François de Montmorency, 2nd Duke of Montmorency
As governor of the Île de France he exerted a moderate Catholic influence that infuriated radical elements of the city that accused him of crypto Protestantism.During the early civil wars he remained loyal to the crown but represented a conciliatory position on the royal council, frequently partaking in peace talks.When Coligny was assassinated in Paris by the duke of Guise in the opening hours of the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew, Montmorency was absent from the city, having retired to his estates with an illness.[11] The contemporary historian Brantôme wrote of Montmorency: "Now, besides the fact that Monsieur de Montmorency was brave, he was a wise and shrewd captain and a strong politician, and for this, the King [Charles IX], when he went to tour his kingdom [in 1564], left him Governor of the Île de France and [Governor of] Paris, where he showed his wisdom and good leadership, because, having found the people of Paris, just emerged from civil war, still a great enemy of the Huguenots, mutinous, seditious, shaking and boiling all over, with mutiny and envy, always spilling blood, ... he rendered them supple and easy to handle like a buckskin glove from Vendôme, with which the King was greatly satisfied.He and the other three representatives of the oldest baronies in France (Martigues, Harcourt and Thouars) travelled to the Basilica of Saint-Remi where they demanded the transportation of the sacred oils to anoint Henri be taken to the cathedral.The flower of the French nobility joined the forces, among them the younger sons of the duke of Guise, the Bourbon-Vendôme prince's of the blood and Montmorency.[16] During April 1552 Montmorency briefly campaigned in Italy besieging the castle of Lanzo under Brissac's direction, however with little success he and many of the other high ranking nobles who had flocked south in search of glory, hurried back north to join with Henri.[18] With the capture of Metz, Henri dispatched Montmorency and Villars to bring word of the armies entry into Germany to the Protestant princes with whom France was allied.Having sieged the fortress for a month it at last fell to the imperial forces, who razed the settlement to the ground, and captured 1000 prisoners, among them Montmorency who had been among the defenders of the city.[24] In July word reached the court that the Imperial captors would lower the ransom to 50,000 écus, furthering the Constables desire for peace.Meanwhile the Constable's enemy, the Guise family, free of their rival led the war effort from Paris, achieving a counter stroke with the capture of Calais, which had resisted French control for 200 years.The Guise could not however afford to totally alienate such a powerful magnate, as such to compensate the family for the seizure of this post, the Constable's first son was granted the Marshal baton.[42] In August 1560, he participated in an Assembly of Notables summoned by the Guise in response to both the religious crisis that was engulfing the kingdom and the financial problems which had been left by Henri II.[57] To this end Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, brother of the late duke aimed to make a show of force entry into Paris with an armed retinue, hoping that this could provide advantage after the failure to pursue their case against the Admiral through legal channels.[58] Therefore ignoring the prohibition Lorraine and his retinue entered the city through the porte Saint-Denis, and came out worse in a skirmish near St Innocents with Montmorency's forces.Lorraine for his part was forced to retreat to the Hôtel de Cluny with Aumale, where they were besieged by mocking Parisians who he had hoped would flock to his banner upon his entry into the capital.[64] In early 1567, the continued subversions of the peace of Amboise by the Protestants of Paris, was wearing thin on Catherine, who was conscious that militant Catholics were keen to engage in more violence in the city.[66] After the failure of the Surprise of Meaux, the Protestant army that had intended to capture the king pursued him and the court as they fled to Paris, unable to catch him on the road, Condé established a siege of the capital.[71] In May 1568 a royal council discussed how best to ensure this peace was preserved, Montmorency argued that what was necessary was for nobles to remain under arms, while a disarming of the populace of towns was undertaken.[75] In November 1568, Montmorency summoned the captains of the city militia to him, to explain their recent actions, which included organising book burnings and harassing Protestants in their homes.[76] During the third civil war Montmorency acted as an intermediary for negotiations between his kinsmen Coligny and the royal court, in the hopes of reaching a peace settlement.[77] By this time he had a reputation in court as a member of a middle party, that would in future be termed politique, which prioritised the stability of the state over religious disputes.[78] Radical Catholics blamed Montmorency, and Morvillier for the generous peace that brought the third war of a religion to a close, with Blaise de Monluc decrying 'we defeated them over and over, yet despite that they had such good credit on the king's council that the edicts were always favourable to them'.[83] In July 1572 Montmorency was dispatched as a diplomat to England, his reputation as someone who would tolerate Protestantism making him an obvious choice for the king to have sign the Treaty of Blois which created an Anglo-French alliance.[85] Montmorency too shared the desire for a return to war against Spain, recruiting soldiers for the effort with Coligny in early August 1572 but the council was in otherwise unanimous opposition.[86] Having attended the wedding of Navarre and Marguerite of Valois, intended as a security for the 1570 peace, Montmorency quickly departed the city, leaving two days after the event on 20 August.[87][88] With the royal council drawing up kill lists to sever the head of the Protestant leadership on 23 August, rumours would later swirl that Montmorency's name had been floated for inclusion among the executions however if true, it was removed.[89] Upon the Assassination of Admiral Coligny in the opening hours of the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew, Montmorency, absent from the city, was furious to hear of the killing of one of his kin.[105][106] Montmorency's other brothers Méru and Thoré, who were more open about their rebellious desires meanwhile escaped into Germany, where they raised a mercenary army alongside Condé.[115] The presence of Catholics on both sides of the fifth war of religion including the Montmorency family, had stripped the conflict of much of its confessional character as it devolved more openly into a battle for supremacy at court between political factions.
Duke of MontmorencyMarshal of FranceFrançois ClouetChantillyChâteau d'ÉcouenNoble familyMontmorencyDiane de FranceAnne de MontmorencyMadeleine of SavoyItalian WarsFrench Wars of ReligionHenri IIChierifamous defence of MetzThérouanneSaint-Quentingrand maîtreÎle de FranceEdict of JanuarySaint-DenisAdmiral Colignyassassinating the duke of Guise in 1563Charles, Cardinal of LorraineMoulins, AllierColigny was assassinated in Parisduke of GuiseMassacre of Saint BartholomewAlençonCharles IXBastilleHenri I de MontmorencyCharles de Montmorency-DamvilleGuillaume de Montmorency-ThoréFrançois IGaspard II de Colignythe duke of CastroCatherine de MediciPope Paul IVAlluyeBrantôme[Governor of] ParisVendômeMartiguesThouarsBasilica of Saint-Remithe duke of Parmathe EmperorMarshal Brissacthe duke of GuiseDamvillersVillarsdefence of MetzDamvilleCalaisFlandersHesdinthe duke of AarschotMarshal Thermesthe future Marshal CosséCardinal Bourbonbattle of Saint-Quentinthe Prince of CondéFrançois I, Duke of NeversLa FèreAmiensPéronnecapture of CalaisClaude, Duke of AumaleConspiracy of AmboiseAssembly of NotablesEstates GeneralNavarrePeace of AmboiseSenlisPontoiseBourdillonViellevillePicardieNormandieChampagneOrléanstour Franceassassination of the duke of GuisePorcienMoulinsLouis I, Prince of CondéSurprise of MeauxCharenton-le-PontPeace of Longjumeauthe duke of LonguevilleElizabeth IMichel de l'HôpitalMorvillierBlaise de MonlucPeace of Saint-Germain-en-LayeSimon VigorCharles, Duke of MayenneTreaty of BloisMarguerite of ValoisAssassination of Admiral Colignysiege of La Rochellethe CommonwealthChâteau de Chantillythe duke of LorraineCondéLanguedocMarshal Cosséthe Dauphin MontpensierThoréPeace of MonsieurPomponne de BellièvreFrench nobilityHenri IMilitary governors of ParisLouis I d'AnjouJean ade BerryWaléran III de LuxembourgJean II de LuxembourgJean de La BaumeJean de VilliersCharles d'ArtoisCharles I d'AmboiseAntoine de ChabannesLouis d'OrléansGilbert de Montpensier