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Parrott challenges the near-universal notion that the French civil war of 1648-1652 was a predictable, trivial clash between royal forces and ministerial modernity. Instead, he challenges notions about the rule of the Cardinal-Ministers, Mazarin and his predecessor, Richelieu, and their contribution to creating the 'absolutism' of Louis XIV.
List of contents
- 1: Rethinking 1652
- 2: Mazarin's Fall
- 3: Condé's Miscalculation and Mazarin's Gamble (Autumn 1651 to March 1652)
- 4: Towards Stalemate (March to August 1652)
- 5: The Cost of Civil War
- 6: Autumn 1652: The Brink of the Precipice?
- Conclusion: Transactional Politics and the Cankered Decade: France in the 1650's
- Bibliography
About the author
David Parrott is Professor of Early Modern History and Fellow and Tutor at New College, University of Oxford. He has researched and written extensively on early modern military and political history. His previous publications include a study of the French army during the ministry of Cardinal Richelieu, and The Business of War, a study of military contracting and private enterprise in early modern Europe. Between 2013 and 2016 he held a Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowship, which allowed him to undertake the research for this book.
Summary
Parrott challenges the near-universal notion that the French civil war of 1648-1652 was a predictable, trivial clash between royal forces and ministerial modernity. Instead, he challenges notions about the rule of the Cardinal-Ministers, Mazarin and his predecessor, Richelieu, and their contribution to creating the 'absolutism' of Louis XIV.
Additional text
Parrott's account of the Fronde, "the revolt between 1648 and 1653 against the government of [C]ardinal Jules Mazarin" in France, revolves around the cardinal and the prince de Condé. He argues that efforts to reach a political settlement in 1652 between the king and the rebellious princes failed in part because of Mazarin's greed, Condé's arrogance, and the inability of both men to satisfy their clients and allies' fiscal and honorific demands, while the civil war devastated and depopulated broad swaths of the kingdom. Summing Up: Recommended
