Charles IX of France

Charles IX issued the Edict of Saint-Germain, granting limited tolerance to Huguenots and allowing them to worship outside towns. This was a major concession to the Protestant minority but failed to prevent the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion later that year.

Charles IX signed the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, ending the third phase of the French Wars of Religion. The treaty granted Huguenots freedom of conscience, limited worship rights, and control of four fortified towns, including La Rochelle. This peace was fragile and preceded the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.

Under the authority of Charles IX and his mother Catherine de' Medici, Catholic mobs in Paris and other cities murdered thousands of Huguenots (French Protestants) who had gathered for the wedding of Henry of Navarre. The massacre began on August 24, 1572, and lasted for weeks, escalating the French Wars of Religion.

Charles IX ordered a royal siege of the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle. The siege lasted from February to June 1573, ending in a negotiated peace that allowed the city to retain its Protestant worship. The failure to capture the city weakened royal authority.