The Reformation, which started in England by reformists like Martin Luther, found its way to France after the 1550s because of John Calvin. Calvin, a student and follower of Luther, was convinced that The Church needed reforming, turned to humanism, and eventually became the leader of a new church. This Evangelical Church thrived in the city of Geneva (where Calvin was taking refuge from a persecuting France); missionaries of Calvin penetrated France to spread the new word and slowly, but surely it gained momentum and supporters. The French government-- aware of the situation-- resorted to civil war; the Huguenots (Protestants) versus the Catholics. The Reformation, for France, yielded to war and a change in religion; war defined the lives of people in France after 1550, and thus, changing their lives dramatically.
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A constant battle between the Huguenots and the Catholic Church/French government, caused the lives of the public to dramatically change, first because, their cities and towns became the center of conflict. On “Friday, September 26,1567, the town of Montereaux-sur-Yonne was taken by some disturbers of the public peace, otherwise known as Huguenots”; Soissons, Lagny-sur-Marne, Orleans followed. People’s lives crumbled because of all of the violence. The Huguenots “sacked and destroyed and pulled down all of the churches and abbeys in the city, like godless, kingless, and lawless madmen”. All this violence was witnessed by the people of France and they could not escape it. This is not to say that their lives were in perfect harmony before the Reformation began, but it promoted violent outbursts by both sides which would lead to the destroying of their towns, where their lives
A constant battle between the Huguenots and the Catholic Church/French government, caused the lives of the public to dramatically change, first because, their cities and towns became the center of conflict. On “Friday, September 26,1567, the town of Montereaux-sur-Yonne was taken by some disturbers of the public peace, otherwise known as Huguenots”; Soissons, Lagny-sur-Marne, Orleans followed. People’s lives crumbled because of all of the violence. The Huguenots “sacked and destroyed and pulled down all of the churches and abbeys in the city, like godless, kingless, and lawless madmen”. All this violence was witnessed by the people of France and they could not escape it. This is not to say that their lives were in perfect harmony before the Reformation began, but it promoted violent outbursts by both sides which would lead to the destroying of their towns, where their lives