Guillaume de Joyeuse

Guillaume de Joyeuse (1520–1592) was a French military commander during the French Wars of Religion. Originally destined for the church, he assumed the office of vicomte de Joyeuse upon the death of his elder brother in 1554. He was subsequently appointed at lieutenant-general of Languedoc, under the governor Antoine de Crussol. In this capacity he established himself as a harsh persecutor of Protestantism. When the civil wars broke out in 1562 he assumed his military responsibilities, regularly fighting with the viscomtes de Languedoc throughout the early civil wars. He achieved a notable victory against them in 1568 on the field of Montfran. He did not spread the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew into the territory he controlled and remained loyal to the crown during the fifth civil war, fighting with the Malcontents. In 1582 he was elevated to Marshal of France by Henri III. He found himself increasingly drawn to the Catholic League (France) after its formal formation and when Henri III was assassinated in 1589 he fought against Navarre for Charles, Duke of Mayenne and the league. He died in 1592.

The Joyeuse family had a long history of service to the French crown by the time Guillaume was born. The son of Jean, Vicomte de Joyeuse and Françoise de Voisins, dames d'Arques he was initially intended for a church career as the younger son. When his brother died he assumed leadership of the family and renounced his church career.

He married Marie de Batarnay and with her had several children, among whom Anne de Joyeuse would become one of Les Mignons of Henri III, and a key favourite of the king, being made duke of Joyeuse in 1581.

Joyeuse warned the young king that he was not sure he could rely on the obedience of his subordinates in the region in the towns of Beaucaire and Aigues-Mortes, he further complained that Huguenots were reaching out to indebted nobles, taking advantage of their financial position to secure protection for their services. As early as 1560, Joyeuse intervened in the largely Protestant town of Nîmes to replace its town council. He noted that deserters from the royal garrisons were forming bands that terrorised the countryside, and that 1200 such men were in the Gevaudan .

With fear of Spanish intentions on the rise in 1561, Joyeuse was instructed by Catherine de'Medici to ensure as lieutenant-general of Languedoc that he was ready if troops crossed the frontier. As royal police became increasingly conciliatory towards the Huguenots, he wrote with exasperation to the crown in 1562 that the lack of clarity on the religious situation was making it impossible for him to enforce order in the province.

In early 1562, royal commissioners were sent to Languedoc to try to bring the region back into full obedience to the king, the Catholics there complaining of the acts of the Huguenots. Michel Quelain and Jean de la Guesle reported to the crown that with Crussol absent from the province, away in Provence there was great disorder with 'new offences every day'. They hoped that with Joyeuse backing them up militarily they would be able to restore obedience of the king's edicts to the province. However civil war would erupt before they could have much impact.

When civil war broke out in 1562, Joyeuse was left to face local Protestant uprisings without the main royal army for assistance. Pope Pius IV sent 2500 men under his nephew to support Joyeuse. His men pillaged the estates of governor Crussol during their movements. In early 1563, fearing a repeat of the Toulouse uprising the Parlement of Toulouse called on Blaise de Monluc and Joyeuse to a secret meeting, in which it was agreed to form a Catholic ligue for the defence of the faith against Protestantism. Despite this involvement, Joyeuse generally sought to enforce the Edict of Amboise though he maintained his connections with the extremists who opposed it. He received praise from the king for the zeal with which he enforced the kings will.

Joyeuse continued his military activities during the second civil war, travelling up the Rhône with 2000 foot and 600 horse to assist the Count of Tende. On the way they sieged the small fortifications that obstructed them until they reached Pont St. Esprit in February. This town proved harder, and the siege was broken off. While formal peace had been declared, operations continued in the south. Joyeuse diverted his forces across the Rhône on 7 March and captured Loudun, Orsennes and Tresques before reuniting with the count of Tende for another attack on Pont St. Esprit. The local Protestants under Montbrun decided to offer battle, but were defeated on the plains of Montfran on 24 May. With Languedoc subdued he ensured all towns under his command were properly garrisoned and sought to disarm those Protestants that remained at arms. He had difficult with bringing Montauban, Castres and Montpellier to order.