August 18, 2025 • 28 mins
Step into the world of Giulio Raimondo, better known as Cardinal Mazarin, whose tenure as Richelieus chosen successor reshaped the landscape of 17th-century France. A master diplomat, Mazarin navigated the complexities of power while maintaining a close, possibly secretive relationship with the Queen-Mother, Anne of Austria. Together, they faced the tumultuous Fronde rebellion, emerging victorious with the strategic brilliance of military commander Turenne by their side. By the time of his death in 1661, Mazarin had not only upheld Richelieus ambitious foreign policy but had also elevated the young Louis XIV to the throne, establishing him as the absolute monarch of one of Europes most formidable nations. As historian Arthur Hassall noted, Mazarins legacy was built on patience, perseverance, and sagacity. (Pamela Nagami)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter three of Mazarin by Arthur Hassel. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain recording by Pamel and Agami,
Chapter three The Peace of Westphalia sixteen forty eight. The
Peace of Westphalia constitutes an important epoch in the history
(00:23):
of Europe. It marked the close of the struggle in
Central and Northern Europe between the Reformation and counter Reformation movements,
and the failure of the attempt of the Emperor to
form all Germany into an Austrian and Roman Catholic empire.
After the Peace of Westphalia, commercial rather than religious motives
(00:48):
regulated the policy of the chief states of Europe. But
the peace did not merely mark a revolution in men's
ways of thought. It also signalized a remark change in
the balance of forces on the continent. For upwards of
a century, the Habsburgs, supreme in Vienna and Madrid and
(01:10):
closely united by family ties, had threatened to impose their
will upon Europe. After sixteen forty eight, the danger ceased.
The weakness of the Emperor and the strength and independence
of the German princes rendered any close union with Spain impossible.
(01:30):
While Spain herself, though she struggled till sixteen fifty nine
against her impending fate, was already a declining power. From
another point of view, the peace of Westphalia has a
special interest. It affords an admirable illustration of a successful
effort on the part of the German princes to strengthen
(01:54):
their own position at the expense of the central power.
All over Europe, the monarchical principle was being assailed. In Holland,
the power of the Stadtholder depended entirely on the will
of the merchant aristocracy. In England, a republic was shortly
(02:14):
to be established. In Italy, the revolt of Masionello seemed
at one time likely to lead to the formation of
a Neapolitan government independent of Spain, and even in Russia
aristocratic discontent against the Czar existed. Thus, the movement in
(02:35):
France against the Mazarin, which shortly developed into the Fraund Struggle,
was but one of many similar manifestations of a general
tendency all over Europe to attack monarchical institutions. Mazarin was
well aware of the impossibility of checking the general disaffection
(02:57):
in France till Austria had been humbled and therefore he
devoted all his efforts to bringing the war to a
successful conclusion. The actual Congress was not open at Munster
till April tenth, sixteen forty four, and it was not
until the end of sixteen forty five that the negotiations
(03:19):
seriously began. The questions to be settled were many and complicated.
France and Sweden demanded compensation, either in land or money.
The Elector of Brandenburg wished to occupy all Pomerania, which
the Swedes had seized. The Elector Palatine demanded restoration to
(03:41):
his dominions. Then there were innumerable questions dealing with the
religious situation the United Provinces, Italy, Catalonia, Portugal, the constitution
of the Empire, and the position of the German princes.
Early in the proceedings, Maso brought forward France as the
(04:02):
protector of the ancient German liberties, and so secured the
friendship of the imperial towns and the German princes. The
Landgrave of Hesse, the Elector of trev the Duke of
Neubueg readily accepted the protection of France. It proved impossible
to gain the fickle Duke of Lorraine it was equally
(04:25):
difficult to win over the powerful elector of Bavaria. Maximilian,
the First of Bavaria had played an important part in
the Thirty Years War, but from June sixteen forty four
he began to enter into periodical negotiations with Mazarin. The
Cardinal placed no reliance on these negotiations, which he recognized
(04:49):
were meant to sow discord between France and her allies. Consequently,
it was not until after the Battle of Nordlingen, followed
later by the devastation of his territory by Turin, that
Maximilian made serious overtures to France. In an atmosphere of
(05:09):
intrigue such as existed at Munster, Mazarin did wisely in
pressing on military operations. The capture of Dunkirk in sixteen
forty six was rightly regarded as one of the most
brilliant exploits of the minority of Louis the fourteen and
(05:30):
the military reputation of Angien was greatly increased. But the
success which had attended the French arms had serious political consequences.
The Dutch became alarmed at the possibility of further conquests
on the part of the French, which might result in
the practical absorption of the Spanish Netherlands into the French monarchy,
(05:55):
and their fears tended to hamper Mazarin's efforts to bring
the war to a close. After the fall of Dunkirk,
that Minister thought the way was opened for negotiations with Spain,
the most bitter of the enemies of France. He was
prepared to sacrifice the Catalans and the Portuguese if Spain
(06:17):
would relinquish the Spanish Netherlands. As early as January sixteen
forty six, he had written clearly on this point to
the French envoys at Munster, and his letter is a
valuable and interesting summary of the views always held by
the French nation with regard to the so called national
(06:39):
boundaries of France. Paris would be safe from attack on
her northeastern frontier if the Spanish Netherlands were secured. The
possession of Lorraine, Alsace and Franche Comte would relieve France
of all danger from Germany, and by these acquisitions the
(06:59):
power and greatness of the French monarchy would be fully vindicated.
In ordinary times, opposition from England to the French absorption
of the Spanish Netherlands would have taken concrete form, but
in sixteen forty six this civil war was at its
height and England was a contiete negligiabre Spain, the Cardinal
(07:25):
believed could be easily gained if Catalonia and Portugal were
left to her mercies. Mazagon, however, had never calculated upon
the strength of the Dutch opposition to his scheme. To
satisfy the fears of the merchants of Amsterdam, he was
prepared to hand over Antwerp to the Stadtholder, and in
(07:46):
making this offer he felt that he was adhering to
the arrangement for a partition of the Spanish Netherlands in
accordance with the Treaty of sixteen thirty five. But the
Stadtholder's power was limitedmitted and public opinion in Holland favored
the opening of direct negotiations with Spain. On hearing that
(08:08):
a marriage between the Spanish Infanta and Louis the fourteenth
was being discussed, the Dutch were seized with a justifiable panic,
and from the date of the capture of Dunkirk their
friendship with France sensibly cooled. This circumstance coupled with the
(08:29):
failure of the Count of Arcour in November sixteen forty
six to take Ledida, presaged further difficulties in the execution
of Mazarin's plans in Flanders and Spain. To all appearances, however,
the year sixteen forty six had been peculiarly glorious in
(08:50):
French history. The Spaniards had lost Courtrey, Mardaich, Funes, Fun
and Dunkirk. In Italy, the French had occupied Piambino and
Porto Longone. France moreover, was closely allied with Portugal, Catalonia
and Sweden. Her influence was preponderant in Poland and Denmark,
(09:14):
and Mazarin had hopes of gaining Bavaria the Dutch alliance
still existed. It was by no means impossible that Mazarin's
intrigues in England on behalf of the royalist cause might
not bear some fruit and lead at any rate to
the prolongation of the Civil War. The success of Mazarin's
(09:37):
foreign policy had strengthened his position in Paris, while the
death of Henri Bourbon, Prince of Conde, on December twentieth,
sixteen forty six, removed one of his most vindictive opponents.
His heir and successor, the young Duke Donguin, was a
(09:59):
soldier rather than a politician to the governments of Champagne
and bris He, now owing to his father's death, added
that of Burgundy. At first he did not use his
influence against Mazarin. That minister had persuaded the young prince
to proceed to Spain and rehabilitate the French fortunes there.
(10:23):
The Catalans, afraid of being abandoned by the government of
Louis the fourteenth, were on the point of making terms
with Spain, and it was hoped in Paris that the
young Conde would, in his usual brilliant fashion, win a
decisive success and restore confidence to the French allies. During
(10:45):
Conde's absence in Spain, important events took place in Germany.
In the autumn of sixteen forty six, Turin had effected
a junction with Vrongel, who, on the illness of Torch
de Usun, had succeeded to the command of the Swedish troops.
Together they invaded and devastated Bavaria, and in December the
(11:10):
Duke Maximilian had solicited a suspension of arms. In March
of sixteen forty seven, the Treaty of Ulm was signed,
and Austria was deprived of the valuable Bavarian alliance. The
Duke's lands were secured from all further devastation, and a
(11:31):
distinct step was taken toward the conclusion of the war
for Mazarin. This Treaty of Ulm came at an opportune time.
The Dutch had just made a truce with Spain, though
their defection was as yet limited to a suspension of hostilities,
and their cooperation in the Spanish Netherlands could no longer
(11:52):
be counted upon. Owing, however, to the Treaty of Ulm,
Mazarin was now able to transfer to Flanders many of
the troops then serving in Germany. Turin indeed wished to
unite with the Swedes, to march to Vienna and so
to force the Emperor to make peace. As events turned out,
(12:14):
this project might have been carried out with advantage, but
at the time of the Treaty of Ulm, the Emperor
was showing a more conciliatory temper, while the Spaniards, overjoyed
by the defection of the Dutch from the French cause
constituted a serious danger to France. Mazarin was therefore justified
(12:37):
in deciding to concentrate his principal efforts in the Spanish Netherlands.
There Under the Archduke Leopoult, the Army of Spain took
Armontieres June fourth, sixteen forty seven and Landresci July twenty eighth.
The capture of Dixmude July thirteenth and La Basset July
(13:00):
twenty ninth by Hansau and Gascion relieved the situation, and
Mazarin resolved to attempt the complete conquest of the Spanish
Netherlands and looked to Turin to carry out this plan. Unfortunately,
the viy Marian troops who were serving under Turin mutinied,
and all Mazarin's schemes were frustrated. This proved to be
(13:25):
the beginning of a series of disasters to France which
encouraged her enemies and seemed to render all hope of
peace impossible. The Duke of Bavaria began to show a
disposition to throw over his arrangements with France, and in Bohemia.
The Swedish army in August suffered a severe repulse In Spain,
(13:48):
Conde failed to take Lydia, and on June seventeenth, sixteen
forty seven, raised the siege in Naples. The situation was
by no means incurbed couraging, and Mazarin wisely refrained from
undertaking any serious enterprise on behalf of so fickal A
people as the Neapolitans. In England, the Parliamentary Party was
(14:13):
victorious and all chance of royalist successes was at an end.
At the beginning of October, however, the position of France
and Europe seemed to be more hopeful, and Mazarin's power
more firmly established. Supreme at court. He had with him
in France's relations, by whose marriages he hoped still further
(14:38):
to strength in his position. The French armies were superior
to those of the enemy in Germany, Flanders and Italy.
France held possession of Piombino, Porto, Longoni, Pinerolo, Cassale, Philipsburg, Dunkirk,
Alsace and Lorraine. Though checked at Ledida, she had not
(14:58):
lost her hold on Catalonia. Holland's defection had not yet
led to active opposition, and the Treaty of Ulm indicated
the approach of peace. Had it not been for the
unfortunate mutiny of the Vimarrian troops, signal successes could probably
have been gained in Flanders by Turin. Even in Naples,
(15:21):
the prospects of French intervention looked hopeful, and at the
end of the month the Neapolitans proclaimed a republic. At home.
Mazarin's power and influence seemed assured. Emmerie had been made
Controller General and admitted into the Royal Council, and Mazarin
(15:42):
appeared to hold the reigns of office as firmly as
did Richelieu. It was about this time that he opened
his famous library and introduced the opera into France. In
sixteen forty seven, Orpheus and Eurydice was following in the
footsteps of Richelia. Masarin began to patronize literature. Among those
(16:08):
who received pensions were Cornet, Balzac, Chaplin, Voiitur and Descartes.
From the beginning of October sixteen forty seven, however, these
appearances of strength, prosperity and good fortune were seen to
be ephemeral until the end of the year. Misfortune dogged
(16:29):
Mazarin's footsteps. Gaussion and Ransau failed to win any decisive
success in Flanders, and Gausion was himself killed on October fifth.
In the Milanese, the French operations proved futile, and in
Naples the folly of the Duke of Giese had by
(16:50):
the end of the year ruined all chance of effective
intervention on the part of France. In Naples, the Cardinal
was justified in believing that the year sixteen forty seven
had been under the influence of an evil constellation. Nor
did the opening of sixteen forty eight give any indication
(17:11):
of decisive French successes. In January, the Dutch made a
definitive treaty with Spain, while the Elector of Bavaria, who
in October of sixteen forty seven had taken up arms, again,
renounced the Treaty of Ulm. The situation at the beginning
of sixteen forty eight was thus far from being encouraging. Mazarin, however,
(17:35):
never lost hope or relaxed his efforts. The failure of
Conde at Leedida had been followed by the issue of
a vast number of satirical attacks upon him and the Cardinal.
Paul de Gondi, the poet Seracint, the Conte de Fiesque,
and the Bishop Arne were especially conspicuous in the virulence
(17:58):
of this hostility to the government. Nor was the Parlement
of Paris idol. It seized the opportunity of testifying its
opposition to the minister. Energetic measures were at once taken
to relieve the situation. To Conde was given the command
of the army in Flanders, vacant by the death of Gascion,
(18:21):
while Turin was ordered to attack the Duke of Bavaria,
and the marshals Plaissis, Pralin and Schomberg were entrusted with
operations in Italy and Spain. In May, the combined Franco
Swedish forces under Turin and Vraguel won the Battle of
SEUs Marshausen and Bavaria was invaded. At the same time,
(18:44):
another Swedish general, Kunig's March, entered Bohemia and threatened Prague.
The Emperor was thus attacked both from the west and
from the north in Paris, which was seething with sedition.
The victory of Sumachhausen was little noticed, though Masarin fully
appreciated its importance and had little doubt that the Emperor
(19:08):
would be compelled to make peace. But before this desired
end was attained, he had to live through many anxious months.
In Italy, the operations were disappointing. Plais Si Prolin won
no decisive success in the Milanese, and no satisfactory opportunity
for successful intervention in Naples presented itself. Nor were the
(19:32):
first beginnings of Conde's campaign in Flanders promising. Courtrey was
lost in May, and it was expected in Holland that
the French would not be able to keep possession of
their conquests. In July, however, the tide turned. On the
thirteenth of that month, Schomberg captured Tortosa and Spain lay
(19:55):
open to a French advance. On the twenty sixth, a
still more important success was gained, which brought into clear
relief the value of the victory of Sussmachhausen Kernigsmark. The
Swedish general cleverly seized Little Prague, that portion of Prague
which was situated on the left bank of the Moldao.
(20:17):
It was the capture of Little Prague which, perhaps more
than any other event, induced the Emperor to listen to
the advice of the Duke of Bavaria and of other
German princes, and to agree to peace. Hardly had Mazarin
heard the news of these successes when the Duke of
Chatillon arrived with the welcome intelligence of Conde's defeat of
(20:41):
the Spaniards on August twenty second at Lance. Rarely has
a victory been won at a more opportune moment, and
the debt due to Conde by the French government was immense.
The French had earlier in the year lost Courtrey and
had failed to take Ostende, and the Archduke Leopult, a
(21:04):
commander of ability, had pressed forward to the line of
the Solmes Condet at the head of a very inferior force,
lacking supplies, pay and ammunition. Was opposed to him, and
on his success much depended. Paris was in a state
bordering on revolution. The treasury was bankrupt, the provinces threatened
(21:28):
to rise, and the court opposed by the parliament. Many
of the nobles and the populace was distracted. Madame de Chevreuse,
Beaufort and others of the Amporton faction had again appeared,
and even treasonable communications with Spain were hinted at the
(21:48):
attitude of Paris in many respects foreshadowed that taken up
in seventeen eighty nine. At Lance on August twentieth, Conde
met the Spanish army, which occupied a strong position. Fortunately, Leopult,
confident of victory, advanced into the plane, where he was
(22:09):
attacked by the French. After a desperate struggle in which
fortune inclined first to one side and then to the other, Conde,
having shown military qualities of the highest order, won a
decisive and splendid victory. The news of the victory of
Lance revived the hopes of Mazarin and the courage of
(22:31):
the affrighted court. France was saved from invasion, and the
supporters of the French monarchy took fresh heart. At last,
said Mazarin, heaven is declared in our favor. From this
succession of victories. He was justified in anticipating important results.
(22:52):
The Spaniards, he declared, would become more tractable on the
question of peace, and he fully expected that the French
court would be enabled to triumph over the Parliament of Paris,
though on both these points Mazarin was destined to be disappointed.
The peace of Westphalia was an immediate and striking result
(23:13):
of the French and Swedish successes in Germany. From this piece,
the Spaniards held aloof Serbian Mazarin's able minister at Munster
had fully realized that, since the conclusion of the treaty
with Holland in January sixteen forty eight, Spain had no
intention of coming to terms with France. In Madrid. Much
(23:37):
was hoped for from the troubles in France, full reports
of which were furnished by the Duches of Chevreuse and Saintibal. Moreover,
the Spaniards were confident in the superiority of their armies.
They had reconquered Naples and Plassy. Praulin in October was
compelled to raise the siege of Cromona. Defeat at Lance
(24:01):
was in their eyes fully compensated for by the sedition
in Paris and the condition of the French armies. In
a word, Spain in October sixteen forty eight considered herself
fully competent to vanquish France. The Emperor was in a
very different position. The victory of the French at Sumachhausen
(24:22):
and that of the Swedes at Prague placed his capital
at the mercy of his enemies who were preparing to
cross the Inn and invade his hereditary dominions. Mazarin, hampered
by the progress of the fraud and anxious to have
his hands free, showed a conciliatory spirit, and the Emperor,
in opposition to the strongly expressed wishes of his Spanish allies,
(24:47):
agreed to the French terms. On October twenty fourth, sixteen
forty eight, the Peace of Westphalia was signed between France
and Sweden on the one hand, and the representatives of
the Emperor and the Empire on the other. France secured
Upper and Lower Alsace, the Tsundugau, and the prefecture of
(25:11):
ten imperial towns, in other words, the practical ownership of Alsace,
though the rights of the imperial princes were for a
long time a matter of difficulty. She also obtained recognition
of her possessions of number one, mess Toule and ver Dunn,
the three bishoprics conquered by Henry the Third, with their
(25:32):
districts two of Old Breisach situated on the right bank
of the Rhine, while the privilege of keeping a garrison
in Philippsburg was also granted to France. Further, no fortress
was to be placed on the right bank of the
Rhine between bal and Philippsburg. Indirectly, France gained enormously her ally.
(25:54):
Sweden secured a foothold in northern Germany together with a
vote in the Diet, and the practice independence of the
princes of the Empire was recognized. Mazarin had successfully carried
on the foreign policy of Richelia and the situation of
the great European states in sixteen forty eight speaks volumes
(26:15):
for his skill and energy. The power of the House
of Habsburg was in many respects seriously curtailed. The Austrian
branch could no longer aim at establishing a universal monarchy
and came out of the war with its resources much weakened.
The Spanish branch had lost its preponderance in Italy, Portugal
(26:38):
had regained its independence, Catalonia was in revolt. Though Spain
continued the war till sixteen fifty nine, she only lost
by doing so, and her defeats and losses strengthened the
position of France. French influence remained supreme in Germany for
some thirty years and was only destroyed by the ambition
(27:00):
and short sightedness of Louis the fourteenth Mazarin had not
merely advanced the boundary of France toward the Rhine. He
had established French preponderance in Europe, and had insisted on
the recognition of the balance of power. The Peace of
the Pyrenees in sixteen fifty nine completed the work of
(27:20):
the pacification of Westphalia. The conclusion of the war between
France and the Emperor was hardly noticed in Paris, and
this fact in itself as a striking illustration of the
want of patriotism of the Frondeurs. Moreover, Duretz in October
sixteen forty eight was actually considering the advisability of inviting
(27:44):
the Spaniards to march on Paris. His plan was to
send Santibal, his friend and relation, to Brussels, to engage
Fuen Saldagna to advance. Already, the Parliamentary Frond was falling
into the hands of plotters and traitors. End of Chapter
three
Chapter three of Mazarin by Arthur Hassel. This LibriVox recording
is in the public domain recording by Pamel and Agami,
Chapter three The Peace of Westphalia sixteen forty eight. The
Peace of Westphalia constitutes an important epoch in the history
(00:23):
of Europe. It marked the close of the struggle in
Central and Northern Europe between the Reformation and counter Reformation movements,
and the failure of the attempt of the Emperor to
form all Germany into an Austrian and Roman Catholic empire.
After the Peace of Westphalia, commercial rather than religious motives
(00:48):
regulated the policy of the chief states of Europe. But
the peace did not merely mark a revolution in men's
ways of thought. It also signalized a remark change in
the balance of forces on the continent. For upwards of
a century, the Habsburgs, supreme in Vienna and Madrid and
(01:10):
closely united by family ties, had threatened to impose their
will upon Europe. After sixteen forty eight, the danger ceased.
The weakness of the Emperor and the strength and independence
of the German princes rendered any close union with Spain impossible.
(01:30):
While Spain herself, though she struggled till sixteen fifty nine
against her impending fate, was already a declining power. From
another point of view, the peace of Westphalia has a
special interest. It affords an admirable illustration of a successful
effort on the part of the German princes to strengthen
(01:54):
their own position at the expense of the central power.
All over Europe, the monarchical principle was being assailed. In Holland,
the power of the Stadtholder depended entirely on the will
of the merchant aristocracy. In England, a republic was shortly
(02:14):
to be established. In Italy, the revolt of Masionello seemed
at one time likely to lead to the formation of
a Neapolitan government independent of Spain, and even in Russia
aristocratic discontent against the Czar existed. Thus, the movement in
(02:35):
France against the Mazarin, which shortly developed into the Fraund Struggle,
was but one of many similar manifestations of a general
tendency all over Europe to attack monarchical institutions. Mazarin was
well aware of the impossibility of checking the general disaffection
(02:57):
in France till Austria had been humbled and therefore he
devoted all his efforts to bringing the war to a
successful conclusion. The actual Congress was not open at Munster
till April tenth, sixteen forty four, and it was not
until the end of sixteen forty five that the negotiations
(03:19):
seriously began. The questions to be settled were many and complicated.
France and Sweden demanded compensation, either in land or money.
The Elector of Brandenburg wished to occupy all Pomerania, which
the Swedes had seized. The Elector Palatine demanded restoration to
(03:41):
his dominions. Then there were innumerable questions dealing with the
religious situation the United Provinces, Italy, Catalonia, Portugal, the constitution
of the Empire, and the position of the German princes.
Early in the proceedings, Maso brought forward France as the
(04:02):
protector of the ancient German liberties, and so secured the
friendship of the imperial towns and the German princes. The
Landgrave of Hesse, the Elector of trev the Duke of
Neubueg readily accepted the protection of France. It proved impossible
to gain the fickle Duke of Lorraine it was equally
(04:25):
difficult to win over the powerful elector of Bavaria. Maximilian,
the First of Bavaria had played an important part in
the Thirty Years War, but from June sixteen forty four
he began to enter into periodical negotiations with Mazarin. The
Cardinal placed no reliance on these negotiations, which he recognized
(04:49):
were meant to sow discord between France and her allies. Consequently,
it was not until after the Battle of Nordlingen, followed
later by the devastation of his territory by Turin, that
Maximilian made serious overtures to France. In an atmosphere of
(05:09):
intrigue such as existed at Munster, Mazarin did wisely in
pressing on military operations. The capture of Dunkirk in sixteen
forty six was rightly regarded as one of the most
brilliant exploits of the minority of Louis the fourteen and
(05:30):
the military reputation of Angien was greatly increased. But the
success which had attended the French arms had serious political consequences.
The Dutch became alarmed at the possibility of further conquests
on the part of the French, which might result in
the practical absorption of the Spanish Netherlands into the French monarchy,
(05:55):
and their fears tended to hamper Mazarin's efforts to bring
the war to a close. After the fall of Dunkirk,
that Minister thought the way was opened for negotiations with Spain,
the most bitter of the enemies of France. He was
prepared to sacrifice the Catalans and the Portuguese if Spain
(06:17):
would relinquish the Spanish Netherlands. As early as January sixteen
forty six, he had written clearly on this point to
the French envoys at Munster, and his letter is a
valuable and interesting summary of the views always held by
the French nation with regard to the so called national
(06:39):
boundaries of France. Paris would be safe from attack on
her northeastern frontier if the Spanish Netherlands were secured. The
possession of Lorraine, Alsace and Franche Comte would relieve France
of all danger from Germany, and by these acquisitions the
(06:59):
power and greatness of the French monarchy would be fully vindicated.
In ordinary times, opposition from England to the French absorption
of the Spanish Netherlands would have taken concrete form, but
in sixteen forty six this civil war was at its
height and England was a contiete negligiabre Spain, the Cardinal
(07:25):
believed could be easily gained if Catalonia and Portugal were
left to her mercies. Mazagon, however, had never calculated upon
the strength of the Dutch opposition to his scheme. To
satisfy the fears of the merchants of Amsterdam, he was
prepared to hand over Antwerp to the Stadtholder, and in
(07:46):
making this offer he felt that he was adhering to
the arrangement for a partition of the Spanish Netherlands in
accordance with the Treaty of sixteen thirty five. But the
Stadtholder's power was limitedmitted and public opinion in Holland favored
the opening of direct negotiations with Spain. On hearing that
(08:08):
a marriage between the Spanish Infanta and Louis the fourteenth
was being discussed, the Dutch were seized with a justifiable panic,
and from the date of the capture of Dunkirk their
friendship with France sensibly cooled. This circumstance coupled with the
(08:29):
failure of the Count of Arcour in November sixteen forty
six to take Ledida, presaged further difficulties in the execution
of Mazarin's plans in Flanders and Spain. To all appearances, however,
the year sixteen forty six had been peculiarly glorious in
(08:50):
French history. The Spaniards had lost Courtrey, Mardaich, Funes, Fun
and Dunkirk. In Italy, the French had occupied Piambino and
Porto Longone. France moreover, was closely allied with Portugal, Catalonia
and Sweden. Her influence was preponderant in Poland and Denmark,
(09:14):
and Mazarin had hopes of gaining Bavaria the Dutch alliance
still existed. It was by no means impossible that Mazarin's
intrigues in England on behalf of the royalist cause might
not bear some fruit and lead at any rate to
the prolongation of the Civil War. The success of Mazarin's
(09:37):
foreign policy had strengthened his position in Paris, while the
death of Henri Bourbon, Prince of Conde, on December twentieth,
sixteen forty six, removed one of his most vindictive opponents.
His heir and successor, the young Duke Donguin, was a
(09:59):
soldier rather than a politician to the governments of Champagne
and bris He, now owing to his father's death, added
that of Burgundy. At first he did not use his
influence against Mazarin. That minister had persuaded the young prince
to proceed to Spain and rehabilitate the French fortunes there.
(10:23):
The Catalans, afraid of being abandoned by the government of
Louis the fourteenth, were on the point of making terms
with Spain, and it was hoped in Paris that the
young Conde would, in his usual brilliant fashion, win a
decisive success and restore confidence to the French allies. During
(10:45):
Conde's absence in Spain, important events took place in Germany.
In the autumn of sixteen forty six, Turin had effected
a junction with Vrongel, who, on the illness of Torch
de Usun, had succeeded to the command of the Swedish troops.
Together they invaded and devastated Bavaria, and in December the
(11:10):
Duke Maximilian had solicited a suspension of arms. In March
of sixteen forty seven, the Treaty of Ulm was signed,
and Austria was deprived of the valuable Bavarian alliance. The
Duke's lands were secured from all further devastation, and a
(11:31):
distinct step was taken toward the conclusion of the war
for Mazarin. This Treaty of Ulm came at an opportune time.
The Dutch had just made a truce with Spain, though
their defection was as yet limited to a suspension of hostilities,
and their cooperation in the Spanish Netherlands could no longer
(11:52):
be counted upon. Owing, however, to the Treaty of Ulm,
Mazarin was now able to transfer to Flanders many of
the troops then serving in Germany. Turin indeed wished to
unite with the Swedes, to march to Vienna and so
to force the Emperor to make peace. As events turned out,
(12:14):
this project might have been carried out with advantage, but
at the time of the Treaty of Ulm, the Emperor
was showing a more conciliatory temper, while the Spaniards, overjoyed
by the defection of the Dutch from the French cause
constituted a serious danger to France. Mazarin was therefore justified
(12:37):
in deciding to concentrate his principal efforts in the Spanish Netherlands.
There Under the Archduke Leopoult, the Army of Spain took
Armontieres June fourth, sixteen forty seven and Landresci July twenty eighth.
The capture of Dixmude July thirteenth and La Basset July
(13:00):
twenty ninth by Hansau and Gascion relieved the situation, and
Mazarin resolved to attempt the complete conquest of the Spanish
Netherlands and looked to Turin to carry out this plan. Unfortunately,
the viy Marian troops who were serving under Turin mutinied,
and all Mazarin's schemes were frustrated. This proved to be
(13:25):
the beginning of a series of disasters to France which
encouraged her enemies and seemed to render all hope of
peace impossible. The Duke of Bavaria began to show a
disposition to throw over his arrangements with France, and in Bohemia.
The Swedish army in August suffered a severe repulse In Spain,
(13:48):
Conde failed to take Lydia, and on June seventeenth, sixteen
forty seven, raised the siege in Naples. The situation was
by no means incurbed couraging, and Mazarin wisely refrained from
undertaking any serious enterprise on behalf of so fickal A
people as the Neapolitans. In England, the Parliamentary Party was
(14:13):
victorious and all chance of royalist successes was at an end.
At the beginning of October, however, the position of France
and Europe seemed to be more hopeful, and Mazarin's power
more firmly established. Supreme at court. He had with him
in France's relations, by whose marriages he hoped still further
(14:38):
to strength in his position. The French armies were superior
to those of the enemy in Germany, Flanders and Italy.
France held possession of Piombino, Porto, Longoni, Pinerolo, Cassale, Philipsburg, Dunkirk,
Alsace and Lorraine. Though checked at Ledida, she had not
(14:58):
lost her hold on Catalonia. Holland's defection had not yet
led to active opposition, and the Treaty of Ulm indicated
the approach of peace. Had it not been for the
unfortunate mutiny of the Vimarrian troops, signal successes could probably
have been gained in Flanders by Turin. Even in Naples,
(15:21):
the prospects of French intervention looked hopeful, and at the
end of the month the Neapolitans proclaimed a republic. At home.
Mazarin's power and influence seemed assured. Emmerie had been made
Controller General and admitted into the Royal Council, and Mazarin
(15:42):
appeared to hold the reigns of office as firmly as
did Richelieu. It was about this time that he opened
his famous library and introduced the opera into France. In
sixteen forty seven, Orpheus and Eurydice was following in the
footsteps of Richelia. Masarin began to patronize literature. Among those
(16:08):
who received pensions were Cornet, Balzac, Chaplin, Voiitur and Descartes.
From the beginning of October sixteen forty seven, however, these
appearances of strength, prosperity and good fortune were seen to
be ephemeral until the end of the year. Misfortune dogged
(16:29):
Mazarin's footsteps. Gaussion and Ransau failed to win any decisive
success in Flanders, and Gausion was himself killed on October fifth.
In the Milanese, the French operations proved futile, and in
Naples the folly of the Duke of Giese had by
(16:50):
the end of the year ruined all chance of effective
intervention on the part of France. In Naples, the Cardinal
was justified in believing that the year sixteen forty seven
had been under the influence of an evil constellation. Nor
did the opening of sixteen forty eight give any indication
(17:11):
of decisive French successes. In January, the Dutch made a
definitive treaty with Spain, while the Elector of Bavaria, who
in October of sixteen forty seven had taken up arms, again,
renounced the Treaty of Ulm. The situation at the beginning
of sixteen forty eight was thus far from being encouraging. Mazarin, however,
(17:35):
never lost hope or relaxed his efforts. The failure of
Conde at Leedida had been followed by the issue of
a vast number of satirical attacks upon him and the Cardinal.
Paul de Gondi, the poet Seracint, the Conte de Fiesque,
and the Bishop Arne were especially conspicuous in the virulence
(17:58):
of this hostility to the government. Nor was the Parlement
of Paris idol. It seized the opportunity of testifying its
opposition to the minister. Energetic measures were at once taken
to relieve the situation. To Conde was given the command
of the army in Flanders, vacant by the death of Gascion,
(18:21):
while Turin was ordered to attack the Duke of Bavaria,
and the marshals Plaissis, Pralin and Schomberg were entrusted with
operations in Italy and Spain. In May, the combined Franco
Swedish forces under Turin and Vraguel won the Battle of
SEUs Marshausen and Bavaria was invaded. At the same time,
(18:44):
another Swedish general, Kunig's March, entered Bohemia and threatened Prague.
The Emperor was thus attacked both from the west and
from the north in Paris, which was seething with sedition.
The victory of Sumachhausen was little noticed, though Masarin fully
appreciated its importance and had little doubt that the Emperor
(19:08):
would be compelled to make peace. But before this desired
end was attained, he had to live through many anxious months.
In Italy, the operations were disappointing. Plais Si Prolin won
no decisive success in the Milanese, and no satisfactory opportunity
for successful intervention in Naples presented itself. Nor were the
(19:32):
first beginnings of Conde's campaign in Flanders promising. Courtrey was
lost in May, and it was expected in Holland that
the French would not be able to keep possession of
their conquests. In July, however, the tide turned. On the
thirteenth of that month, Schomberg captured Tortosa and Spain lay
(19:55):
open to a French advance. On the twenty sixth, a
still more important success was gained, which brought into clear
relief the value of the victory of Sussmachhausen Kernigsmark. The
Swedish general cleverly seized Little Prague, that portion of Prague
which was situated on the left bank of the Moldao.
(20:17):
It was the capture of Little Prague which, perhaps more
than any other event, induced the Emperor to listen to
the advice of the Duke of Bavaria and of other
German princes, and to agree to peace. Hardly had Mazarin
heard the news of these successes when the Duke of
Chatillon arrived with the welcome intelligence of Conde's defeat of
(20:41):
the Spaniards on August twenty second at Lance. Rarely has
a victory been won at a more opportune moment, and
the debt due to Conde by the French government was immense.
The French had earlier in the year lost Courtrey and
had failed to take Ostende, and the Archduke Leopult, a
(21:04):
commander of ability, had pressed forward to the line of
the Solmes Condet at the head of a very inferior force,
lacking supplies, pay and ammunition. Was opposed to him, and
on his success much depended. Paris was in a state
bordering on revolution. The treasury was bankrupt, the provinces threatened
(21:28):
to rise, and the court opposed by the parliament. Many
of the nobles and the populace was distracted. Madame de Chevreuse,
Beaufort and others of the Amporton faction had again appeared,
and even treasonable communications with Spain were hinted at the
(21:48):
attitude of Paris in many respects foreshadowed that taken up
in seventeen eighty nine. At Lance on August twentieth, Conde
met the Spanish army, which occupied a strong position. Fortunately, Leopult,
confident of victory, advanced into the plane, where he was
(22:09):
attacked by the French. After a desperate struggle in which
fortune inclined first to one side and then to the other, Conde,
having shown military qualities of the highest order, won a
decisive and splendid victory. The news of the victory of
Lance revived the hopes of Mazarin and the courage of
(22:31):
the affrighted court. France was saved from invasion, and the
supporters of the French monarchy took fresh heart. At last,
said Mazarin, heaven is declared in our favor. From this
succession of victories. He was justified in anticipating important results.
(22:52):
The Spaniards, he declared, would become more tractable on the
question of peace, and he fully expected that the French
court would be enabled to triumph over the Parliament of Paris,
though on both these points Mazarin was destined to be disappointed.
The peace of Westphalia was an immediate and striking result
(23:13):
of the French and Swedish successes in Germany. From this piece,
the Spaniards held aloof Serbian Mazarin's able minister at Munster
had fully realized that, since the conclusion of the treaty
with Holland in January sixteen forty eight, Spain had no
intention of coming to terms with France. In Madrid. Much
(23:37):
was hoped for from the troubles in France, full reports
of which were furnished by the Duches of Chevreuse and Saintibal. Moreover,
the Spaniards were confident in the superiority of their armies.
They had reconquered Naples and Plassy. Praulin in October was
compelled to raise the siege of Cromona. Defeat at Lance
(24:01):
was in their eyes fully compensated for by the sedition
in Paris and the condition of the French armies. In
a word, Spain in October sixteen forty eight considered herself
fully competent to vanquish France. The Emperor was in a
very different position. The victory of the French at Sumachhausen
(24:22):
and that of the Swedes at Prague placed his capital
at the mercy of his enemies who were preparing to
cross the Inn and invade his hereditary dominions. Mazarin, hampered
by the progress of the fraud and anxious to have
his hands free, showed a conciliatory spirit, and the Emperor,
in opposition to the strongly expressed wishes of his Spanish allies,
(24:47):
agreed to the French terms. On October twenty fourth, sixteen
forty eight, the Peace of Westphalia was signed between France
and Sweden on the one hand, and the representatives of
the Emperor and the Empire on the other. France secured
Upper and Lower Alsace, the Tsundugau, and the prefecture of
(25:11):
ten imperial towns, in other words, the practical ownership of Alsace,
though the rights of the imperial princes were for a
long time a matter of difficulty. She also obtained recognition
of her possessions of number one, mess Toule and ver Dunn,
the three bishoprics conquered by Henry the Third, with their
(25:32):
districts two of Old Breisach situated on the right bank
of the Rhine, while the privilege of keeping a garrison
in Philippsburg was also granted to France. Further, no fortress
was to be placed on the right bank of the
Rhine between bal and Philippsburg. Indirectly, France gained enormously her ally.
(25:54):
Sweden secured a foothold in northern Germany together with a
vote in the Diet, and the practice independence of the
princes of the Empire was recognized. Mazarin had successfully carried
on the foreign policy of Richelia and the situation of
the great European states in sixteen forty eight speaks volumes
(26:15):
for his skill and energy. The power of the House
of Habsburg was in many respects seriously curtailed. The Austrian
branch could no longer aim at establishing a universal monarchy
and came out of the war with its resources much weakened.
The Spanish branch had lost its preponderance in Italy, Portugal
(26:38):
had regained its independence, Catalonia was in revolt. Though Spain
continued the war till sixteen fifty nine, she only lost
by doing so, and her defeats and losses strengthened the
position of France. French influence remained supreme in Germany for
some thirty years and was only destroyed by the ambition
(27:00):
and short sightedness of Louis the fourteenth Mazarin had not
merely advanced the boundary of France toward the Rhine. He
had established French preponderance in Europe, and had insisted on
the recognition of the balance of power. The Peace of
the Pyrenees in sixteen fifty nine completed the work of
(27:20):
the pacification of Westphalia. The conclusion of the war between
France and the Emperor was hardly noticed in Paris, and
this fact in itself as a striking illustration of the
want of patriotism of the Frondeurs. Moreover, Duretz in October
sixteen forty eight was actually considering the advisability of inviting
(27:44):
the Spaniards to march on Paris. His plan was to
send Santibal, his friend and relation, to Brussels, to engage
Fuen Saldagna to advance. Already, the Parliamentary Frond was falling
into the hands of plotters and traitors. End of Chapter
three
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com