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How did the Edict of Nantes affect French Protestants?

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Title page of a 1568 Welsh Christian doctrine book by Morys Clynnog, featuring Welsh text and a woodcut illustration of the crucifixion of Jesus at the center. — Counter-Reformation Title page of *Athravaeth Gristnogavl* (1568; “Christian Doctrine”), a Roman Catholic catechism translated into Welsh by Morys Clynnog as part of the church's Counter-Reformation efforts.

Promulgated by Henry IV in 1598, the Edict of Nantes provided a significant, albeit temporary, measure of religious toleration to French Huguenots. It granted them freedom of conscience and the right to hold public worship in many areas, though notably excluding Paris.1

Beyond religious practice, the edict secured full civil rights for Protestants, including access to education, and established a special court to resolve legal disputes. Militarily, it allowed Huguenots to maintain specific fortified strongholds, or places de sûreté, for eight years.1

However, the edict was deeply controversial and faced persistent opposition from the Catholic clergy and the parlements. Its protections were gradually eroded; Cardinal de Richelieu stripped away their military and political autonomy in 1629. Ultimately, in 1685, Louis XIV formally revoked the edict, depriving Protestants of all civil liberties. This persecution forced over 400,000 Huguenots to emigrate, causing a significant loss to France’s commercial class.12