Rohan, Henri, duc de
Rohan, Henri, duc de
(äNrē` dük də rôäN`), 1579–1638, French Protestant general; son-in-law of the duc de Sully. A leader of the HuguenotsHuguenots, French Protestants, followers of John Calvin. The term is derived from the German Eidgenossen, meaning sworn companions or confederates. Origins
Prior to Calvin's publication in 1536 of his Institutes of the Christian Religion,
..... Click the link for more information. , Rohan took up arms against the French government in 1621–22 as a consequence of the reestablishment of Roman Catholicism in Béarn. With his brother, Benjamin de SoubiseSoubise, Benjamin de Rohan, seigneur de
, 1583–1642, French Protestant general. He fought under Maurice of Nassau in the Netherlands and subsequently shared the leadership of the Huguenots with his brother, Henri, duc de Rohan.
..... Click the link for more information. , Rohan led revolts in Languedoc and the Cévennes in 1625–26 and again in 1627–29 but was forced to submit to King Louis XIII's chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu, in the Peace of Alais (1629). He retired to Venice. In 1635 he was chosen by Richelieu to command the French troops in the ValtellinaValtellina
, Alpine valley of the upper Adda River, c.75 mi (120 km) long, in Lombardy, N Italy, extending from Lake Como to the Stelvio Pass. The main towns are Sondrio and Tirano. The valley is a fertile agricultural region, known for its wine.
..... Click the link for more information. , which he subdued. Treachery and weak official support forced his retreat in 1637. Rohan subsequently joined the army of Bernhard of Saxe-Weimar and was killed at Rheinfelden during the Thirty Years War. He left memoirs (1644, enl. ed. 1646, tr. 1660) and other writings.