1652: The Cardinal, the Prince, and the Crisis of the "Fronde"

Description

David Parrott's book offers a major re-evaluation of the last year of the 'Fronde' - the political upheaval between 1648 and 1652 - in the making of seventeenth-century France. In late December 1651, Cardinal Mazarin defied the order for his perpetual banishment, and re-entered France at the head of an army. The political and military crisis that followed convulsed the nation, and revived the ebbing fortunes of a revolt led by the cousin of the young Louis XIV, the prince de Condé. The study follows in detail the unfolding political and military events of this year, showing how military success and failure swung between the two sides through the campaign, driving both cardinal and prince into a progressive intensification of the conflict, while simultaneously fuelling a quest for compromise and settlement which nonetheless eluded all the negotiators' efforts. The consequences were devastating for France, as civil war smashed into a fragile ecosystem that was already reeling under the impact of the global cooling of the 'Little Ice Age'. "1652" raises questions about established interpretations of French state-building, the rule of cardinal Mazarin and his predecessor, Richelieu, and their contribution to creating the 'absolutism' of Louis XIV. Dramatis Personae in 1652 xi Bourbon Family Tree xvii List of Abbreviations xix List of Maps xxi 1. Rethinking 1652 1 2. Mazarin’s Fall 44 3. Condé’s Miscalculation and Mazarin’s Gamble 76 4. Towards Stalemate 119 5. The Cost of Civil War 171 6. Autumn 1652: The Brink of the Precipice? 215 Conclusion: Transactional Politics and the Cankered Decade: France in the 1650s 259 Bibliography 281 Chronology 295 Index 299