The Minority of Louis XIV: the roles of Anne of Austria and Mazarin; the Parlement of Paris, unrest and opposition; the Frondes
When Louis XIV became king aged four, his mother Anne and her chief minister Mazarin ran France. Powerful nobles and law courts rebelled in a series of civil wars called the Frondes.
Real World
The Fronde of the Princes (1650–53), led by the Great Condé — a military hero who had won the Battle of Rocroi — forced the young Louis XIV to flee Paris twice, an experience he never forgot and which directly shaped his later decision to move the court to Versailles away from the capital's mobs.
Exam Focus
Distinguish the Fronde of the Parlement (constitutional grievances) from the Fronde of the Princes (noble self-interest) — conflating them suggests superficial understanding and will cost marks.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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