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The French Wars Of Religion, 1559-94 - HIS00027H

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  • Department: History
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Stuart Carroll
  • Credit value: 40 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module summary

The violent passions aroused by religious schism and the deadly intrigues of court politics have long made the French Wars of Religion one of the more colourful and fascinating periods for historical study. In recent years historians have begun to recognise the civil wars which tore France asunder in the second-half of the sixteenth century as one of the major turning points of European history. With over one million adherents Calvinism had more widespread support than anywhere else in Europe; its attraction to the social elite was a major challenge to the monarchy, which attempted reconciliation through the hitherto unheard of policy of religious toleration. The failure of moderation and the terrible religious violence which culminated in the Massacre of Saint-Bartholomew is a phenomenon which has echoes of today’s ethnic and religious conflicts. Religion also introduced a new ideological element into politics and traditional faction politics was confused by the formation of religious parties. The justification of resistance to the monarchy developed by Protestants and elaborated by radical Catholics had a profound impact on the French polity and the development of European political thought. Montaigne, the greatest thinker of his age, was the product of this turmoil, and his Essays will show us how religious conflict and political disintegration transformed the concept of society and the self in Europe, and how this new thinking contributed paradoxically both to the moral basis of Bourbon Absolutism and to new views of humanity and individuality, in which lie the seeds of European liberalism.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23 to Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

  • To introduce students to in depth study of a specific historical topic using primary and secondary material;
  • To enable students to explore the topic through discussion and writing; and
  • To enable students to evaluate and analyse primary sources.

Module learning outcomes

Students who complete this module successfully will:

  • Grasp key themes, issues and debates relevant to the topic being studied;
  • Have acquired knowledge and understanding about that topic;
  • Be able to comment on and analyse original sources;
  • Be able to relate the primary and secondary material to one another; and
  • Have acquired skills and confidence in close reading and discussion of texts and debates.

Module content

Teaching Programme:

Students will attend a 1-hour briefing in week 1 of the autumn term. Students prepare for and participate in fifteen three-hour seminars. These take place in weeks 2-5 and 7-9 of the autumn term and weeks 2-5 and 7-10 of the spring term. Both the autumn and spring terms include a reading week for final year students and so there will be no teaching in week 6. There will also be a two hour revision session in the summer term. One-to-one meetings will also be held to discuss the assessed essay.

The course will be structured around the reading and discussion of primary texts translated into English in the context of recent research.

Seminar topics are subject to variation, but are likely to include the following:

  • Calvinism
  • The rituals of religious violence
  • The structure of court politics
  • Aristocrats and the formation of religious parties
  • The provincial struggle and the disintegration of authority
  • The Catholic revival

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
4,000 word essay		 N/A 50
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Open Exam - The French Wars of Religion		 8 hours 50

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

For formative assessment, students will be given the opportunity to do two practice gobbets and then are required to write a 2,000-word procedural essay relating to the themes and issues of the module in either the autumn or spring term.

For summative assessment, students complete a 4,000-word essay which utilises an analysis of primary source materials to explore a theme or topic relating to the module, due in week 5 of the summer term.

They then take a 24-hour online examination for summative assessment in the summer term assessment period comprising: one essay question relating to themes and issues, but showing an awareness of the pertinent sources that underpin these AND one ‘gobbet’ question (where students attempt two gobbets from a slate of eight).

The essay and exam are weighted equally at 50% each.

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
4,000 word essay		 N/A 50
Online Exam - 24 hrs (Centrally scheduled)
Open Exam - The French Wars of Religion		 8 hours 50

Module feedback

Following their formative assessment task, students will typically receive written feedback that will include comments and a mark within 10 working days of submission.

Work will be returned to students in their discussion groups and may be supplemented by the tutor giving some oral feedback to the whole group. All students are encouraged, if they wish, to discuss the feedback on their procedural work with their tutor (or module convenor) during student hours. For more information, see the Statement on Feedback.

For the summative assessment task, students will receive their provisional mark and written feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline. The tutor will then be available during student hours for follow-up guidance if required. For more information, see the Statement of Assessment.

Indicative reading

For term time reading, please refer to the module VLE site. Before the course starts, we encourage you to look at the following items of preliminary reading:

Davis, Natalie Z. Society and Culture in Early Modern France: eight essays. Cambridge, Polity P. 1987.

Holt, Mack P. The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629. 2nd ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Carroll, Stuart. Blood and Violence in Early Modern France. Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.