St. Barholomew's Day Massacre

Essay by JonotronJunior High, 8th grade May 2004

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St. Bartholomew's Day massacre

St. Bartholomew's massacre was an appalling event that took place in France in 1572 on St. Bartholomew's day. The event occurred because The Queen of France told her husband that the Huguenots "French Protestants" were going to rebel against him. On the evening of St. Bartholomew's day the king sent out his soldiers who swept threw the Paris that very night with brute force, ten thousand protestants were killed that night. That following morning the blood still trickled down the louver. The Edict of Nantes, in 1598, is what legalized Protestantism in France.

The signal to start the massacre should be given by the bell of the palace, and the way the soldiers would be able to recognize each other in the darkness was to wear a bit of white linen tied around the left arm and a white cross on the hat.

That way they wouldn't accidentally kill each other.

The duke of Guise led the enterprise, he gathered several Catholic Swiss mercenaries from the five little cantons, and some commanders of French companies, and told them "it was the will of the king that, according to God's will,

they should take vengeance on the band of rebels while they had the beasts in the toils." The Victory for the King was an easy one. There was great loot and it was obtainable without much danger.

The duke repeatedly said, "The King commands it" as they rang the palace bell. As soon as the bell was struck the soldiers cried, "To arms!" As soon as the men were ready they ran to the house of Coligny. Coligny thought the noise was a riot but as soon as he saw soldiers at his gate he knelt down with Merlin the minister and prayed...