Bird’s-eye view of the French Wars of Religion

Recently finished up three days on the French Wars of Religion in my Religion, War and Peace course, which means I can now post this old graphic summary of the wars. It almost makes sense of those crazy conflicts. Almost.

Can’t we all just get along?

This is probably my favorite time chart, aesthetically at least, but feel free to provide corrections or comments. Tons of gory detail, but I think you can also see the big picture as well.

Here’s an abbreviated version I put in the margin of my Powerpoint slides:

For the masses

Violence in the French Wars of Religion

A new supplement issue of Past and Present (vol 214, supplement 7) is dedicated to violence and the French Wars of Religion.

The table of contents taken from the email notice:

Preface
Graeme Murdock, Penny Roberts, and Andrew Spicer
Past and Present 2012 214: 7

1. Introduction
Writing ‘The Rites of Violence’ and Afterward^*
Natalie Zemon Davis
Past and Present 2012 214: 8-29

2. Rites and Ritual
Rites of Repair: Restoring Community in the French Religious Wars^*
Barbara B. Diefendorf
Past and Present 2012 214: 30-51

Religious Violence in Sixteenth-Century France: Moving Beyond Pollution and Purification
Mack P. Holt
Past and Present 2012 214: 52-74

Peace, Ritual, and Sexual Violence during the Religious Wars
Penny Roberts
Past and Present 2012 214: 75-99

3. Rights and Agency
Massacres during the French Wars of Religion^*
Allan A. Tulchin
Past and Present 2012 214: 100-126

The Rights of Violence^*
Stuart Carroll
Past and Present 2012 214: 127-162

Prophets in Arms? Ministers in War, Ministers on War: France 1562–74
Philip Benedict
Past and Present 2012 214: 163-196

4. Rites and Representation
Rites of Torture in Reformation Geneva^*
Sara Beam
Past and Present 2012 214: 197-219

From Christ-like King to Antichristian Tyrant: A First Crisis of the Monarchical Image at the Time of Francis I
Denis Crouzet and Philippa Woodcock
Past and Present 2012 214: 220-240

Painting Power: Antoine Caron’s Massacres of the Triumvirate
Neil Cox and Mark Greengrass
Past and Present 2012 214: 241-274

5. Afterword
Afterword
Graeme Murdock and Andrew Spicer
Past and Present 2012 214: 275-286

Mostly the usual suspects.