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Writer's pictureGeorge Castrioti

October 20th, 1587 - The Battle of Coutras

Conflict: French Religious Wars

Combatants: Catholics vs. Huguenots

Location: France

Outcome: Huguenot victory


On this day in 1587, the Huguenot commander Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV) intercepted 10,000 Catholics under the leadership of the Duke of Joyeuse enroute to Bordeaux. The overconfident Catholics charged the smaller Protestant force and its cavalry was broken in an arquebus-cavalry counterattack. The Huguenots easily defeated the Catholic infantry afterwards. Over 3,000 Catholic soldiers died, while Navarre lost only 200 men.


Bataille de Coutras by Frans Hogenberg

Points of Interest:

  • Henry returned to the Catholic faith in 1593, regaining much of his countrymen's support against the League and its Spanish Ally.

  • In 1598, Henry effectively ended the Wars of Religion by granting religious freedom to Protestants in France.


Henri IV, King of France (1553-1610) by Frans Pourbus the Younger
Portrait of Anne, Duke of Joyeuse by an unknown artist



















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Sources:

Dupuy, Trevor N., Johnson, Curt, & Bongard, David L. (1992). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military Biography. New York: Castle Books (HarperCollins).


Dupuy, R. Ernest & Dupuy, Trevor N. (1993). The Harper's Encyclopedia of Military History. New York: HarperCollins.


Eggenberger, David (1985). An Encyclopedia of Battles: Accounts of Over 1,560 Battles from 1479 B.C. to the Present. New York: Dover Publications, Inc.

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