Battle of Ivry

The Battle of Ivry was fought on March 14, 1590, during the French Wars of Religion. The battle was to be a decisive victory for Henry of Navarre, the future Henry IV of France, leading Huguenot forces against the Catholic League forces led by the Duc de Mayenne. Henry's forces were victorious and he went on to lay siege to Paris.

Background

Since Henry III, King of France, died without issue, and his brother, the Duc d'Alençon died in 1584, his cousin Henry of Navarre became the legitimate successor to the throne. However, Henry of Navarre was unpopular in the South, and not trusted by part of the army. Therefore, the rest of the country refused to recognise as its future King a Calvinist whom Pope Sixtus V had excommunicated along with his cousin, Henri Prince de Condé. The Catholic League took every opportunity to fight against the legitimate King and his successor.

Related Topics:
Henry III, King of France - Duc d'Alençon - 1584 - Calvinist - Pope Sixtus V - Henri Prince de Condé

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In December 1584, the Duke of Guise signed a treaty on behalf of the League with Philip II of Spain, who supplied a considerable annual grant to the League over the following decade hoping to destabilize the French Monarchy. The House of Guise had long been identified with the defence of the Catholic Church. The Duke of Guise and his relations, the Dukes of Mayenne, Aumale, Elboeuf, Mercoeur and the Lorraine controlled extensive territories that were loyal to the League. The League also had a following among the urban middle classes.

Related Topics:
1584 - Duke of Guise - Philip II of Spain - House of Guise - Aumale - Elboeuf - Mercoeur - Lorraine

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Navarre sought foreign aid from the German princes and Elizabeth of England. Meanwhile, the people of Paris, under the influence of the Committee of Sixteen were becoming dissatisfied with Henri III and his failure to suppress the Protestants. In May 1588, a popular uprising raised barricades on the streets of Paris and Henri III fled the city. The Committee of Sixteen took complete control of the government and welcomed the Duke of Guise to Paris.

Related Topics:
Elizabeth of England - Committee of Sixteen - Protestants - 1588

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The League pressed for a meeting of the Estates-General, which was held in Blois. Guise was murdered on Christmas Eve in 1588 at Blois at this meeting with Henri III. The duke's brother, the Cardinal de Guise, was also ruthlessly dispatched. It thus fell upon their younger brother, the Duc de Mayenne, to become the leader of the Catholic League.

Related Topics:
Estates-General - Blois - Cardinal de Guise

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Henry's defeat of the House of Guise was fleeting. The League presses began printing anti-royalist tracts. The Sorbonne proclaimed that it was just and necessary to depose Henri III, and that any private citizen was morally free to commit regicide. In July 1589, in the royal camp at Saint-Cloud, a monk named Jacques Clément gained an audience with the king and put a long knife into his spleen. On his deathbed, Henri III called for Navarre and named him his heir.

Related Topics:
Sorbonne - Regicide - 1589 - Saint-Cloud - Jacques Clément

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The City of Paris supported the League and had Mayenne appointed as Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom. He and his troops controlled rural Normandy. However, in September 1589, Henry inflicted a serious defeat on Mayenne at Arques.

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Henry's army swept through Normandy, taking town after town that winter. On March 14, 1590, he inflicted a crushing defeat on the League at Ivry.

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