ABSTRACT
The French civil wars of the sixteenth century have often been described as aristocratic conflicts sheltering under the cloak of religion.1 There is some truth in this. The wars cannot be understood without first appreciating the crucial role played by the nobility. The king depended on the nobility for the proper execution of his policies and this is mainly why some historians have cast serious doubt on the notion, chiefly put about by the monarch himself, that his power was ‘absolute’. But the dependence was not one sided. If the monarch could do little without the support of his nobles, they looked to him for advancement. He was the great dispenser of jobs and honours. Without his leadership and patronage, nobles were likely to become disorientated.
