On this day 441 years ago, the Treaty of Longjumeau ended the Second War of Religion in France. The First War between French Catholics and Protestants (known as Huguenots) had started in 1562 with the Massacre of Vassy. The Protestant House of Bourbon was locked in a power struggle with the Catholic House of Guise. An uneasy truce was declared in 1563, and peace lasted until the Second War broke out in 1567.
Philip II of Spain weighed in on the side of the Catholics, while Elizabeth I of England, (the daughter of Henry VIII) who had ascended to the throne in 1558, gave support to the Protestants. The Second War lasted until March 1568, ending with a treaty which gave significant religious freedoms to Protestants. However, the tensions continued and the Third War broke out later the same year, lasting until August 1570.
A massacre of Protestants in Paris in August 1572 led by the Duke of Guise saw the start of the Fourth War (1572-3), followed by the Fifth War (1574-6), the Sixth War (1576-7) and the Seventh War (1579-80). War continued over the next two decades, with peace finally arriving with the Edict of Nantes in 1598. As is the usual consequence of war, the country of France was left impoverished, and insecurity continued for many years thereafter.