Editing French Wars of Religion (section)

=== {{anchor|1568–1570|third}} "Third" war (1568–1570) ===
In reaction to the Peace, Catholic [[confraternities]] and leagues sprang up across the country in defiance of the law throughout the summer of 1568. Huguenot leaders such as Condé and Coligny fled court in fear for their lives, many of their followers were murdered, and in September, the [[Edict of Saint-Maur]] revoked the freedom of Huguenots to worship. In November, [[William the Silent|William of Orange]] led an army into France to support his fellow Protestants, but, the army being poorly paid, he accepted the crown's offer of money and free passage to leave the country.{{sfn|Wood|2002|p=22}}{{sfn|Salmon|1975|p=173}}{{sfn|Sutherland|1973|p=92}}{{sfn|Baird|1880|p=290}}

[[File:Battle of Moncontour 1569.jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|left|The [[Battle of Moncontour]], 1569]]

The Huguenots gathered a formidable army under the command of Condé, aided by forces from south-east France, led by Paul de Mouvans, and a contingent of fellow Protestant militias from Germany{{snd}}including 14,000 mercenary ''[[reiter]]s'' led by the Calvinist [[Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken|Duke of Zweibrücken]].{{sfn|Jouanna|Boucher|Biloghi|Thiec|1998|p=181}} After the Duke was killed in action, his troops remained under the employ of the Huguenots who had raised a loan from England against the security of [[Jeanne d'Albret]]'s crown jewels.<ref>Knecht 2000, 151.</ref> Much of the Huguenots' financing came from Queen Elizabeth of England, who was likely influenced in the matter by [[Sir Francis Walsingham]].{{sfn|Jouanna|Boucher|Biloghi|Thiec|1998|p=181}} The Catholics were commanded by the [[Henry III of France|Duke d'Anjou]]{{snd}}later King Henry&nbsp;III{{snd}}and assisted by troops from Spain, the [[Papal States]], and the [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]].{{sfn|Jouanna|Boucher|Biloghi|Thiec|1998|p=182}}

The Protestant army laid siege to several cities in the [[Poitou]] and [[County of Saintonge|Saintonge]] regions (to protect [[La Rochelle]]), and then [[Angoulême]] and [[Cognac, France|Cognac]]. At the [[Battle of Jarnac]] (16&nbsp;March 1569), the prince of Condé was killed, forcing [[Gaspard II de Coligny|Admiral de Coligny]] to take command of the Protestant forces, nominally on behalf of Condé's 16-year-old son, [[Henri I de Bourbon, prince de Condé|Henry]], and the 15-year-old [[Henry IV of France|Henry of Navarre]], who were presented by Jeanne d'Albret as the legitimate leaders of the Huguenot cause against royal authority. The [[Battle of La Roche-l'Abeille]] was a nominal victory for the Huguenots, but they were unable to seize control of [[Poitiers]] and were soundly defeated at the [[Battle of Moncontour]] (30&nbsp;October 1569). Coligny and his troops retreated to the south-west and regrouped with [[Gabriel, comte de Montgomery]], and in spring of 1570, they pillaged [[Toulouse]], cut a path through the south of France, and went up the [[Rhone]] valley up to [[La Charité-sur-Loire]].{{sfn|Jouanna|Boucher|Biloghi|Thiec|1998|p=184}} The staggering royal debt and Charles&nbsp;IX's desire to seek a peaceful solution{{sfn|Jouanna|Boucher|Biloghi|Thiec|1998|pp=184–185}} led to the [[Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye]] (8&nbsp;August 1570), negotiated by Jeanne d'Albret, which once more allowed some concessions to the Huguenots.{{sfn|Roelker|1968|pp=332–341}}