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Religious Conflict and Civil War in France c. 1560-1600 (HI388): Module Forum
Religious Conflict and Civil War in France c. 1560-1600 (HI388): Module Forum
Week Four - Religious Toleration and the Edicts of Pacification
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Penny Roberts, Peace and Authority during the French Religious Wars, c. 1560-1600 (2013)
o Aim – is to write a book on the implementation of the edicts of pacification and the effects these had on the stability of the monarchy, as well as on local authorities and communities. Argued previous historiography has half-heartedly assumed Edicts were ineffective without looking at how they formed such a key part of royal policy and monarchical authority.
o Argues that what we remember today of the French Wars of Religion is the violence involved – famously the massacres of St Bartholomew’s Day but also the high level political assassinations. Yet what is less acknowledged is that this period also produced an unprecedented experiment in religious toleration initiated by the crown through its edicts of pacification
o Argues scrutiny of the pursuit of peace can increase our understanding of the experience of war
o Argues that peace and authority were inescapably linked as a strong, and stable, continuous authority in the form of the monarch was seen as they key to peace in the religious conflicts
o Also an emphasis placed on the influence of localities, especially provincial and regional officials who she argued were the key in implementing the Edicts – Conflict between local officials and royal command - regional authorities were both exasperated by royal efforts to impose decisions on their communities via external officials and keen to support royal authority as they believed it was the key to upholding unity and order.
o Above all, what has emerged is a view that authority was not about imposition but about negotiation and exchange.
o Argues that whilst the peace edicts did largely fail to take effect – what we must acknowledge is the fraught conditions of the religious wars, it is unsurprising that the French monarchy and its representatives struggled to uphold the peace.
o Peace was a ‘universal goal’, but disagreements quickly arose over the best means to achieve it.0 likes