A term of uncertain and disputed etymology (cf. P. Bourguet, Huguenots, le sobriquet mystérieux, Paris 1959), used in the 16th century to designate French Protestants attached to Calvinism (see).
Protestantism had been introduced into France under the influence of some disciples of Lefèvre d’Étaples gathered in the circle of Meaux, among whom Guillaume Farel stood out for his activity; later it was the ideas of Calvin (see) that prevailed in French reformist circles.
The first anti-Protestant measures adopted came from the Sorbonne (which in 1521 published its Determinatio, condemning Lutheranism), from Parliament (which on June 13, 1521 prohibited the publication and sale of books on Sacred Scripture and dogma without the approval of the Faculty of Theology of Paris), and finally, though less decisively, from the king himself, Francis I (see), who, despite being a good Catholic, remained wavering on many occasions.
This ambiguous attitude allowed the Calvinists gradually, despite intermittent persecutions, to penetrate the country and to assume a belligerent attitude (affaire des placards, October 18, 1534). Despite the clearly and firmly hostile stance taken by Henry II from the beginning of his reign, and despite successive repressive legislation, Calvinism continued to gain ground: propaganda increased more and more; campaigns were organized against devotion to the Virgin and against the most deeply rooted Christian devotions; and finally, in 1559, in Paris, the H. held their first general synod, at which the delegates of 11 communities met under the presidency of the pastor of the Paris community, François Morel; a confession of faith and a Code of the Reformed Church were published.
In this way they came to constitute a powerful political force, which some elements of the opposition to the party of the regent, Catherine de’ Medici (see), and of the influential Guise family (see), approached in order to use it for their own advantage; among them were the princes of Bourbon and Condé, and Admiral Coligny.
Bellicose and daring, the H. began to act on behalf of their cause. They organized themselves militarily and occupied numerous Catholic churches, establishing Calvinist worship in them. They planned the Amboise conspiracy against King Francis II and the Guise, which was discovered in 1560 and provoked new edicts of persecution.
During the minority of Charles IX, a peaceful solution was attempted at the Colloquy of Poissy (1561), promoted by the regent. Catherine signed on January 17, 1562 an edict of toleration by which the H. were granted freedom of worship, except in the cities, in exchange for returning to the Catholics the churches that had been taken from them.
They did not accept these conditions, but began a new campaign of violence, even killing some priests near Paris and, above all, committing enormous cruelties in the south of France. The strong Catholic reaction gave rise to the first of the eight wars of religion that for nearly 40 years (1562-98) bloodied French soil (see FRANCE V and VI; SAINT BARTHOLOMEW’S NIGHT), and during which the position of the H. became increasingly consolidated.
Henry IV (see), a former H. converted to Catholicism, published on April 13, 1598 the famous Edict of Nantes, which granted the Calvinists freedom of religion throughout the kingdom, with slight limitations; it likewise allowed them access to public offices and made other concessions, but imposed on them the obligation to observe outwardly Catholic feasts and worship and to abide by the Catholic legislation of the kingdom.
This official attitude of toleration was maintained until the revolt that the H. provoked in Languedoc on the occasion of the marriage of Louis XIII (see) to the Spanish princess Anne of Austria; another religious war broke out, ending with the Treaty of Montpellier (October 18, 1622). The political influence of the H. ended definitively through the action of Cardinal Richelieu (see), who, convinced that they constituted a state within the state, resolved with all energy to subdue them.
Firm, then, in this plan and with the indomitable energy that characterized him, after defeating them in 1625 he treated them gently; but when they rebelled again in 1627 with the support of the English, he attacked the principal H. stronghold, La Rochelle, which finally had to surrender (1628).
In the Edict of Nîmes (1629), that of Nantes was substantially renewed, but only on religious points. Mazarin (see) followed Richelieu’s policy. Louis XIV (see) acted with still greater decision, trying to restore religious unity to France.
The first attempts at conversion failed and many Huguenots emigrated. The king then tried to seize their goods, although later, in 1681, he accepted the plan of his minister Louvois to force the H. by means of the “dragonnades,” that is, by quartering soldiers in the houses of the H.
The system provoked numerous Calvinist rebellions, suppressed by force. In fact, the disappearance (through forced conversion or emigration) of most of the H. was achieved. Then Louis XIV, on the pretext that Calvinism had disappeared, revoked the Edict of Nantes (1685). As a result of this policy, some 70,000 H. emigrated from France. Innocent XI (see), together with all good Catholics in the world and in France, could not but disapprove of the violence used by Louis XIV and his agents.
From then on, greatly reduced in number, they lived clandestinely, although in 1702-04 they provoked another rebellion (that of the Camisards or of the Cévennes), whose repression ended the resistance of the H. In 1787, an Edict of Toleration restored a legal existence to the H., though with numerous restrictions.
In 1789, the Revolution (see) gave them complete freedom, codified in 1802 by the Empire. In the course of the 19th century theological divisions arose, giving rise to various sects (“liberals,” “orthodox,” “free,” “Methodists,” etc.). In 1938, most of these sects merged again (450,000 members and about 600 pastors). See also: FRANCE V and VI.
BIBL.: B. LLORCA, R. GARCÍA VILLOSLADA, F. J. MONTALBÁN, Historia de la Iglesia católica, III, 2nd ed., Madrid 1967, 749-755, 928-938; IV, 3rd ed., ibid. 1963, 80 ff. (with abundant well-classified bibliography); A. EHRHARD, W. NEUSS, Historia de la Iglesia, 4 vols., Madrid 1961 ff.; IV, 231 ff.; L. ROMIER, Les origines politiques des guerres de religion, d’après des documents originaux inédits, 2 vols., Paris 1913-14; ID., Le Royaume de Catherine de Médicis, 2 vols., 2nd ed., Paris 1922; ID., Catholiques et huguenots à la cour de Charles IX, 2nd ed., Paris 1924; ID., Guerres de religion, 6 vols., Paris 1914 ff.; J. VIÉNOT, Histoire de la réforme française des origines à l’Édit de Nantes, Paris 1926; ID., Histoire de la réforme française de l’Édit de Nantes à sa révocation, Paris 1934; F. ROCQUAIN, La France et Rome pendant les guerres de religion, Paris 1924; A. LEVIS-MIREPOIX, Les Guerres de religion, Paris 1950; O. ZOFF, Die Hugenotten, Constance 1948; K. MANOURY, Die Geschichte der Hugenottenkirche, 2 vols., Berlin 1940-41; J. ORCIBAL, Louis XIV et les protestants, Paris 1951; A. DUCASSE, La guerre des camisards: la résistance huguenote sous Louis XIV, Paris 1946.
Author: José María Revuelta
Source: Gran Enciclopedia Rialp
