How could the Huguenots have won the French Wars of Religion? How do you picture a Protestant France after victory?
Protestant France
- Thread starter FernandoPerla
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- france huguenot protestant
Honestly I doubt they could have had much success tbh. They weren't really a majority within the Kingdom, and France's kings were more or less already tied to the Church thanks to their historic connections going back to the Carolingian era. French Kings had more to gain by appearing as defenders of the faith as the Pope could also use them against anyone threatening Papal territorial integrity or influence in Italy. France by that point had also gotten enough contentment concessions from the pope as well.
mickeymouse
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Agreed with above for the most post. I don’t think that a Protestant France is impossible, but an earlier PoD is definitely needed, IMO. You would certainly have to avoid Francis I’s later persecution of Protestants, and Henri II’s. A good PoD might be to have Francis I die at either the Battle of Pavia or sometime during his imprisonment in Spain, leaving his eldest son Francis, Duke of Brittany (who would be a few days shy of his seventh birthday when the Battle of Pavia takes place) as King. He can develop an interest in Protestantism as he ages, since his life will be radically different than it was IOTL.
France would struggle to maintain its own territories integrally protestant since even with an early POD, a great gap would exist between Catholics and Protestants in the post-war.
The Pope would surely give some incentives to Catholic insurgents in this new France due to their proximity to Rome. Perhaps a mini-coalition of Spanish, Italian, and German Catholics would attack France once or twice by X or Y political or religious interests, but France would likely bond themselves to the English, so a total defeat for the Protestants would be unlikely.
France would slowly have its population converted to Protestantism, mostly in the north, while in the south a catholic majority remains greatly untouched.
I mean, he'd be deposed - he became king because he stopped being Protestant (nominally)
In the TL "Paris is not worth a mass" , Henry of Navarre besieged Paris as in OTL, but the POD is when a poor sole, starving from hunger open an obscure small gate of Paris after this, the city fell to the the troops of Henry of Navarre. With this Henry IV see no need to change his faith.
Having a Protestant king of France (and a large portion of the Nobility) but with most common people beiing Catholic will give troubles, in a time when the rest of Europe is on the brink of religious motivated civil wars or already ongoiing, religious motivated civil wars as in the Habsburg Netherlands North of France.
You probably need the Papacy to be an enemy of a French king for an extended period of time.
Even in the case of Henry’s smashing military victory (for which he did not have enough force), it should be kept in mind that on the late stage of the war the issue was not just about the religion but also, and probably mostly, about succession. After the death of HII Henry of Navarra was recognized as a true heir by quite a few Catholic leaders (each of whom had his own military force). Personal conversion was just a good way to end the war.
He would not be able to enforce Protestantism without facing a very strong resistance and he did not have a force of his own big enough to do this. Plus, he was not really interested in the excessive strengthening of his co-religionists because their true goal was to achieve as weak royal power as possible. Look at the deal they enforced upon him by the Edict of Nantes and imagine similar arrangement on a national level. The royal power in France would be down to the level of the Middle Ages (perhaps pre Phillip August).
It is not a matter of force, in the 15th century mo European force was large enough. Faith is almost never a major factor in a power strugle just a mean to gain power. Further why should he enforce his faith on his subjects I gueas he was realist enough to know he did not hav the power to do this. And why should he, it will take already enough time and effort to stay in power. The latter is egardless his faith
Late XVI century. His “loyal” force was not too big and quite a few powerful people siding with him had armies of their own. But what you just wrote pretty much kills “Paris does not worth a Mass” scenario.
Definitely not happening post concordat of bologna…French kings will always have to be catholic
I only can cocnlude that you do not see a posibility of a French Protestant King.
Armies in these times were only loyal to silver, regardles the faith of their employers.
With the Wars of Religion there was a significant nuance: a big part of the Huguenot armies were the nobles with their personal bands and for them religion was an important factor.
Do you think a Protestant France would be more powerful, economically, politically, and militarily, than in real life, due to a more liberal and capitalistic culture?
They'd certainly marry into Protestant families and possibly reduce inbreeding
One important PoD would be the siege of Paris in 1590. If Henry IV had captured the city, could a Protestant France have been possible?