Catholic League (French)

The Catholic League was created by Henri, Duke of Guise, in 1576 during the French Wars of Religion. King Henry III Valois feared the power of the Guise family and thus accepted the existance of the league but made himself its commander, eventually disbanding it in 1577 after using it to win several victories over the Huguenots. In 1585, after the murder of Duke Henri of Guise, the league rose up against the king in favor of the imprisoned Cardinal de Bourbon, who they proclaimed "Charles X" (the next person to claim this title was Charles X of France, brother of Louis XVI). However, King Henry allied with the third faction, Henry of Navarre, and together they took Paris from the Catholic League. This struggle in the French Wars of Religion is often known as "War of Three Henries." The League was eventually forced to acknolwedge the kingship Henry of Navarre (after he had defeated Henry III), and eventually died out under his rule.