Western History 94: What was the War of the Three Henrys?

Religious wars had engulfed France for much of the 16^th century. Mob violence – such as the St. Bartholomew’s day massacre (1572) - was often severe and figures such as Catherine de Medici (the mother of the Valois monarch Charles IX) often played a role in fanning such tensions.

The War of the Three Henry’s was the last conflict in the French Religious Wars. It was a three way war fought between 1587 and 1589 involving the royalist faction of Henry III (the last monarch of the Valois dynasty), King Henry of Navarre (leader of the Protestant French Huguenots who was backed by Elizabeth I of England) and Henry of Lorraine (leader of the Catholic League who was supported by Philip II of Spain). The war was initiated by Philip II with the intent of preventing France from interfering with Spain’s intended Armada attack on England.

The Royalist initially sides with the Catholic League in an uneasy alliance against Henry of Navarre. However this alliance would collapse with the Catholics eventually fighting the Royalists. Both Guise and Henry III would die during the war with the latter being assassinated by a fanatical Catholic monk. Henry of Navarre by virtue of having outlived the other two would emerge victorious. He had key victories at Ivry and Arques and would eventually claim the throne as Henry IV. In order to gain the support of an overwhelmingly Catholic France he would convert to Catholicism prior to ascending the throne.

Henry IV is considered the founder of the Bourbon dynasty (that ruled France until the French revolution). His greatest accomplishment was unifying France after the Religious Wars and promulgating the Edict of Nantes (1598), which guaranteed religious freedom in France for Protestants. He was assassinated in 1610 by a Catholic fanatic as well.

                                                 

Henry IV