ABSTRACT
The Revocation was accompanied by a general hope for the increased greatness of France based upon the systematising of religious worship within the country. The Revocation forced out of France a significant minority of the population, including a large number of its most talented manufacturers, craftsmen and soldiers. The most enthusiastic host of the refugees was the Elector of Brandenburg. But the establishment of Huguenot families in Brandenburg began before the Revocation, though it was only after 1685 that five Huguenot agents were charged with the mission of resettling French refugee families. The culture and personality of the Huguenot soldiers has seldom attracted much scholarly comment. The general military competence and Protestant fervour shared by the majority of the soldiers is almost anecdotal. William of Orange certainly understood the usefulness of the Huguenot soldiers in the Irish campaign and the attitude of most of them towards their predominantly Catholic foe in Ireland offers strong evidence of their sentiments.
