The French Wars of Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The French Wars of Religion - Essay Example The popular and learned, denominational reflection on spiritual matters and the declaration by the Catholic church that it held a powerful position regarding spiritual matters plunged France on the road of conflict. Wars of religion began in 1562 and continued up to the time of Edict Nantes in 1598. It was the warfare that dismantled generation, although fought in desultory and inconclusive manner. These wars occurred in France for many years, rather than the hundred years of fighting, they comprised of series of wars rather one disagreement on the confessional dispute. According to Benedict (2004), these wars consisted mainly of civil wars between the Protestants called Huguenots and the Catholics that resulted in so much bloodshed in France. In addition, the French noble class of the house of Bourbons and house of Guise was involved in the deadly war that lasted for 36 years. Historians have attributed this battle as a proxy between a Protestant, Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ki ng Philip II of Spain, all these people are said to have contributed militarily and financially to this war. At the time the war began, the Huguenots were the minority in that they comprised only of 7% of the French population (Berce, 1990). However, by geographical accident, they found themselves in a suitable position to fight when the war began. This war was much of a political conflict as a religious battle. The main conflict was between the king and the royal families who were Catholics and the protest struggle to be able to worship consciously and freely conflicted with this political conflict. In France, the state and religion were bound together by people’s experience and mind. There was no differentiation between the private and public, civic and personal religion.