Which French Catholic ruler ushered in the French Wars of Religion after a disastrous attempt to play rival factions against one another?

The French Catholic ruler who ushered in the French Wars of Religion was King Henry II. His reign saw escalating tensions between Catholics and Huguenots (French Protestants) due to his attempts to manipulate rival factions to maintain power. Following his death in 1559, the ensuing power struggles and conflicts among the nobility and religious factions ignited the prolonged series of civil wars known as the French Wars of Religion.