My British Empire

Chapter 434 The war begins

ps: Uncle’s birthday in the evening, drank some white wine and daughter red, overslept, only one more, sorry.

The reason for the rise of the French religious war this time, in addition to the necessary contradictions between Protestantism and Catholicism, the Queen Mother Catherine also played a role in fueling the flames.

Speaking of this, I have to mention one of the protagonists in the French War of Religion, the Duke of Guise—Fran?ois de Lorraine, also known as the scarred Guise, is the second Duke of Guise.

He became the head of the French royal family in 1551. He successfully defended the city of Metz from the emperor Charles V in 1552 and became famous in the first battle. Later, he defeated the imperial army again in the battle of Renty in 1554. The peace of Vaucelles temporarily suspended his military activities.

In 1557, he led an army into Italy to help Pope Paul IV (probably also to expand the family's influence on the Anjou heritage), although he was finally recalled.

French Grand Marshal Montmorency was forced to dismiss him and leave the court.

The Duke of Guise and his younger brother, the Cardinal, monopolize power at the imperial council.

He said, "My advice is this and this; we must do it." Occasionally he even signed decrees in the royal fashion, that is, only the baptismal name.

However, this kind of monopoly has offended Queen Catherine, who has always been keen on power.

In order to control the rights of the Guise brothers, Queen Catherine strongly supported the Protestant movement and forgave the Protestants many times, which dissatisfied the Catholic forces in the country.

Because the royal family secretly supports the development of Protestant forces, the conflict between Catholics and Protestants is getting bigger and bigger.

In 1560, with the support of the Protestant leader Prince Condé, a Protestant named Larinotti tried to organize a conspiracy against the second generation of Cardinal Lorraine, the younger brother of the Duke of Guise, Archbishop Charles. (Conspiracy of Ambrois).

The conspiracy was discovered in advance and was brutally suppressed, causing a series of assassinations and counter-assassinations, and the social order became increasingly dark.

Condé was forced to flee from the court immediately, and the Guise family even covered the sky with one hand.

The speeches of the Huguenot leader Corigny against the power of the House of Guise at the meeting of the nobility at Fontainebleau (August 1560) did not affect Francois II at all, but on the orders of the cardinal Condé was caught.

It was not until Charles IX came to the throne that the power of the Guise family shrank.

But the regent Catherine de' Medici was inclined to support the Protestants.

In order to defend Catholicism, Fran?ois formed the so-called "triumvirate" of the Catholic League with his old enemies, the Grand Marshal of Montmorency and Marichal of St. Andrew, and opposed Catherine de Medici's compromise with the Protestants.

So, in fact, from 1560 to 1562, France was actually in a kind of social division.

The whole of France, the southwestern and southern regions, is basically the sphere of influence of the Protestant Huguenot faction.

The central and northeastern regions are Catholics.

Among them, Spain secretly supported the Catholics, while the Huguenots were supported by the Dutch Protestants, the German princes, and the British Kingdom secretly.

From February 15th to 18th, 1562, the confident Duke of Guise went to Savile to negotiate and cooperate with the Grand Duke of Württemberg, telling him that it was the Calvinist elements that led to the failure of the Poissy Conference .

However, the Duke of Württemberg rejected the reconciliation and still chose to support the Huguenots.

So, the Duke of Guise, who was in a depressed mood, slowly returned to Paris with his subordinates. At this time, it was by the Bryce River not far from Paris.

"Huh—" Riding on the horse, the Duke of Guise was in a bad mood, and the taste of failure was uncomfortable.

Thinking that the Protestants will soon have more power and support, His Excellency the Duke feels as uncomfortable as eating a scorpion.

At this time, he, who has always been sensitive, suddenly heard the prayers of believers praying and singing hymns in a large barn, which made him feel even more irritable.

Thinking of this, the Duke couldn't help but think to himself: Today doesn't seem to be a Catholic holiday! Nor does it sound like Catholic liturgical music.

"Guard, take a look, where is this? What are the people inside doing?"

At this moment, His Excellency the Duke felt tyrannical in his heart, but the remaining reason made him act.

In order to avoid making mistakes, it is also necessary to send guards to investigate.

"Yes, Your Excellency the Duke!" The guard saluted immediately, and then galloped away, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

Resisting his temper, the Duke of Guise heard a humming sound in his ears, which gradually raised the hostility in his heart, especially the depression of being rejected by the Duke of Württemberg intertwined, bringing him to the edge of tyranny.

Now, the guard's answer is a spark, which can ignite the explosives in his heart in an instant.

The knights following behind the Duke seemed to have sensed something, and quickly comforted the somewhat frightened horses. They could only communicate with each other with their eyes, not daring to disturb the Duke.

The Duke closed his eyes, waiting for the guards to arrive.

"Kudden-Kudden-" There was a sound of horseshoes.

"Your Excellency, the town of Vassi is next to it. The people in the town are holding Huguenot religious activities in the barn!"

The guard didn't dare to look up into the Duke's eyes, his shoulders trembled slightly, and he said softly.

Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, the Duke of Guise looked like a volcano about to erupt, with a hideous face.

"Sure enough, a group of heretics are performing the ceremony. This is a blasphemy, a blasphemy against our Lord!"

The Duke of Guise looked at the hundreds of knights behind him, and said sharply:

"During the period of the former king, there were repeated orders and repeated orders, and the Huguenots were not allowed to report religious ceremonies. They are blatantly violating my king's edict. Everyone, let us replace our lord and punish those heretics together!"

As he spoke, a trace of murderous intent flashed in Duke Guise's eyes.

Then, under the leadership of the Duke of Guise, hundreds of cavalry broke through the fence and came to the overcrowded big barn.

Looking at the thousands of Protestants who were praying in front of them, the Duke of Guise raised his head proudly without fear, and with a little sneer, he drew his knife and galloped towards the crowd.

Seeing this, the rest of the knights also drew their weapons, and charged forward on their horses.

For a while, the Protestants who were still praying couldn’t react in time. They didn’t expect that someone would rush to kill them. Before they could react, they were pushed to the ground and trampled by horses.

"Ah! Murder!" The scream pierced into the sky, causing all the praying people to react, and ran around in panic. For a while, the crowded big barn was in a mess.

Corpses, stumps, blood, and even howling townspeople have become the main theme of Vasi Town.

After a surprise attack, after killing dozens of people, the Duke of Guise led people to evacuate.

However, the recklessness of the Duke of Guise broke the strange balance in France, and the religious war began.

(end of this chapter)

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