The Edict of Nantes France's Century of Religious Tolerance

Before the Revolution, before the Republic, France was a kingdom torn apart by religious war. This episode dives into the Edict of Nantes, issued by King Henri IV in 1598, which granted unprecedented rights to the Protestant Huguenot minority. We explore the Wars of Religion that preceded it, the politique compromise that made it possible, and how it held for nearly a century before Louis XIV's revocation in 1685 sent France spiraling again. Along the way, we meet figures like Catherine de' Medici, the Duc de Guise, and Cardinal Richelieu, and see how the struggle over religious pluralism shaped the very idea of French unity. This is a story of tolerance, its fragility, and its consequences—from the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day to the forced conversions and the exodus of skilled artisans that weakened the nation. #EdictOfNantes #HenriIV #Huguenots #WarsOfReligion #CatherineDeMedici #StBartholomewDayMassacre #LouisXIV #Revocation #CardinalRichelieu #Politiques #FrenchHistory #Tolerance #Protestantism #CatholicLeague #Bourbon #1598 #History #FexingoHistory #FrenchRevolution #NapoleonBonaparte Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo