Henry IV’s victory and the settlements of 1598 ended decades of religious conflict, stabilised France, strengthened royal authority, and restored the monarchy’s credibility.

The Context of Victory and Settlement

The Civil Wars and Spain’s Involvement

The French Wars of Religion had devastated France since 1562, with Catholic and Protestant factions repeatedly clashing. By the 1590s, foreign powers, especially Spain under Philip II, became deeply involved. Spain supported the Catholic League, hoping to prevent the Protestant Henry of Navarre from becoming king. This intervention turned the wars into an international struggle as much as a domestic one.

Henry IV’s Position by the 1590s

When Henry of Navarre became Henry IV in 1589, he faced a fractured realm. His Protestant faith alienated many Catholics, while the Catholic League opposed his rule with Spanish backing. His eventual conversion to Catholicism in 1593 was a pragmatic move designed to consolidate domestic legitimacy. However, even after conversion, Spain and the Catholic League remained determined to curtail his power, requiring both military strength and political compromise.

Victory Over Spain

The Final Phase of Conflict

By the mid-1590s, Henry IV had gained increasing control. Key French cities declared for him, and noble defections weakened the Catholic League. Still, Spain remained a formidable obstacle.

• 1595: Henry declared war on Spain, shifting the struggle into open conflict.

• 1595–1597: French victories at Fontaine-Française and Amiens marked turning points.

• 1598: Spain, financially exhausted and overstretched by wars in the Netherlands and against England, was compelled to negotiate.

The Peace of Vervins (1598)

The Peace of Vervins, signed in May 1598, marked a decisive moment.

Nineteenth-century illustration of the Peace of Vervins (2 May 1598) between France and Spain. Though produced later, it accurately represents the treaty’s ceremonial ratification and helps students situate the foreign-policy dimension of 1598. Artistic embellishment is present, but the event, date, and parties are clearly indicated. Source

• Spain recognised Henry IV as the legitimate king of France.

• All territories seized during the conflict were restored.

• French sovereignty was reinforced, removing foreign influence from domestic affairs.

This peace ended six decades of intermittent war with Spain and allowed Henry to focus on internal consolidation.

Internal Settlement: Restoring Authority

The Edict of Nantes (1598)

Alongside foreign victory, Henry sought a durable domestic peace. The Edict of Nantes granted limited toleration to Protestants, securing a fragile coexistence between Catholics and Huguenots.

First page of the Edict of Nantes (April 1598), issued by Henry IV. The edict granted specified rights of worship and protections to Huguenots while maintaining Catholic primacy. Image includes extra paleographic detail (script and seals) beyond the syllabus but helps students recognise the document’s formal character. Source

• Protestants gained rights to worship in specified towns and regions.

• They were allowed to hold public office and maintain fortified strongholds.

Map of France highlighting Huguenot strongholds (places de sûreté) associated with the Edict of Nantes (1598). Students can see the distribution of fortified Protestant sites that underpinned the settlement’s security guarantees. The map also includes later references up to 1622 (extra detail beyond the syllabus window). Source

• Catholicism was reaffirmed as the official religion of France.

This pragmatic balance avoided alienating Catholic elites while preventing renewed mass persecution of Protestants.

Henry’s approach was not ideological but politique, prioritising state stability over religious uniformity.

Consolidating Royal Authority

By 1598, Henry’s policies transformed his fragile claim into effective sovereignty:

• Defeating Spain eliminated the threat of foreign-backed opposition.

• The Edict of Nantes reduced the risk of renewed civil war.

• Noble resistance waned, and many returned to loyalty under Henry’s rule.

The monarchy, previously discredited by weakness and factionalism, regained credibility as the guarantor of order.

The Broader Impact on France

Political Stability

The combination of victory abroad and settlement at home reinforced the central state. The monarchy emerged as the key arbiter of peace, a crucial step towards greater centralisation. Henry’s ability to end both foreign and internal conflict restored faith in royal authority after decades of instability.

Social and Economic Recovery

War had devastated agriculture, trade, and finance. With peace restored:

• Trade routes reopened, particularly in northern and western France.

• Agricultural recovery began, aided by royal encouragement of productivity.

• Taxation stabilised, allowing for more consistent royal revenues.

Although deeper reforms would be associated with Henry’s minister Sully, the foundation for recovery was laid in 1598.

Religious Balance and Limitations

The Edict of Nantes offered respite but not permanent unity.

• Catholics tolerated the settlement reluctantly, resenting Protestant privileges.

• Protestants valued protections but feared future revocation.

• The coexistence was inherently fragile, but it marked a new stage of statecraft in balancing confessional conflict.

Henry’s achievement was not the elimination of disunity but its management within a stable political framework.

The Legacy of 1598

A Turning Point in the Nation State

The events of 1598 represented a watershed for the French nation state:

• The Peace of Vervins ended Spain’s ability to manipulate French politics.

• The Edict of Nantes institutionalised compromise, reflecting the monarchy’s role as guarantor of peace.

• Royal power was consolidated, re-establishing central control over a fractured realm.

Absolutism in the Making

While Henry IV did not create an absolutist monarchy, his victories laid the groundwork for future centralisation. By ending foreign intervention and restoring domestic peace, he reasserted the monarchy’s supremacy, a process his successors would build upon.

Defeating Spain and ending the civil wars in 1598 consolidated authority and peace, meeting the OCR specification’s focus. Henry IV’s skill in balancing military, diplomatic, and religious solutions defined his reign as the beginning of a more unified and authoritative French state.