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Wassy Massacre

Type Event Region Europe Time 1562

On 1 March 1562, François, Duke of Guise, attacked Huguenots holding a religious service in the town of Wassy in Champagne, killing dozens;…

Timeline

  1. 1562Wassy · ChampagneFrançois, Duke of Guise, passed through Wassy with his armed retinue while local Huguenots were holding a service in a barn; a dispute arose over the legitimacy of the religious gathering, and the situation quickly escalated.
  2. 1562Barn worship site, Wassy · ChampagneThe Duke of Guise's men opened fire on unarmed Huguenots, killing roughly several dozen and wounding over a hundred; the Duke of Guise went unpunished, and Protestants characterized the event as a deliberate massacre and spread the account widely.
  3. 1562–1598France · FranceFollowing the Wassy Massacre, the Huguenots took up arms and the French Wars of Religion broke out in full; Wassy became a symbol of Catholic atrocity in Protestant propaganda, and the Catholic League likewise used it for mobilization. The aftermath of the event ran through the entire period of the religious wars, up to the Edict of Nantes in 1598.

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