The Edict Of Nantes 1598, gave French Protestants e.g. The Huguenots the right to religious tolerance and was enacted by King Henry IV.
It was revoked by Louis XIV in 1685, apparently having a crisis of conscience, believing he was letting his catholic side down! This led to massacres, mass exodus and many forced conversions of French Protestants. It also enraged France's Protestant neighbours and led to great suspicion of France and indeed the motives of Catholics in general. Television historian David Starkey claims it freaked Protestants in England to such an extent that when Catholic King James had eventually had a catholic male heir that it effectively led to the welcoming of Prince William Of Orange and his overthrow.
How would the world have been different if the Status Quo had remained In France?
A longer running Catholic monarchy tolerated in Britain?
No repercussions in Ireland from effectively an English civil war between James and William faught on Irish soil largely, with Catholics for the most part backing the loser despite the wishes of the pope bizarrely!
It was revoked by Louis XIV in 1685, apparently having a crisis of conscience, believing he was letting his catholic side down! This led to massacres, mass exodus and many forced conversions of French Protestants. It also enraged France's Protestant neighbours and led to great suspicion of France and indeed the motives of Catholics in general. Television historian David Starkey claims it freaked Protestants in England to such an extent that when Catholic King James had eventually had a catholic male heir that it effectively led to the welcoming of Prince William Of Orange and his overthrow.
How would the world have been different if the Status Quo had remained In France?
A longer running Catholic monarchy tolerated in Britain?
No repercussions in Ireland from effectively an English civil war between James and William faught on Irish soil largely, with Catholics for the most part backing the loser despite the wishes of the pope bizarrely!