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Who was Gaspard II de Coligny, and why did he influence Charles IX?

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Catherine de’ Medici Catherine de' Medici.

Gaspard II de Coligny (1519–1572) was the admiral of France and a prominent leader of the Huguenots during the Wars of Religion.1

After the Peace of Saint-Germain in 1570, Coligny returned to the royal court and gained significant influence over Charles IX. He sought to secure the position of the Huguenots within France by proposing a military campaign against the Spanish in the Netherlands, hoping that a successful joint effort between French Catholics and Huguenots would unify the realm and earn him the king's favor.1

This influence alarmed Catherine de’ Medici and the Guise family, who opposed war with Spain and feared losing their own political standing. Following an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Coligny in 1572, Catherine manipulated Charles IX’s fears of a Huguenot retaliation, ultimately leading the king to order the deaths of Huguenot leaders, which triggered the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day.12