The French Wars of Religion, 1559-1598: Reform and Conflict

In the second half of the 16th century, France teetered on the edge of an abyss. For three decades the kingdom was near anarchy, torn apart by the vicious cycles of violence between Catholics and Protestants. This was, in the words of some historians, “the Age of Fanatics,” when Frenchmen killed Frenchmen with that peculiar righteousness associated with religious extremism.

Historian Alexander Mikaberidze discusses the complex origins of the Wars of Religion in France and provides concise analysis of the wars, their social and economic toll, and the lasting impact of political ideas that they generated. He also puts these wars in their widest context and examines the effect they had on the French state, economy, culture, and society.

Mikaberidze is a professor of history at Louisiana State University in Shreveport. He has written and edited numerous books on the Napoleonic Wars, including The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History.

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