Republic of the southwest and the seat of the Mas d'Azil (1625) Michel Begon
February 2005
Twenty years after the Edict of Nantes, the resumption of wars religion between 1619 and 1629, took the original characters so that France remains strong today. Appear at this time of political forms that can be found in the French Revolution and until full twenty-first century, for better or worse.
I. The original features of the second war of religion
distinguish-four of the most prominent.
First, these wars of religion have been confined to south-west, below an imaginary line that would link La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) in Alès (Gard), with the central theater in the foothills of the Massif Central and the Pyrenees Ariege. Protestants in the north and east were not involved. On the one hand, repression directed them instead to Jansenism, as we saw the great dynasty of Arnauld, first Huguenot Henri IV, then taking the direction of Port Royal. A Trojan horse within Catholicism, which are derived Lakanal and Father Gregory! On the other hand, many authors believe they are seeing in the armed resistance of the Cevennes and Calvinists Gascon sign of irredentism persistent peoples formerly Basques. What seems very plausible.
second treatment, these were people's wars. The first wars of religion between 1562 and 1598, had made major lineages compete for political power lords, whereas about 40% of the nobility had joined the Reformation of Calvin. But over the seventeenth century, and especially after 1619, it had to abandon Protestantism, preferring to it honors, the burdens and benefits offered him the kingship, cons his conversion. Such was the reversal of Conde or Lesdiguieres. As for Sully, he opted for abstention. Towards the end fighting among the nobles, there were more than two brothers Henri de Rohan and Benjamin de Soubise, head of the popular uprising. Abandoned, the Occitan people took his own cause in person, by coming together to deliberate and uniting to support the guerrillas. Cities were now directed by the board of all heads of families, with no more privilege for the nobles or the big bourgeoisie, and therefore spent under the thumb of "the dregs of the people, porters, butchers, shoe rabobilleurs, valets tanners and others of that stuff, "complained that the spies of King Louis XIII. This was the " Republic of south-west, or the Republic of synods, prefiguring 1789.
Third line, the defensive reaction of the privileged to the democratic uprising, was to be in closed caste. Many nobles and bourgeois abjured Huguenots to escape public pressure. As a "new convert" the Prince of Condé Henry II became at once the great murderer of his former coreligionists, the mobile need to bring all costs to obedience, even offering to Louis XIII "depopulate this country's inhabitants who did not know never what it was to obey the King "(letter dated April 23, 1628). Following such a social divide was the intensification of the noble status by the reforms of Colbert and his transformation into court nobility, benefiting from the exclusive emoluments and expenses under the prohibition of derogation, by an unfortunate process involution that historians François Furet and Pierre Chaunu call "castification.
It is therefore wrong usually consider the persecution of the Reformation as the price to pay for the unity of the kingdom under a Catholic prince. Because it is rather the result this vulnerability and social policy, which proceeded the French Revolution and was constantly replayed by the civil wars of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The United Kingdom, who was able to spare the coexistence of religions, even Judaism from 1650, host the French Huguenots, avoid "castification" of his nobility and respect the freedoms, was able to enforce its global dominance in a France divided and paralyzed.
Ultimate remark, the theocracy of Bossuet, that the monarchy required the Protestants and the Jansenists, was it always the Catholic Council of Trent ? Historians believe it was more of a "royal religion," and proposed to the veneration of the king's mystical body, in which the body was supposed to incarnate the kingdom. It was rather a political program, coined to justify the "castification" of the nobility. Or idolatry! Surely not the "true faith" in the light of Vatican II.
II. Storming freedoms
The religious issue was less spiritual than financial. Because the Gallican Church in 1619 was functionally different from the Catholic Church today. It was beyond the authority of the Pope and set its own rules with the consent of the king. This will only appointed bishops and episcopal charges confided to his court nobility. Under these conditions, the Church of the ancien regime had become virtually the property of two or three hundred large families who would share the revenue, but abandoning their ministry, however, that the lower clergy assumed the priestly mission, without be better than the famous "bare minimum". The system was notoriously abusive. The opinion was aware, without finding the exit.
Nobles remained divided, hesitant and often played a double game the people of Languedoc called them "a escambarlats. But the clergy had ever seen in the Edict of Nantes a temporary compromise that saves time and refuel before the desired solution: the eradication of the Reformation. The words aggressive than was Cardinal Richelieu to the States General of 1614 - 1615, leave no doubt. This was less an act of faith than a desire to recover the assets, profits and rents, which allowed the cadets pledge Family lucrative 'Commended', but that Protestants had, like the UK or Germany, secularized, cashed or sold.
They were enormous wealth and resources, since even in 1789 the clergy had a quarter of the kingdom and its resources had to recover its own network of recipients. Already the States General of 1561 had demanded, but in vain, that this wealth was put at the disposal of the king. The Estates General of 1789 will, is a mocking summarize a familiar tune of Gluck:
"I lost my profits
Nothing beats my pain
cruel fate, what torture! "
The strategy of revenge was to question piece by piece the Edict of Nantes in 1598, until, they were left almost nothing, its repeal was rhetorical, and conditional financial assistance to the king, the "free gift" by his military support against the Protestants.
The first major blow consisted, in 1619, in the royal decision to restore the Catholic religion in Beam, Principality of Albret and intervene to force open, to surrender his property to the clergy, without compensating owners. What amounted mostly to restore the tithe and congregations.
whereby the clergy of France felt generous. While her "gift", awarded every five years, did not exceed 300,000 or 400,000 pounds, that of 1621 was sumptuous, with three million pounds. It is true that there is not all lost. What he gave the king a hand, he was recovering from the other by tithes, casual, rents relocated to the southwest.
exchange of courtesies, Louis XIII appointed him prime minister spokesman of the clergy itself, Cardinal and Duke Armand de Richelieu, to give him a free hand. In his Spirit of Laws, Montesquieu, the judge very tyrannical
"When this man would not have despotism in the heart, it would have been in the head" (Esprit des Lois V, IX) .
However, sensing the threat, the people reformed the great south-west came into rebellion. Cities Huguenots of Saintonge, Guyenne, Languedoc, and County of Foix, defended themselves with force, all classes social backgrounds, and often to death. Some cities were wiped out: Nègrepelisse, Réalmont, private and partially Pamiers (in 1628). Toulouse was the ally of the king. The guerrillas moved into the countryside, supported mainly by mountaineers Cevennes, who pushed extremely mobile commandos to the county of Foix and the Mas d'Azil.
There were actually three wars, interspersed peace quickly challenged, because the royal armies were defeated in 1621 at the siege of Montauban, with the death of the Duke of Luynes, and in 1625 at the headquarters of Mas d'Azil, to prevail finally in 1628 to the siege of La Rochelle in 1629 at the headquarters of Ales.
III. The headquarters of the Mas d'Azil
The Couserans has always remained faithful to the Catholic king. County of Foix was shared in the race between the Catholic areas, including the high country, and two regions held by the Reformers, namely the plain Pamiers Saverdun, Mazeres and the hills of Mas d ' azil, including Comrade, Gabre, Sabarat Les Bordes and Carla. Why is this geography? The persecution had led the Huguenots to cluster around their safest seats, which housed more artisans and formed the most industrialized cities. Mas practiced in large leather industry. Also making the two towns, Pamiers and Mas d'Azil, she was the aggressor for decisive issue.
The commander in chief of the Protestant upper Languedoc region was the Duke Henri de Rohan himself, and his lieutenant for the County of Foix, de-Lévis Léran.
Le Mas d'Azil, whose Benedictine abbey was suppressed from 1569, was a small fortress, protected by the limestone cliffs of Plantaurel the bed torrential Arize, two bastions and a climbing wall, the cast. At the time, the roads of the cave and pass the Cabaret were not open and access was by the chain above karst, from the edges or Country. Le Mas had a thousand soldiers, a population of 2,000 dedicated souls, but no artillery or cavalry. The commanders of the place and were Damboix Larbont.
In 1625, therefore, having slain Calmont, Marshal Thémines walked through the valley of the Lèze, skirting Carla Bordes and attacking with 15,000 men. It was delayed by the guerrillas on the narrow paths and rocky country. North of Carla, the farm of Jean Bonnet, seven men from a family settled the assailant for two days, causing him to lose 50 soldiers. On the outskirts of Bordes, a group of 30 stopped the Huguenots Bourret, by inflicting 30 dead. These defenders slain or hanged, the army was finally able to cross the ridge between Bordes and Mas, to settle over the position from September 10, 1625. But that date was too late, as the Ariege know from experience warming.
Some detachments reduced it Gabre Tower, the fortress of Greenhouse Cor (above Aigues-juntas) and Old (to Comrade). Thémines encamped his 12 regiments of infantry, 600 cavalry and 23 pieces of artillery in the vineyards, which at the time encircled the Mas d'Azil, between the dolmens of Cap del Pouech and Cahoua, or the vast Prairie Castagnès.
But Protestants had time to cut the bridges of Arize, build bastions and to the cave in defense. The cave which housed many refugees, was protected by walls and gates. Captain Robert de Gabre in providing command. Not the besiegers could not cut the cave and the town failed to assaults, one after another.
Marshal Thémines did start the bombing of the Mas and digging trenches approach in swamps downstream, from 17 September. The great temple door Albech was quickly destroyed, but the 19 and 20 rain flooded the trenches and, 21, a troop of 50 Cevennes, came from Lauragais crept reinforcement in place, then more rain in the night of 24 to 25, Dusson, lord of Bonnac, also joined the Mas with 60 men. Clearly, the royal army lacked conviction and effectiveness. October 9, at the behest of the Duke of Rohan, Captain Walter de Saint-Blancard rallied the city with 350 soldiers and consolidated the fortifications. Exasperated, Thémines the city was crushed by cannon fire: 550 shots October 10, 445 11, 259 12, destroying everything, and then the storm from the north in the afternoon of the 12th, with 1600 elite soldiers.
But the garrison resisted methodically. More, the population had taken makeshift weapons and supported the regular troops. Mas Women covered themselves with glory on the walls, to reverse the scales or to throw stones, and, despite their losses, captured two officers of the king. Barrels of gunpowder wreaked devastation in the gaps. When he had lost 600 killed and many wounded, Marshall felt the failure and ordered a retreat. The defenders had only sixty dead.
The royal army evacuated the place, in the mud of torrential rains, between 14 and 21 October 1625. The announcement Victory revived hope among all Protestants in the south-west. And three centuries later, Azilians remain proud of such a success of faith and courage against oppression.
must say that these feats are only reported by Protestant sources: Dusson and Saint-Blancard. Can we suspect some exaggeration? The royal side preferred the silence.
IV. Persecution
In June 1629, the capitulation of Ales and signature of the peace treaty, and countersigned by Dusson Damboix on behalf of the County of Foix, opened a long series of persecutions.
In 1633 and 1634, the fortifications of Carla and the Mas d'Azil are dismantled. The great hall of the temple in the cave, is undermined. The Benedictines, Montbrun refugees since 1589, did return. Yet the Huguenots, who remained the majority, persist as before to live and sing their psalms in the streets of the town. Also urged the bishops there to end the monarchy.
Car Financing abjurations volunteers was expensive, too expensive. The clergy should take charge, once converted, pastors and theological students, called the "proposers" and houses of "new converts", whose budget overruns went too far.
For fiscal 1686, it cost him 133,000 pounds in total. What added the conversion price of missions, 100 000 pounds a year. All this without sufficient result. So it was better to agree to Louis XIV a big financial effort at once to get him a position of authority. So the convocation resolved to wear it the "free gift , Which remained at 3 million pounds since 1629, amounts to 12 million pounds in 1690 and 10 million pounds in 1695. Thereafter, the RPR (RPR) assumed extinct, he returned for the 1700 low flow of 3.5 million ordinary books.
In fact, things dragged on longer in length. In 1680, Protestants du Mas d'Azil found themselves permanently excluded from the board of City Hall. They confiscated the collected donations and bequests for the poor. In 1683, the temple, just rebuilt, was demolished at their expense. In 1685, the Edict of Fontainebleau, revoking the Edict of Nantes, deprived of the right to worship and to keep civil status. Then they were forced to recant collectively.
While many families chose exile and formed in Bex, Canton of Vaud, a small community of Azilian mas, which lasted long. Further, it is said, gained Prussia. And historian Pierre Chaunu stressed that the Huguenot immigration made this country the great underdeveloped power we know.
Monsignor Francis Harlay Champvallon chaired the meeting the clergy when he won the King's revocation of the Edict of Nantes, with exceptional grants. He flattered the "extinction of Calvinism." But the Archbishop did not have his money!
Bibliography
Alice Wemyss: Les Protestants du Mas d'Azil, history of Resistance 1680-1830 - Private 1961
General of Amboix of Larbont : The Siege of Le Mas d'Azil in 1625 - Toulouse Publishing Company 1913
Pierre and Solange Deyon Henri de Rohan - Perrin 2000
Claude Michaud: The Church and Money under the Ancien Regime - Fayard 1991
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