholic Paris for the wedding. The city's population did not arouse much enthusiasm for a luxurious wedding against the backdrop of a poor harvest and high food prices.
On August 22, 1572, there was an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Admiral de Coligny, who proposed that the king, with the joint forces of Catholics and Huguenots, support the Protestant uprising in Flanders against the Spanish King Philip II. And the Queen Mother gave the go-ahead to massacre the Huguenots under the influence of interested Catholic leaders. The moment was very convenient. Everyone knew the story of how Odysseus killed his wife's suitors with a sudden and decisive blow.
It is believed that Catherine de Medici said “fas!” after failing to eliminate de Coligny and a dozen major military leaders of the Huguenots. But on the night of August 24, 1572, “the process did not go quite as planned.” Instead of a “showdown” between the Coligny and Guise clans, it turned out to be a massacre with the participation of the broad masses of the Parisian mob. The Huguenots who came to the wedding were not poor people - well dressed and well-shod. Their black clothes became an identifying mark for the killers. In Paris itself, several thousand people were killed, stripped and stripped. During a wave of bloody pogroms throughout the country (in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Lyon, Rouen, Orleans), according to various estimates, from 5 to 30 thousand people died.
Thus, the signal of the bell of the Church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois marked the beginning of the most terrible massacre of the century. With good reason, the Huguenots called Catholicism a bloody and treacherous religion. But they were dealt a decisive blow. After St. Bartholomew's Night, about 200 thousand Huguenots fled to neighboring states. In England, Poland, and the German states, this atrocity was condemned - even Ivan the Terrible did not approve of it. And Pope Gregory XIII was happy and served thanksgiving services.
On July 1, 1934, on the “Night of the Long Knives,” A. Hitler, without further ado, massacred 1,076 of his former followers suspected of the “Rehm conspiracy.” The experience of St. Bartholomew's Night was brilliantly used.
Meaning of the name
In Paris, the capital of France, in 1572, Protestants—the Huguenots, whose leader was Henry of Navarre, and the Catholics, led by the king—could not get along with each other. Usually the twenty-fourth of August is the feast of St. Bartholomew, and this year, 1572, it was no exception. The leader of the Protestants decided on the night of this day, in the midst of the holiday, to enter into a marriage alliance with Margarita of Valois. But, unfortunately, he did not know what this day in his life would become.
Charles the Ninth, together with his mother, who were true Catholics, decide this Sunday to get rid of the Huguenots, destroying them all. It is believed by historians that the main organizer and inspirer of the massacre was the king’s mother, Catherine Medich. Researchers of this terrible murder believe that she was easily influenced by advisers from Italy. And A. de Gondi and L. Gonzaga simply persuaded her to do this. They did not like the fact that the royal daughter married a Protestant, although he was the richest Huguenot in all of Paris.
Researchers claim that a warning was given to the Protestants and their leader Gaspard Coligny was attacked two days before the massacre. But on the night of the twenty-fourth of August, a huge number of people died. The numbers are usually given differently, but still about thirty thousand people. After this, murders began in France, and this wave was massive.
Unequal and unwanted marriage
The massacre of the Huguenots was the result of several events that had a huge impact on the ruling circles of that time in France. The main reasons include:
✔ On August 8, 1570, the Germain Peace Treaty was concluded.
✔ The third French religious war was over.
✔ On August 18, 1572, the marriage of the Protestant leader Henry of Navarre and the royal daughter Margaret of Valois took place.
✔ On August 22, 1572, an attempt was made on the life of the Huguenot admiral Coligny.
At the beginning of August 1570, a peace treaty was concluded, which turned out to be illusory for France. Of course, he put an end almost immediately to three civil wars that went on endlessly, but still relations between Protestants and the majority of Catholics still remained strained. Not all Catholics were willing to accept this peace agreement, especially those who were aggressive. This applied to radical representatives of Catholicism.
At that time, the radical Catholics at the court of Charles the Ninth were represented by the Guise family, who soon sought to ensure that Coligny, the admiral, was not a member of the king's council. But the queen and her son tried to slightly reduce this fervor of the Catholics, who by this time were already committed to war with the Protestants. But besides good intentions, Charles the Ninth and his mother had others: they had financial difficulties, so they simply needed peace with the Huguenots.
They paid their aristocrats well, had a strong and well-armed army, and they also fortified several cities in France and now controlled them. These are Montauban, La Rochelle and Cognac. One of the subjects of conflict between these two French parties was the support of Spain and England. Realizing that some decisive action is necessary to try on these two hostile sides, the French queen agrees to marry the Protestant prince. This wedding took place on the eighteenth of August, the eve of the massacre.
The Protestant prince whom Margaret married was to become King Henry the Fourth in the near future, but for now he bore the name Henry of Navarre. But the Catholics and Philip II, who, as is known from history, ruled Spain at that time, did not at all share the policy pursued by Queen Catherine.
Historical course of events
The marriage, which was about to take place, became the reason for many Protestants to gather and flock to Paris. Famous Huguenots also came to take part in the marriage ceremony of their prince. But Paris greeted them unfriendly, since Parisian society was against Huguenot leaders coming to their city. And that anti-Huguenot sentiments were suppressed, but Catholics were outraged and indignant.
The Parisian parliament reacted disapprovingly of this event. But ordinary people, who were already on the verge of an uprising, because this year food prices had risen, there were bad harvests, and taxes had increased, now the Protestants did not gather at all. They saw how preparations were being made for this hated wedding, how luxurious it was supposed to be, and then it was, and hatred and anger grew in them.
The royal court was also divided in opinion. So, the Pope did not approve of this marriage, then Queen Catherine had to persuade Cardinal Bourbon to carry out the marriage process. The governor of the city, seeing the unrest growing, realizing that he is no longer able to hold back the onslaught of those who protested before the royal wedding, he leaves the city. Catherine herself ordered the slaughter of the Huguenots, since the attempt on the admirals did not end unsuccessfully. She saw that de Coligny had a strong influence on her son.
The admiral persuaded Charles the Ninth to support the uprising against the Spanish king that was going on in Flanders. He even sent an army there. Catherine wanted to restore peace with Spain. Here the views of Catholics and Protestants differed. Catherine correctly understood that her country was already weakened after many civil wars, so in a war with the Spanish state she would have received more defeats than successes. But Katerina didn’t think at all what would happen after her order to eliminate Coligny, such a massacre.
In addition to the hatred of the local population, the Coligny and Guise clans were at enmity with each other. Therefore, Catherine’s order to destroy the admiral and his entourage led to such a massive massacre. The killers easily identified the Huguenots in any crowd, as they were dressed in black robes. Crosses were painted in advance on the houses where Protestants lived or stayed. Therefore, the brutal people not only killed the Huthenots, but also set fire to their homes. And the people who killed several Huguenots then acted as if they had gone mad. They killed everyone: women, old people and even children. A terrible fact was that people were stripped of their clothes, trying to turn their clothes into prey. Soon it didn't matter who killed whom. And then the king ordered order to be restored on the streets of the city.
It is known that the signal for the start of this massive and terrible murder was the sound of a church bell. In Aubigne's memoirs it is said that the queen ordered the bell to be rung earlier in the court chapel:
“ordering to call an hour and a half earlier.”
But the violence that occurred in Paris then spread to other urban settlements, turning the entire country into one bloodbath. Horrible massacres lasted for several days, human blood was shed. Protestants, weakened without their leaders, cemented the view that Catholicism is a treacherous religion based on human blood and senseless sacrifice.
The meaning of St. Bartholomew's night
This unusual night of massacres was able to overshadow all other attempts to somehow deal with the Huguenots. Most of the Protestants fled to neighboring countries and states after this event. According to contemporaries, there were more than two hundred thousand such fugitives. Many states expressed their dissatisfaction to France. The small German principalities, Poland and England were outraged by this outbreak of violence. Ivan the Terrible did not stand aside either.
From August to October of the same year, 1572, massacres continued. And such outbreaks broke out constantly somewhere in French cities. As a result, more than six thousand more people died. Prince Henry of Navarre was luckier; he was not killed, he was pardoned, but the main condition was the adoption of Catholicism. Among the victims of St. Bartholomew's night were many eminent Protestants. For example, Admiral Coligna of France, who, according to one version, was killed by a German mercenary. The admiral was killed by Bam at home along with his retinue.
Among the victims were Ramais, who was considered a humanist philosopher. Breu, a scientist who tried to intercede for the prince, was killed right in the chambers of his pupil. The victim was the famous composer K. Gudimel. But some eminent Protestants were still able to escape that night. First of all, this is Navarre, the Duchess of Chartres, the Abbe de Cleyrac, the nephew of the Marshal of France, Baron de Rosny, who later became Minister of Finance, the son of Admiral Coligny and others.
But, despite all this, the state only became stronger after this terrible and cruel night, and the uprisings and discontent soon ceased completely. The queen achieved her goal, albeit through bloodshed. The prince, who married Margarita, converted to Catholicism, and a single faith took over in this state.
St. Bartholomew's Night is the mass murder of Huguenots by Catholics in Paris and 12 other provincial cities, which began on August 24, 1572, one of the most terrible episodes in the history of France, imprinted in the memory of not only professional historians, but also ordinary people. The picture of this event was largely created by writers, artists, directors - people of art. It is not without stereotypes and myths, and often St. Bartholomew’s Night seems too one-sided to us. Let's try to restore the chronology of those events and understand its causes and consequences.
Reformation and Wars of Religion
St. Bartholomew's Night did not arise on its own; it is important to know the context, the logic of the events of that time in order to present it correctly. The 16th century was the time of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the time of church reforms, the confrontation of new religions with old ones, and civil wars. And it is difficult at that time to find a more fierce and prolonged confrontation between the inhabitants of one country than it was in France, where the Huguenots and Catholics had their own armies and commanders, their own kings and outstanding leaders. It is now difficult for us to imagine that people could quarrel and fight because of dogmatic differences, often not even the most significant ones, because both of them still believed in the same god. And even in the ranks of Protestants, theological disputes and differences often arose, their own heretics appeared, many of whom simply used popular protest for personal gain, for enrichment and robbery, denying all moral norms and state laws.
K. F. Gun. Eve of St. Bartholomew's Eve
The Reformation was a reaction to the arbitrariness of the Catholic authorities, the decline of morals, the interference of clergy in worldly affairs, the enrichment and intrigue of the Catholic Church, the cynical sale of indulgences and “places in heaven,” and the suppression of the independence of the townspeople by the aristocracy. Behind the magnificent religious form, solemnity, and luxury of Catholicism, the real content was lost. The clergy neglected the rules of their own religion, thinking more about worldly goods, participating in palace intrigues, and interfering in the affairs of princes and kings. The Pope was the same participant in political processes and diplomatic relations as ordinary kings; he could enthronement, arrange political marriages, or he could excommunicate and provoke wars and unrest. Popes have long been more concerned about their own wealth and maintaining influence and power than about the spirituality of peoples and peace between countries. That is why the poor and enslaved people felt the need for renewal and reform of religion, getting rid of the oppression of the Catholic Church, cleansing the faith from worldly things, and caring for their neighbors. The Reformation caused the awakening of national self-awareness, contributed to social restructuring, and the liberation of countries from the influence of Rome. In every country in the XIV-XVI centuries. their own preachers and spiritual leaders appeared. In Germany it was Martin Luther, in France - John Calvin, in the Czech Republic - Jan Hus, in England - John Wycliffe. The Reformation contributed to the weakening of the influence of Rome and the awakening of national sentiments, the improvement of life and morals, and the strengthening of the role of the bourgeoisie and the middle class. Protestants quickly grew rich thanks to the fact that they abandoned expensive rituals and church luxury, preferred real deeds, professional and honest work to fasting and prayer, and valued frugality and practicality. The moral part of their religion was observed more strictly than that of the Catholics. But the church could not give up so easily and simply allow people to believe what they want; religious reforms were not without opposition and sacrifice. The church everywhere responded to the Reformation with a counter-reformation, a bloody struggle against heretics, the fires of the Inquisition, trials, torture and the restoration of Catholicism. But for many Protestants, faith was not an empty form; many of them did not completely abandon it and went to death for it, becoming martyrs. Rome was eventually forced to retreat, but this did not happen immediately. And one of the episodes of this struggle, which engulfed different states, was St. Bartholomew’s Night.
Although the factual side of these events is almost completely known, there is no consensus in historiography regarding the events of August 24, 1572. Previously, the old theory prevailed, which developed largely under the influence of Protestants. According to this version, St. Bartholomew's Night was part of the plan of King Charles IX, his mother Catherine de Medici and the Dukes of Guise, who wanted to get rid of the most influential representatives of the Huguenots at once. Alexandre Dumas greatly contributed to the consolidation of this concept in the mass consciousness with his novel “Queen Margot.” However, it is difficult to call the massacre of Protestants a planned action. There are serious doubts that the people in this case could have acted on the orders of Catherine de Medici, who seems to many to be a real fiend of hell. Let's trace the main events that preceded the tragedy in Paris.
Previous Events
The Third Religious War in France was one of the bloodiest and most brutal, with both sides suffering huge losses. And, although the Huguenots were defeated on the battlefield, the war ended in 1570 with the signing of the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty, which was largely beneficial to the Protestants. The authorities made significant concessions and proclaimed religious tolerance, giving the Huguenots the opportunity to freely conduct their services in many cities, independently electing their own priests, not observing the obligatory fasts for Catholics, and not celebrating their holidays. Benefits and relaxations did not apply to the entire territory of France, but it is clear that this treaty was a real attempt to calm and reconcile two warring religious factions and unite a divided society. This world was in many ways the brainchild of Catherine de Medici, who did a lot to stop the war and find a compromise. You need to understand that the war was not beneficial to either side; the turmoil greatly weakened France economically, which was only welcomed by Catholic Spain, which at that time was the main defender of the old faith, a fighter against heresies and the main assistant of Rome. At first, Catherine tried for a long time and persistently to get closer to powerful Spain, but Philip II did not really want the strengthening of France; the turmoil in it was beneficial to him. The unfortunate Margarita de Valois, sister of Charles IX, in whose fate the entire history of religious and political confrontations was reflected as in a mirror, was a tool and means in diplomatic games. For many years, she was expected to be the bride of various princes and kings, but negotiations with Spain and Portugal were deliberately drawn out, and no one gave a definite answer, making excuses for various reasons. Having finally realized that the Spaniards were only playing with France and did not seriously intend to enter into a marriage alliance, Catherine decided to both take revenge for the insult and use Margarita in the most profitable way that still remained. It was decided to marry her to the Protestant prince Henry of Bourbon, the future king of Navarre. In this way, it seemed, it was possible to reconcile the two religions and parties.
Marriage was not so easy to conclude, because both in the country itself and abroad, not everyone had a positive attitude towards it. The Spanish king, of course, was dissatisfied with this outcome; he did not want peace in France and a rapprochement between Catholics and Huguenots. On the other hand, the marriage was clearly unpleasant for Rome, and for a long time it was not possible to obtain the pope's permission for the marriage, which Catherine so desired. As a result, the wedding took place without the pope’s written permission (the permission was simply forged by the Medici), which was given only later. And both at the court itself and among the people, many were unhappy with this marriage. It was especially disadvantageous to the Dukes of Guise, a very influential Catholic family that had long wanted to become related to the royal house and vehemently hated the Huguenots and especially the Bourbons themselves. Henry of Guise had already wooed Margarita, and the girl, it seems, was not indifferent to him, as some sources say, but the Guises received a refusal, which could be interpreted as an insult. The influence of the Guises on the weak-willed Charles IX was enormous; the Valois themselves hardly wanted to further strengthen this powerful family. Another obstacle to marriage with Henry of Bourbon was the distrust of the Catholic court of his mother, Jeanne d'Albret, Catherine's longtime opponent.
Bloody wedding
In any case, after much preparation and negotiations, the wedding was organized. It took place on August 18, 1572, and the people of France had never seen anything like this before - the Catholic princess Margaret and the Huguenot Henry were married in a special way, each in his own way. The wedding was organized very richly and solemnly, which could be perceived sharply negatively by the Parisians - since the people themselves were not in the best financial situation at that time. In addition, the Parisians, unlike the less religious provincials, were very fanatical. Paris was heavily dominated by Catholics. Catholic preachers spoke sadly about the wedding, saying that it could not end in anything good and that God would definitely send bloody retribution on the heads of the heretics. A large number of influential people from both parties gathered for the celebration; never before had there been so many Protestants in Paris.
Recently, the influential Guises at court were somewhat displaced by Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, who had recently arrived at the court, a noble, strong, charming and charismatic leader of Protestants, who, under the terms of the Peace of Saint-Germain, entered the royal council. Charles IX became seriously interested in his stories of military adventures and succumbed to his charm, spending a lot of time with him. It was believed that Coligny might well convince Charles to provide assistance to the Netherlands, which rebelled against Spain. They were afraid of a war with Spain; Catherine de Medici was sure that it would end in great trouble for the now weakened France. And in their best years, the French had already lost to Spain, and now they were even more unprepared for this fight. It is unknown whether this was originally planned and who knew about the conspiracy, but on August 22, in Coligny, calmly, unsuspectingly, walking down the street of Paris, they shot out of an open window. Only thanks to the fact that at that moment the admiral bent down to adjust his shoes, he was not killed on the spot. The shot only wounded him, and a finger was torn off on one hand. The people accompanying him immediately rushed into the house, but the shooter managed to escape, and a smoking arquebus was found at the window. Coligny was taken to his apartment and a doctor was called. Charles IX, having learned about the incident, personally visited the admiral and placed additional guards from his soldiers at his door. As it turned out, the house from which the shots were fired belonged to one of the de Guises’ people, Coligny’s longtime opponents. The Guises were at enmity with the admiral and the Huguenots not only for political and religious reasons, they believed that Francois de Guise was killed by a shot in the back precisely because of Coligny, sent by the assassin, and swore revenge on the admiral. No one had any doubt that it was they who organized the assassination attempt. Also, no one doubted that this would lead to aggravation of relations between the parties and that the Huguenots would avenge their wounded leader and demand fair retribution. The king, who needed the de Guises, could not oppose the dukes and punish them. The royal family was seriously worried; for the next two days, something resembling a secret emergency meeting was held, which was attended by the king and his brother the Duke of Anjou, Catherine, Chancellor Birag and some other nobles. It is not known which of them was the first to come up with the idea of launching a “preemptive strike” while the entire Huguenot nobility was in Paris. On Saturday evening the police were ordered to tightly lock the city gates. At approximately two o'clock in the morning, the men of Heinrich Guise, led by him, came to Coligny's residence, who were immediately joined by the soldiers guarding the admiral. The wounded Coligny and his assistant were immediately killed, and later the Luli of Guise and the Duke of Anjou began to break into the houses of noble Huguenots. Huguenots were killed even in the Louvre itself. Henry of Navarre and the younger Prince of Condé, as well as some other noble Huguenots, were spared their lives, but only after a promise that they would soon convert to Catholicism. Historians write that Henry and Condé managed to survive only thanks to the intercession of Margaret, who at that moment felt like a future Protestant queen and truly showed steadfastness and courage. But this was only the first part of the reprisal against the Huguenots. A part that was definitely organized with the permission of the king himself.
Although they usually talk about the night of August 24, in reality the worst began only in the morning. Sources indicate that the next day the people, who heard the news of Coligny's murder, rejoiced. At the same time, the Parisians learned that a dry hawthorn suddenly blossomed in the cemetery of the Innocents that night, which was immediately interpreted by Catholic preachers as a sign that people had begun a godly and righteous deed. It is not known whether direct instructions came from the king or Catherine, but the people, following the soldiers, began to slaughter and kill the Huguenots wherever they found them. Few of them managed to survive in this meat grinder, but the Protestants who lived on the outskirts of Paris, having heard about what was happening, ran away in time. Modern historians still doubt that Charles IX could have given any instructions regarding the massacre, moreover, the next day he himself ordered the riots to stop. However, the order was not given very decisively, and the Catholics did not consider it necessary to listen to it, and no one offered serious opposition to them. The wave of hatred spread to other cities. In addition to Paris, murders were committed in 12 more provinces, such as Lyon, Orleans, Rouen, Meaux, Bordeaux, etc. True, there were not so many Huguenot communities there, and fewer people suffered. It is curious that the unrest did not spread everywhere, and the number of casualties was less than might have been expected. It can be assumed that the French who did not live in Paris were less fanatical and aggressive. In addition, some officials themselves took the Protestants under protection, as was the case, for example, in Dijon, where the Comte de Charny, the governor of the province, was in no hurry to hand over the Huguenots to be torn to pieces by the crowd, imprisoned them in a fortress and assigned a guard, reasoning that if the king really wants them dead, then there is no need to rush anyway, because the monarch can still change his mind.
Who was killed on St. Bartholomew's Night?
The massacre lasted everywhere for six weeks. It is difficult to name the exact number of losses; modern historians cautiously say that there were at least five thousand victims. The killings were not solely due to religious reasons. On August 24, not only Protestants were killed, but also simply unloved neighbors, fellow Catholics. Under the guise of the fight against heretics, they dealt with those whose property they wanted to take possession of, those to whom they owed money. People were simply settling old scores, because... in this disorder it was impossible to make out anything. Women, including pregnant women, children, and old people died; the fierce crowd spared no one.
The history of St. Bartholomew's Night contains many myths. One of them is the myth about white crosses, which were supposedly painted on houses, and about white bands on the clothes of Catholics. In fact, this massacre could hardly have been so carefully organized and planned that anyone thought about clothing and identification marks. In addition, the Parisians already had lists of all Huguenots, because they definitely had to register at the palace; there was no need to mark the houses. And the Huguenots themselves wore their traditional black clothes, they were easy to recognize. Historians suggest that the myth of the white crosses arose later in the retelling of the Huguenots, who associated these events with the biblical text and the murdered babies.
Results and consequences of St. Bartholomew's Night
In the days following August 24, Charles IX saw the result of what they themselves had awakened and seemed to be seriously frightened and upset. They even say that he could never forget this event and it left a mark on his already fragile health. After the unrest subsided, Catherine de Medici and the court hastened to take responsibility for what had happened, announcing everywhere that they had ordered the execution of the Huguenots, who were plotting against the king and insulting sacred values, religion and rituals. But the most terrible thing was not even the massacre itself, but the fact that Pope Gregory XIII, having learned about it, celebrated a mass of praise and even ordered a memorial plaque with angels depicting this event to be knocked out. Many Catholics reacted favorably to the murders; the King of Spain even said that he “extols a son who has such a mother, and a mother who has such a son.” True, to some rulers, like the Queen of England or Maximilian II, Emperor of Germany, the killings seemed inhumane and unjust. The Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible also responded to the event, who also, in his letter to Maximilian II, regretted the innocently killed babies. It is difficult to say to what extent Catherine was initially involved in the conspiracy and what relation she had to organizing the massacres, but she herself never regretted the victims of St. Bartholomew’s Night and readily took advantage of this event for political purposes. Many believed that she had planned all this even when she was concluding a peace unfavorable for Catholics in 1570, which is completely unlikely. Protestants portrayed Catherine as a monster and largely influenced the perception of St. Bartholomew's Night later. But even if Catherine was not the organizer of the massacre, she is very well characterized by one small episode. Henry Bourbon was forced to convert to Catholicism shortly after the murders. When at one ceremony he bowed before the altar, like an ordinary Catholic, Catherine de Medici, seeing this, in the presence of many foreign ambassadors, laughed loudly and joyfully, she was pleased to humiliate her enemy, she had no trace of any sympathy for the murdered Protestants. Apparently she was a very cold-blooded and cruel woman. So Dumas was not so wrong about her character.
Speaking about the atrocities of Catholics, it would be wrong not to mention at all what caused such hatred of them towards Protestants, otherwise it looks completely incomprehensible. The fact is that the Night of St. Bartholomew, although it is absolutely unacceptable to justify any atrocities under any circumstances, was caused not simply by religious differences, dogmatic disputes. The Huguenots themselves were not as kind to Catholics as we sometimes think. In those places where their faith prevailed or where there were many of them, they behaved extremely defiantly, organized pogroms, attacked Catholics, broke into Christian churches, mocked icons, openly ridiculed Christian rituals, violated the law and contributed to inciting hatred without fulfilling conditions of the Saint-Germain Peace. Therefore, St. Bartholomew’s Night was perceived as retribution for all this. And the war greatly embittered both sides; the Huguenots themselves once even tried to kidnap the king and capture him and his mother as prisoners while they were vacationing in the province near Monceau.
Although it would seem that the ruling house benefited from St. Bartholomew's Night, especially since after the murders many Protestants were forced to convert to Catholicism, and thousands of others fled to other countries, in fact, the massacre only caused another, new religious war in France, and contributed to the continuation of hostility and economic losses, and peace could not reign for a long time. As a result, the government was still forced to make concessions to the Huguenots. Many of the Catholics themselves formed a separate party of “politicians” and began to seek peace, horrified by what had been done and not wanting repetitions of such atrocities. Protestants believed that they saw the true face of Catholicism in St. Bartholomew's Night and used this event for their own propaganda and fought for independence within France itself.
Perception and image of St. Bartholomew's Night in art
For the most part, we know very little about the Reformation and the Wars of Religion; the Night of St. Bartholomew, although it was only a particular episode, and not the only example of extreme cruelty and intolerance, has been preserved in the memory of many people who are far from historical science. This is largely the merit of Dumas, who is known in Russia even more than in France, and other writers: Prosper Merimee, Balzac, Heinrich Mann. They formed the image of this event in the mass consciousness. And if in particulars they could make mistakes and deviate from the facts, and although their picture of what happened is not reliable in everything, their works have great artistic power and expressiveness. In addition to literature, cinema and theater also influenced our perception; Dumas’s novel was often filmed. St. Bartholomew's Night was reflected in many films, and artists turned to it more than once.
For all of us, St. Bartholomew's Night remains a symbol of thoughtless cruelty, religious hostility, and hatred of those who are somehow different from the rest. In our time, it is not amiss to remember the lengths to which a person can go when the laws stop working, when he thinks that he can and must defend his faith, his ideals and values with violence and cruelty. This is a clear misconception - you cannot defend your faith by killing people.
References
1. St. Bartholomew's Night, event and controversy. M., 2001. Ed. P.V. Uvarov.
2. Yeager, O. World History. Volume 3. New history.