R1915thand16th

Theme: War and civil conflict; origins, developments, technology, and their consequences.

1. Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre. (August 24, 1572) Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre was a Catholic attack on Calvinists in Paris on August 24, 1572. The occasion was the marriage of the king’s sister, Margaret of Valois to the protestant Henry of Navarre, which was intended to help reconcile the Catholics and Huguenots. However in the night before the wedding when Henry of Guise, the leader of the Catholic aristocracy, had Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, leader of the Huguenot party attacked rioting and slaughter followed. About twelve thousand Huguenots had died and the Huguenot gentry in Paris was massacred. Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre led to the fighting called the war of the three Henry’s. This was a civil conflict involving the Catholic Henry of Guise, the Protestant Henry of Navarre, and King Henry III. 2. Spanish Armada. (May 9, 1588) Phillip II of Spain was determined to crush the heresy in the Low Countries and also to conquer England, so on May 9, 1588 la felicissima armada, or the most fortunate fleet, sailed from the Lisbon Harbor. The Spanish Armada was composed of 130 ships, while the English fleet had about 150 smaller, faster and more maneuverable ships. Many reasons accounted for the Spanish defeat in this naval war, such as: storms and squalls, spoiled food and bad water, and also inadequate Spanish ammunition. The defeat of the Spanish Armada prevented Phillip II from reimposing religious unity on Western Europe by force