History of 1648
1648 stands out as one of the most important years in European and world history. The Thirty Years and Eighty Years Wars particularly benefited France. While the former ostensibly concerned religious freedoms, Catholic France mostly backed Protestant interests. This gives us a notion of some the intrigue in play as Louis XIV came of age. This geopolitical play was unpopular and led to a dual uprising called The Fronde. That episode significantly set the foundation for most Louis XIV's reign. France was also in the midst the Franco-Spanish War of 1635-1659.