What event in 1572 was characterized by targeted assassinations and mob violence during the French Wars of Religion?

The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, which occurred on August 24, 1572, is recognized as a pivotal event during the French Wars of Religion, marked specifically by coordinated attacks against the Huguenots (French Protestants) in Paris and across France. This event began on the eve of the wedding of Henry of Navarre (a Huguenot) and Margaret of Valois, which was intended to foster peace between Catholics and Protestants. Instead, it turned into a catastrophic outbreak of violence.

The French royal family, along with influential Catholic factions, orchestrated these assaults, leading to thousands of Huguenots being killed, often brutally, in a climate of mob violence. This heightened the existing tensions between Catholics and Protestants in France and had a profound impact on the ongoing conflicts, deepening the sectarian divide and leading to further violence and warfare.

The other events mentioned, such as the French Revolution, occurred much later and focused on broader political and social changes, while the War of the Three Henrys was a continuation of the conflicts initiated by the earlier hostilities. The Edict of Nantes was a later attempt to bring relative peace and offer religious tolerance following the upheaval of the Wars of