The French Religious Wars 1562-1598 (Essential Histories) [Paperback]

Robert Knecht (Author)

Book Description

Series: Essential Histories | Publication Date: June 25, 2002

The eight French Wars of Religion began in 1562 and lasted for 36 years. Although the wars were fought between Catholics and Protestants, this books draws out in full the equally important struggle for power between the king and the leading nobles, and the rivalry between the nobles themselves as they vied for control of the king. In a time when human life counted for little, the destruction reached its height in the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre when up to 10,000 Protestants lost their lives.

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From the Publisher

This unique series studies every major war in history looking at all the aspects of war, from how it felt to be a soldier to the lasting impact of the conflict on the world around it.

About the Author

Robert J. Knecht is Emeritus Professor of French History at the University of Birmingham, where he taught from 1956 until 1994. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, he has been Chairman of the Society for the Study of French History and of the Society of Renaissance Studies. He has written extensively on sixteenth-century France, especially the reign of Francis I. His latest book is The French Civil Wars (London, Pearson, 2000).

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (June 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841763950
• ISBN-13: 978-1841763958
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 0.2 x 9.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #983,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best of the Essential History Series, November 7, 2002

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R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The French Religious Wars 1562-1598 (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

Finally, Osprey is beginning to break new ground with its Essential History series. Professor Robert J. Knecht, an English scholar on French 16th Century history from the University of Birmingham, is the author of the latest volume in the series - The French Religious Wars 1562-1598. Knecht's book is well written and covers a much-neglected subject with considerable skill and insight.

The French Religious Wars 1562-1598 begins with sections on the background to the conflict, which cover the related threads of religious and aristocratic dissent in mid-16th Century France. Initially, Professor Knecht shows that the French King - a staunch defender of the Catholic faith in the realm - was able to deal with the early spread of the Lutheran faith into France, but failed to inhibit the more virulent Calvinist strain. Indeed, the infiltration into France of Calvinist missionaries from Geneva resembled communist tactics in the 1920s and 1930s. By 1560, some of the French nobility had been converted and Protestants in France - dubbed "Huguenots" - had become a significant problem to the stability of the realm, although Knecht notes that they were only about 10% of the total population. Faced with this growing threat, the French monarchy adopted a policy of religious persecution, which inevitably led to violent clashes. It is also clear from Knecht's account that both sides used violence and wanton destruction to intimidate their opponents. Efforts at compromise failed and both sides gradually became committed to the conversion or elimination of the other. However, non-religious factors also influenced the outbreak of civil war in France, particularly the relationship between a relatively weak and cash-starved monarchy and opportunistic nobility. Indeed, one interesting characteristic of these wars was the propensity of major players to switch faith and loyalties as the tides of war shifted.

Professor Knecht provides interesting detail on the military aspects of the wars as well. Although numerically strong, the French Royal Army comprised 70% foreign mercenaries. Paying the troops was thus a chronic problem and there was never enough cash to sustain armies for more than one year at a time, which induced a spasmodic quality into the conduct of campaigns. Both armies were also trained and equipped in essentially the same manner, as often happens in civil wars. Foreign military interventions occurred from time to time in support of both sides, but were never decisive. Professor Knecht's campaign narrative is 41 pages long and quite good. The detail on the Battle of Dreux in 1562 - where oddly the commanders of both sides were captured - is particularly interesting. Knecht's narrative also reveals the complex web of diplomatic, political and social factors which intertwined with the strictly military operations. The French Religious Wars were a complex historical phenomenon, but Professor Knecht succeeds in producing a remarkably coherent account of these conflicts.

Maps in this volume include: a strategic map of battles and sieges, wars from 1572-1585, the battles of Dreux, St Denis, Coutras, Arques, Ivry, Huguenot security towns, Coligny's march and foreign aid, and the last wars in 1585-1598. The illustrations in this volume are also quite good. The author's bibliography is extensive and indicates real research, as well as providing a useful starting point for further reading. The "portrait of a soldier" section is much better than usual in these volumes, particularly the portrait of the brutal French Marshal Blaise de Monluc, who believed that, "cruelty was essential to the effective conduct of war."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Facinating Insight Into A Strange Conflict, October 17, 2003

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Chicagoan (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The French Religious Wars 1562-1598 (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

This book provides fascinating insight into a French civil war sparked by religious intolerance and fueled by paranoia, treachery, and desire for personal gain. The author breaks this era into 8 separate periods of warfare and describes why fighting erupted and why treaties were signed. The book does provide some detail on army organization and battle field maps of key engagements. As with all Osprey books, it is well illustrated. A very nice summary to a fascinating conflict during a time when armies were largely made up of pike, musket, and armored cavalry.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Trop court pour vraiment rentrer dans le sujet, August 4, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The French Religious Wars 1562-1598 (Essential Histories) (Paperback)

Les moins:

Moins de 100 pages, sur ce sujet, et vu le nombre de personnages, c'est tres (trop) court.

Il y a un probleme de plan et/ou de mise en page, ce qui donne l'impression que les pages de la fin, soit il en manque, soit elles sont pas dans l'ordre, mais quelque chose ne va pas.

La présentation est chronologique, mais les cartes ne le sont pas completement. Ce sont des cartes thématiques par tranche du conflit, et pas pour les guerres les unes apres les autres (exemple: Carte des places de sécurité protestantes). Ca n'aide pas a la compréhension...

Les références iconographies ne sont claires . La plupart semblent etre tiré d'un meme livre d'époque, mais seule est mentionnée la propriété de l'image ("Ann Ronan Picture Library", or ca c'est un studio qui prend des photos. Ce que je veux savoir c'est quel original ils ont photographié !).

Les cartes de batailles sont grandes mais vides. J'aurais aimé plus de détails sur les mouvements des troupes sur les cartes. Pas la peine de les faire si grandes sinon...

Les plus:

L'iconographie est superbe. En particulier les reproductions N&B de portraits a la plume du cardinal Charles de Lorraine, de Francois de Lorraine, 2eme duc de Guise, et de Charles IX, magnifique. Dommage que la copie de l'Édit de Nantes soit trop petite, on arrive pas a la lire.

La Carte des interventions extérieures est pas mal, de meme que celle des dernieres guerres (1585-1598)

Le contexte socio-militaire est tres bien expliqué.

Une bibliographie mixte franco-anglaise

Ce que j'en retiens, par rapport a tout ce que j'ai lu sur le web par ailleurs:

- Une meillleure explication (en général) des interventions extérieures.

- Que finalement, le plus grand ennemi du Roi de France, c'est le manque d'argent, apres les ruineuses guerres d'Italie. De plus signer la paix en 98, surtout avec les derniers ligueurs, a couté énormément d'argent au Roi...

Bref: Pas mal, mais sans plus. Presque tout est déja dispo sur le web. Et il faut avoir une premiere couche avant lecture pour arriver a suivre.