A Happier Wedding, A Greater France

What's this? An Update?!

Sorry about the long wait: researches, real life events, procastination and a bit of a writer's block are the cause of this delayed update. Be warned it's a rather long one that covers most of the European Events of the middle of the Seventeenth Century, except for The War of the Pyrennees that I will talk about in the next update.

I hope it's good and plausible as I'm not totally convinced about the quality of this update. Anyway, enjoy!

[FONT=&quot]Chapter 2: Europe in the middle of the Seventeenth Century[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Peace of Westphalia: conclusion of the Thirty Years’ Wars[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Thirty Years’ War finally reached its conclusion with the signing of the treaties of Münster and Osnabrück in 1648, which resulted in the Peace of Westphalia. Along with the Thirty Years War, the Eighty Years War opposing Spain and the Netherlands also came to an end.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]France emerged as the greatest winner of the conflict and enjoyed the spoils of war thanks to the diplomacy of Cardinal Mazarin, who had the trust of King Louis XIV. Though he was less powerful politically than his predecessor Richelieu [1], Mazarin’s skills could not be denied and most of the peace terms were the results of his personal work and received approval from his liege. France extended eastward with the annexation of the Three Bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun (who were under French control since 1552), the German town of Brisach, and the cities of the Décapole [2] in Upper Alsace. The only regret of the French King was the fact France hadn’t won control of Strasbourg, but he was still very satisfied with the new borders of his kingdom, something he would show when he would accept the title of Landgrave of Upper and Lower Alsace proposed to him by the sovereign council of Alsace in 1658 [3]. France also expanded in the South, annexing the Piemontese town of Pignerol.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The other great winner of the Thirty Years’ War was Sweden, who received an indemnity of five millions talers, which would serve mostly to pay its troops. The Swedes also received Western Pomerania, Wismar and the Prince-Bishoprics of Bremen and Verden, giving the Swedes a vote in the Imperial diet as well as in the Lower Saxon, Upper Saxon and Westphalian circles. Thanks to this, the treaty gave Sweden the control of the mouth of the Oder, Elbe and Weser rivers. The wording of the treaty of Osnabrück was, however, very ambiguous on several points:[/FONT]

  • [FONT=&quot]The city of Bremen had claimed imperial immediacy upon the Swedish takeover, which separated it from the Prince-Bishoprics of the same name. Sweden, however, thought the city was to be ceded, which would lead to the Bremen Wars.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]The determination of the Swedish-Brandenburgian border in Pomerania was left in the care of both parties. The border would be settled in the 1653 treaty of Stettin, but the conflict linked to it would continue to rage on for years.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]The status of the Mecklenburgian port tolls: the Swedes understood the treaty gave them control over all the tolls, while the Duke of Mecklenburg and the Emperor understood that it only concerned the city of Wismar, ceded to Sweden.[/FONT]
  • [FONT=&quot]The Bishopric of Münster also claimed the city of Widlehausen, a petty exclave of the Bishopric of Bremen and Verden which Sweden had acquired.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The treaties of Westphalia also settled a number of territorial changes, the most important one concerning the Palatinate. Following the ban of the Protestant Frederick V in 1623, the Palatinate had been given to his Catholic cousin Maximilian I, Duke of Bavaria. The treaty would resolve the conflict between both branches of the Wittlesbach by partitioning the Electorate. As such, the Duke of Bavaria was granted control of the Upper Palatinate and kept the electoral vote he had acquired in 1623. The Lower Palatinate was granted to the son and heir of Frederick V, Charles Louis, along with a new eighth electoral vote. Charles Louis would only return in 1649 to the Palatinate, alongside his wife Mary Stuart, Princess Royal and daughter of Charles I of England & Scotland [4].[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The succession to the United Duchies of Jülich-Cleves-Berg, still subject to quarrels since 1609, was also settled. The Count Palatine of Neuburg received Jülich, Berg and Ravenstein while Brandenburg-Prussia received Cleves, Mark and Ravensberg. Brandenburg-Prussia also annexed the Bishoprics of Madgeburg, Halberstadt, Kammin and Minden, alongside Farther Pomerania.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]An agreement was reached in regards to the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück: it would alternate between Catholic and Protestant holders, with the Protestant Bishop being a cadet member of the House of Brunswick-Luneburg. Lastly, the treaty formally recognized the independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland, both of which had been de facto independent for decades, and clarified the independence of the city of Bremen (though it was contested by Sweden as mentioned earlier). The treaty also abolished barriers to trade & commerce that had been erected during the war, and guaranteed “a degree” of free navigation on the Rhine.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In terms of Religion, the Peace of Westphalia confirmed the Peace of Passau and that of Augsburg, which gave the right to each prince to choose his religion and that of his state, according to the principle cuius regio, eius religio. Calvinism was also recognized and granted the same rights that had been granted to Lutheranism by the mentioned treaties. The Holy See, most notably Pope Innocent X, condemned these settlements vehemently, but they were nevertheless applied.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In terms of Politics, the treaties effectively destroyed the power of the Hapsburg by recognizing the autonomy of each and every one of the states of the Empire, including Imperial Free cities. Each of the 350 states thus created won a vote in the Imperial Diet, which also gained powers. Though the Hapsburgs conserved the title of Holy Roman Emperors, the house of Austria had become nothing more than a figurehead which served to unify the Empire.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Peace of Westphalia thus became the Twilight of the Haspburg Hegemony over Europe. The Austrian branch’s authority over the Empire had been severely weakened and, though the Hapsburg would keep a great influence, it would never be the same. As for the Spanish branch, the treaties of Westphalia did not meant peace: alongside the Pyrenees, Spanish and French armies were still confronting each other in a war that would not end before 1659. This war, alongside the Portuguese Restoration War, would be the ruin of the country.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The War of the Three Kingdoms and the English Commonwealth[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As War was raging in the Holy Roman Empire, tearing apart most of the European nations, the British Isles would themselves be confronted to a civil war. However, while Religion had set Europe ablaze, it was not the spark of the War of the Three Kingdoms: the main cause of the conflict was linked to the question of Political Power, especially the powers of the King.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]At the time, though the Three Kingdoms remained separated entities, the British Isles were already united under one monarch. The year 1603 had seen the downfall of the Tudor Dynasty with the death of the Great Virgin Queen of England (and Ireland), Elizabeth I. Elizabeth’s successor would be, quite ironically, the son of her nemesis Mary Stuart: King James VI of Scotland, who became thus James I, King of England and Ireland. James I & VI would rule the three Kingdoms for twenty-two years, and his policies would be marked by attempts to unify the British Isles in a single Kingdom, but also by James I & VI’s belief in the “Divine Rights of Kings”.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]While James I & VI can’t be considered a bad king, his successor would be catastrophic. Having lost his eldest son, Prince Henry Frederick of Wales, in 1612, James’ heir was his second son, Charles. While nowadays Uchronians [5] wonder how the events would have turned out if the Prince of Wales had become Henry IX & I, this won’t change how they did turn out: thus, following the death of his father in 1625, Charles I was crowned as King of England, Scotland and Ireland.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]From the start, Charles I’s reign started on ill bases as he clashed with Parliament over his rights. The situation didn’t get any better when, shortly after his accession to the throne, the King chose Princess Henrietta-Marie of France, sister of King Louis XIII, to be his bride: Charles I couldn’t have made a more unpopular choice, the new queen being both French and Catholic. The fact the King also favored the unpopular Duke of Buckingham would also lead him to confront Parliament, resulting in Charles I dissolving Parliament following the fiasco of La Rochelle in 1627. The following decade, the King ruled without calling Parliament, which proved disastrous for the Crown’s finances. This eventually lead Charles I to make peace with France and Spain, then to get his kingdom out of the Thirty Years’ War in hopes of balancing his finances, but even that was insufficient. Not wishing to call Parliament, Charles used every means he could to get money without calling it, making him even more unpopular.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]In the end, a Religious conflict would lead to the chain of events that would bring Charles I’s downfall. Trying to make Church Practice uniform, Charles I tried to impose High Anglicanism to his whole realm. This was particularly met with resistance in Scotland, where the Episcopalian form of High Anglicanism contradicted with the Presbyterian form of the Scottish Church: the result would be the Bishops’ War, opposing the King and the Scots over the question of the nomination of Bishops. Charles I’s already bad economical situation worsened, forcing him to call back Parliament to raise fund. This was a tragic mistake: most of the Parliamentarians, mostly Puritans, were opposed to Charles’ views and expressed their grievances to their King. Soon, a number of laws were passed to limit the King’s powers, even though Parliament members swore an oath to Charles I.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Everything fell apart because of the Earl of Strafford, Thomas Wentworth. Parliament accused the Earl of Treason, but was unable to prove it in court. Parliamentarians eventually proclaimed a Bill of Attainder to have Wentworth executed, but it required Charles I’s approval and the King refused at first. Wentworth eventually convinced the King to let him be executed, which was done in May 1641. But then everything exploded: the Irish, to whom Wentworth was a popular figure, rebelled and talks about Charles I supporting the rebels soon circulated in Parliament. This was the last straw: in 1642, the King, with 400 soldiers, entered Parliament to arrest 5 of its members but their colleagues refused to give them up. The population of London supported the Parliamentarians, forcing Charles I to back down. Fearing for his safety, the King fled London and thus the sparks of war were lit.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The English Civil War would last from 1642 to 1651 and would oppose the Cavaliers, Royalists supporters of the Stuarts, and the Roundheads, supporters of the Parliamentarians. While Historians generally consider the English Civil War as a whole, the truth is that there were not one but three English Civil Wars that were thought: the First from 1642 to 1646, the Second in 1648 and the Third and last from 1649 to 1651.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The two opposing forces first clashed at Edgehill on October 23, 1642: it was an indecisive battle as both sides claimed victory following it. The first part of the First English Civil War however went well at first for the Royalists: they scored several victories and had impressive commander, most notably Charles I’s nephew, Prince Rupert of the Rhine. Parliamentarians were however able to turn the situation around with their victory during the First Battle of Newbury on September 20, 1643. The Roundheads were able to gain the upper hand thanks to Oliver Cromwell, a man who would prove himself a competent politician and commander. Eventually, Charles I’s army was crushed during the battles of Nasby (June 14, 1645) and Langport (July 10, 1645). Charles I continued to fight but his resources were no longer enough for him to pursue the War. In May 1646, he sought shelter with a Presbyterian Scottish army at Southwell, Nottinghamshire. Eventually, Charles I was handed over to the Parliaments by the Scots: the First English Civil War was over, and the King imprisoned.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]While he was imprisoned, the attention turned away from Charles I. This allowed the imprisoned King to negotiate a secret treaty with the Scots in December 1647: in exchange for Church Reform, they would invade England to restore Charles as King. The invasion came in summer 1648, and was accompanied by several Royalist uprisings throughout England, most of which were put down by Parliamentarian troops after mere skirmishes. The Royalists also received the support of former Parliamentarians troops in Wales, who had switched sides in spring 1648 as they had been unpaid. Parliament counter-offensive was swift and effective: all the uprisings were defeated one by one, and the Second English Civil War came to an end with the defeat of the Scots at the Battle of Preston (August 16-18, 1648). Repression was brutal: most of the rebel Royalist leaders were executed, despite the fact few of the major Royalist leaders from the First War had taken part in it.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Because of the Second English War, Parliament began to doubt about whether or not Charles I was to be restored on his throne. The King still had support from some Parliamentarians, who tried to negotiate with him to resolve the crisis. The Army was, however, opposed to negotiations and had no wish to see Charles I back on his throne: this eventually lead General Thomas Pride to march on Parliament in December 1648, where he conducted the so-called “Pride Purge”.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Of the 266 members of the Parliament, Pride arrested 45 and had the army keep 146 out of the chamber: the remaining 75 members, all at the Army’s biding, formed the Rump Parliament. This Parliament put Charles I on trial, on charge of treason against the people of England. The King was found guilty of High Treason by 59 commissioners and was beheaded on January 30, 1649.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This did not end the English Civil War: after the execution of his father, Royalists recognized the Prince of Wales as King Charles II of England, Scotland and Ireland. This paved the way for the Third English Civil War, which would conclude the fighting between Royalists and Parliamentarians. In August 15, 1649, Oliver Cromwell landed in Dublin to quell down the Royalist uprisings and end the Irish Rebellion which had started in 1641. He would lead a brutal campaign of suppression of the Rebels which would end only in 1653 with the surrender of the last Royalists troops. Though most of the victims were the results of scorched-earth and guerilla tactics, the massacre of Drogheda and the confiscation of Catholic-owned lands by the victors would leave a dark mark on Cromwell’s reputation and strain Anglo-Irish relations for years.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Cromwell himself, however, had to return to Britain to deal with Charles II, the latter having landed in Scotland on June 23, 1650 and proving to be the strongest threat. Leaving some of his lieutenants in Ireland in charge of the situation, Cromwell arrived in Scotland on July 22. Though facing troubles at first, his army occupied most of southern Scotland by the end of the year. After their victory at the battle of Inverkeithing on July 20, 1651, Cromwell marched towards Perth, allowing Charles II to move into England. Cromwell’s army pursued Charles II’s, leaving General Monck to deal with the Scots. The Scottish Royalists were definitely vanquished in 1652, earning Monck the position of military governor of Scotland from Parliament. For his part, Cromwell finally defeated Charles II at the battle of Worcester on September 3, 1651 but failed to capture or kill the new king. The latter, hiding into an oak tree, managed to escape capture and succeeded in fleeing to France where he found shelter at the court of his cousin Louis XIV. This marked the end of the War of the Three Kingdoms.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Political instability followed shortly, to the point the Rump Parliament was forced to dissolve by Cromwell because of its ineffectiveness. Its successor, the Barebones Parliament, would only last five months and fall because of infighting. Eventually, a Protectorate was established with Oliver Cromwell being sworn as Lord Protector on December 15, 1653. He would rule in a manner that can be considered that of a military dictator up until his death, and his rule would be marked by his moral crusade and also by his encouragements on having the Jews resettling in England. Though he would face a Royalist uprising in 1655, the Commonwealth would face no other major war [6] and would thus be a relatively peaceful period.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Oliver Cromwell was the central figure of the Commonwealth/Protectorate, to the point he was proposed Kingship in 1657. Though he saw the prospects of stability in it, the Lord Protector eventually refused the crowned, being instead ceremonially re-installed as Lord Protector. The commonwealth seemed it could last, but Cromwell died in September 1658, aged 59. His successor, his son Richard, was unable to maintain his position and was force to resign his position. The Rump Parliament was recalled but failed to keep its hold on power. Eventually, with the help of General Monck, Charles II was restored on the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland in 1660, after a seven year long exile in France.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Plight of Elisabeth de France & the Stadtholderless Period in the Netherlands [7][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]While Louis XIV kept an eye on the situation in the British Isles and was concerned over the situation of his aunt and cousins following Charles I’s execution, he never intervened directly and kept his involvement to a low level. Truth to be told, he had his hands full and couldn’t do much: his main concerns were the conclusion of the Thirty Years’ War and later the War of the Pyreenees, the latter on which he concentrated most of his efforts on. What would happen in the Netherlands would also give him far more concerns than the English Civil War.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Back in 1641, Cardinal Richelieu and King Louis XIII of France had arranged the marriage of the latter’s second daughter, Elisabeth de France, with William of Orange, son of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Provinces. The main objective of the marriage had been to keep the good relationship between France and the Netherlands and strengthen the ties between the two countries, but the negotiations had been rough and difficult because of Princess Elisabeth herself as she refused to convert to Calvinism. In the end, Elisabeth de France had been allowed to keep her religion even if she had to promise her children would be raise in the Protestant faith, but also with the obligation of keeping her husband’s councilors were she to exert Regency for her son.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Though the marriage was very advantageous to the Netherlands, ensuring the United Provinces the friendship and alliance of the Kingdom of France, Elisabeth de France’s wish to stay Catholic gave her an unpopular reputation: upon her arrival, most of the Dutch Calvinist nobles and population of the Netherlands were wary of her, including her future husband, William II of Orange. The marriage ceremony was celebrated in a cold atmosphere, and the early relationship of the spouses was icy. William II treated his wife with all the regards a Princess should receive, but his rather hard Calvinist views made him consider his wife as a Papist and an enemy which forbade him from getting close to her at first. As for Elisabeth, she had only half heartedly accepted her father’s decision and was very reluctant to adapt to her new lifestyle: she found shelter in her only passion, books, and took little interests in her husband as well as in the events that were happening the Netherlands in the first months she spent there. Coupled with the young age of the spouses (both were 15), their defiance for the other would result in the fact the marriage wasn’t consummated for three years.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Elisabeth would change her attitude partially thanks to her brother Louis XIV. The King of France was extremely worried about the well-being of his sister: though he hadn’t been close to her in her younger years, he knew she was a pious Catholic and was concerned about her when she was chosen to become the next Princess of Orange, in the Protestant Netherlands. As a result of this, the correspondence of Louis XIV with his sister Elisabeth and his ambassador in the Netherlands became extremely important and, thanks to this, he was able learn about the true situation of his sister in her new country. He would later sent her a letter with a few Dutch pamphlets written against Elisabeth, were she was described as “the Catholic whore”, “the French Jezebel” or the “cold beauty of the devil” who “wished to bring the Netherlands back under the Pope’s boot” and to “burn the teachings of the one true faith to replace them with the false Papist ones”. In his letter, Louis XIV blamed his sister for her situation while giving her counsels:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]“Remember that we, princes and princesses, while having been chosen by God to lead our people, must earn their respect and trust. A Prince who doesn’t care about what his people think of him sins like a father who doesn’t care about his children and will soon discover he seats on a throne made of sand. As such, your duty as Princess of Orange is to earn the trust of your people and husband and ensure their prosperity and well-being. How to do that is for your own to determine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Louis”[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Elisabeth de France soon realized her position was endangered, but she was mostly shocked by the impression she had left, especially by her description as a cold woman. As such, she chose to make the first move to be accepted by the Dutch and did everything she could to blend in. Her first action was to intensify her learning of the Dutch language in which she soon became fluent: many members of the Orangist court and of the Dutch Republic officials were startled by the speed she made progress in speaking their language and the decreasing numbers of mistake she made. Once Elisabeth mastered the Dutch language, it was easier for her to appear in court and speak for herself, clarifying her intentions and correcting what she considered misunderstandings: this was a more difficult exercise for Elisabeth however, as she had no real love for court festivities and ceremonies. Nevertheless, she forced herself to appear in public to create the much needed ties and friendship she needed to strengthen her position. She especially tried to get closer to her husband, William II, as it was her role as a wife to ensure his bloodline and to support him: to see him, she even went as far as to take the trouble to wait for him while he was attending Protestant services, much to the surprise of the Dutch.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As she adapted to her new life, the Princess of Orange was able to clarify her position regarding Religion, showing herself as a very pious but also tolerant Catholic. One common characteristic Elisabeth de France shared with her brotherhood (except for Henri, Duke of Berry [8]) was her religious tolerance: although there was no doubt about her being a very pious Catholic, she considered Protestantism as a misunderstanding of the dogma rather than a Heresy and viewed the excess of the Holy Inquisition as a grave mistake if not a sin. To Elisabeth de France, forced conversion was in no way truly effective as it exacerbated tensions between Religious communities and could only result in violent conflicts, like the French Religious War had shown. Tolerance was to her a virtue she took great pride in as the granddaughter of Henri IV and daughter of Louis XIII of France, both of whom had maintained Religious tolerance in their realm (though Louis XIII had weakened the protestant party for political needs). Even if she considered Catholicism as the one true faith, the teachings of the Christ had always favored dialog over strength to her, meaning the Catholic faith should be spread with words and not swords. She had more than once the occasion of discussing theology with preeminent Calvinist Dutch thinkers and priest, who (for the most part) were amazed at her knowledge of the Bible and enjoyed the discussions and debates they shared.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Catholic minority of the Netherlands had already rallied around the personality of Elisabeth de France upon her arrival: her efforts and integration made her seen as beacon of hope and she became the “beloved Princess of Orange” in the eyes of many Catholic Dutch. The most moderate members of the Protestant community also came to appreciate her while the others became intrigued by her beautiful, intelligent yet secretive and gentle persona: only the more Radical Protestants kept seeing her as a threat and would remain her main opponents for most of her life. Among the people intrigued by Elisabeth de France was her husband, William II of Orange: he was still rather skeptical at first, thinking his wife was only trying to blend in to more easily hide her true intentions but came to doubt about his views as time passed. He eventually came to spend more time with her out of curiosity and to see the truth by himself, though Historians often saw the hand of his father in the move. Eventually, both William II and Elisabeth came to appreciate the qualities of the other, which made them a close and happy couple despite their stormy start. By July 1650, Elisabeth de France was pregnant for the fifth time and had given three children to her husband out of her first four pregnancies: two sons, William (b. 1645) and Frederick (b. 1647), and a daughter named Amelia (b. 1649). She had been accepted by the Orange family and all seemed well… when tragedy struck.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Frederick Henry had died in 1647, and William II succeeded him as both Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the Provinces of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders and Overijssel. Like his uncle Maurice, who had preceded his father in the position he was now occupying, William II believed the Stadtholder of the United Province should have a more kinglike status, a belief which would later become the goal of the House of Orange and, as a result, lead to the formation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [9]. After a conflict that had opposed him to the Stadt regents, William II had tried a coup with the help of his cousin Willem Frederik of Nassau-Dietz, Stadtholder of Friesland and Groningen, that was met with half success and which would soon be rendered nil. After having been Prince of Orange and Stadtholder of the United Provinces for barely three years, William II of Orange was struck down by smallpox and died on November 6, 1650. His death left his twenty-four year old wife Elisabeth de France in great despair and distress, having lost a husband that she had been greatly attached to if not loved. It also made his five year old son his successor as Prince of Orange under the name William III. But most of all, William II’s death left five of the seven provinces of the Netherlands without a Statdholder: this power gap needed to be filled one way or another.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Though the office of Stadtholder was of importance in the Netherlands, it wasn’t hereditary since the United Provinces were de jure a Republic: as such, there was no need for Regency. The Orangist faction nevertheless pushed for it, but the title of Lieutenant-Stadtholder soon became a subject of quarrel between Elisabeth de France and Willem Frederik of Nassau-Dietz. The first advocated her right to the Regency as the widow of William II and mother of William III as well as the marriage contract she had signed which implied she would exert Regency for her children (over certain conditions). Her opponent dismissed the treaty as only concerning the Principality of Orange, and advocated his rights as the nearest adult male relative of William III but also presented the facts he was the Stadtholder of the two remaining Provinces of the Netherlands. While they were attempts to reach a compromise, conflict tore apart the Orangist faction although the greatest part of it (most notably Amalia of Soms-Braumfel, mother of the deceased William II) came to support Willem Frederik as he appeared trustworthy, competent and wasn’t subject to mistrust like Elisabeth still was: despite her attempts, her Catholicism still caused defiance of her.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]While there is no doubt that the conflict between William III’s mother and cousin played a part in the failure of the Orangist faction to install the new young Prince of Orange as Stadtholder, recent studies have proven what was admitted by most historians: even if Elisabeth de France had bowed down to Willem Frederik, there is no chance William III would have become Stadtholder. The Republican faction, main opponent of the Orangists, secured the barring of William II’s eldest son from the Stadtholderate of the five provinces his father had been Stadtholder, even managing to have the office of Stadtholder suppressed though it would only be temporary. The powers linked to the office of Statdholderate were absorbed by the Provinces and, for the following years, the United Provinces of the Netherlands effectively became a true Republic, with Grand Pensionnary Johan de Witt serving as head of state. This was the beginning of the so-called Stadtholderless period, which would also see the Golden Age of the Dutch Republic. Grudgingly admitting defeat, the Orangist would nevertheless continue to push for William III’s rights but they would not succeed in bringing him to Statdholder for as long as Johan de Witt lived. It was then Elisabeth de France made a spectacular error.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Despite her intelligence, Elisabeth had always misunderstood the office of Statdholder and the title Prince of Orange to be linked. As such, when she failed to have her son proclaimed Stadtholder, she thought he had lost everything: this was intolerable to her and, as such, she made an address to the Dutch people in which she asked for them to support her son’s rights as well as her own to the Regency and asked them to “get rid of the ill-intentioned men who thought their own to be the position of government”. This coup de folie as Louis XIV later described it can be explained by the stress Elisabeth de France endured: her pregnancy was not going well, her husband’s death had caused her great despair, she was only supported by a fringe of the Orangists and in her eyes her son had just lost everything he was destined to have. Her mother-in-law, Amalia of Soms-Braumfel, though opposing Elisabeth’s claim to Lieutenant-Stadtholderate, had nonetheless gotten close to her while her son was still alive. As such, she tried to correct Elisabeth’s mistake but it was too late: the Orangist faction purely let her down and popular opinion turned once again completely against her. Soon, the most Radical Calvinists members of the Republican faction asked for Elisabeth’s arrest, describing her as a “power-hungry Catholic wore” and thus a threat. The Ducth government complied and the Orangist faction didn’t lift a finger: in January 1651, she was arrested and would be soon imprisoned. “In fear her children would be raised in the Catholic faith, contrary to what the Princess of Orange had sworn”, her children were taken away from her and their guardianship was left in the care of their grandmother Amalia of Soms-Braumfel, but also of their uncle, the Elector of Brandenburg [10].[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This was the last straw for Elisabeth de France who suffered a nervous breakdown she would never completely recover. To make matters worse, the stress further added by her imprisonment caused her to prematurely give birth to a boy, christened Louis, who only survived three days. The delivery, which had proven very difficult, would also render the Princess of Orange sterile. The distress of Elisabeth over her situation was so great she was on the verge of madness according to witnesses. As if her mental health acted upon it, her physical health also declined and many thought she wouldn’t live to see summer. Two things would save her from death: her religious faith, which gave her hope and pushed her not to give up her life so easily, and her family, which worked to change her situation.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As mentioned earlier, King Louis XIV of France kept a close eye on the well-being of his younger sister Elisabeth, resulting in him exchanging a great number of letters with her as well as with the French Ambassador to the Netherlands. Needless to say, correspondence between the King of France and his sister the Princess of Orange stopped when the latter was arrested. The news of Elisabeth’s fate arrived in France thanks to a letter of the French Ambassador, two weeks after the events. Louis XIV was furious when he received the information, seeing his sister’s arrest as nothing but a political maneuver. In response, he threatened to break all relations with the Dutch and declare war if Elisabeth wasn’t released. There is little doubt Louis XIV said this only to put the pressure on the Dutch: with a war against Spain going on and the common interests the United Provinces and the Kingdom of France shared, it would have been a strategic mistake to allowed relations to break so easily. This appeared clearly to Johan De Witt, but the Grand Pensionnary didn’t wish to tempt the devil: as such, the Netherlands and France underwent negotiations over the release of Elisabeth de France.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The dealings were done in a tensed atmosphere though: neither Louis XIV nor Johan De Witt wished for a war, but the first would have nothing but a complete release of his sister as well the restoration of all her rights, something the second was reluctant to do because of the potential threat represented by the widowed Princess of Orange and the unpopularity such a decision would have had. A compromise was eventually reached, allowing Elisabeth de France to be released in October 1651 but under rather strict conditions. The Princess of Orange was allowed guardianship of her children, though she had to share it with her mother-in-law Amalia of Soms-Braumfels and brother-in-law Frederick William of Brandenburg. She was allowed to take part in her children’s education except in the fields of Religion and Politics. She also had to renounce any internal political involvement, meaning she wouldn’t seek to push for her son’s right to Stadtholderate: in exchange, the Netherlands would ensure the good education of William III and wouldn’t contest his position as Prince of Orange. Though Elisabeth de France lost nearly every shred of political power she could have had, she didn’t complain and accepted the deal.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Elisabeth de France would spent the rest of her life to care for the education of her children, although she would from time to time be used as an intermediary by her brother Louis XIV in his diplomatic deals with the Netherlands. She had already indirectly done so as the negotiations for her release had led to the signing of a secret treaty between France and the United Provinces which planned for both countries to help each other against Spain, though the Ducth wouldn’t intervene in the War of the Pyrenees because of the Eighty Years’ War’s peace. Nevertheless, France and the Netherlands would remain strong allies for years to come. [11][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As mentioned earlier, the Stadtholderless period was the Golden Age of the United Provinces. Though the Dutch had lost their Brazilian colonies to the Portuguese, this was largely compensated by the fact they became the first commercial power of the World, thanks to their effective trade policies and to a strong navy. The might of the Dutch financial and economic system gave them so much resource it also granted them the Diplomatic supremacy: being able to rely on a lot of money, they could use this great resources and richness to their advantage. Their commercial ability also allowed them to make advantageous deals, though it also cause worry to other countries and sometimes caused protectionist policies aimed at the Dutch, as would be the case in the allied Kingdom of France. Nevertheless, it was a true period of prosperity for the Dutch.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Republican regime of Johan De Witt was also very strong and faced no real major opposition, apart from the Orangist faction, especially after William III turned 18 in 1663 and was declared major by both his mother and grandmother. As a matter of fact, William III would be the main opponent of De Witt, something that can be considered quite ironic as Johan De Witt had taken care of the Prince’s political education [12]. The relationship between the two opponents was quite strange: both didn’t consider the other a friend but they weren’t foes, sharing a lot of common ideas in certain fields, especially Religious Tolerance. They were rivals, but rivals that were wishing to cooperate with the other when it could benefit the Netherlands, something which greatly helped the Dutch during the Stadtholderless period. Nevertheless, Johan De Witt was always fighting against the growing influence of William III and would manage to keep him from reinstating Stadtholderate until he succumbed to his old age in 1692 [13]. The Grand Pensionnary had gradually lost ground however, especially in the later years, which would allow a Prince of Orange to become Stadtholder forty-two years after the death of his father William II. And though the Stadtholderate only became hereditary later, it would no longer be left void by the Princes of Orange.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The Portuguese Restoration War[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]With the death of King Sebastian I of Portugal in 1578, the main line of the House of Aviz found itself extinct. For two years, the country was ruled by Henry I the Cardinal-King, Sebastian I’s great uncle and a son of King Manuel I of Portugal. When the Cardinal-King died in 1580, Portugal found itself facing a succession crisis with five possible contestants, two of whom were Italian Princes who had no chances of getting the throne. The first was the Duke of Savoy, Emmanuel Philibert, whose claim laid as a grandson of Manuel I through his youngest daughter Beatrice: he had the weakest claim of all the candidates, something which rendered his chances nil from the start. The second was the Duke of Parma, Ranuccio Farnese, who descended from Maria, the eldest daughter of Edward of Guimarães, youngest son of Manuel I: though his claim could be considered as the second strongest in regards to the Portuguese succession laws, he was only a minor Italian noble who lived far from Portugal, something which rendered his claim nil.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This left only three major candidates for the Portuguese throne. The first was Antonio, prior of Crato, illegitimate son of Louis of Beja, the second son of Manuel I: Antonio would succeed in claiming the crown shortly in 1580 but would be defeated and his claim died with his childless death in 1595. The second candidate was the one who would be crowned King of Portugal: King Philip II of Spain, another grandson of Manuel I through his daughter Isabella. Though Philip II of Spain had the second weakest claim, he was the strongest claimant in terms of power and it was easy for him to claim the throne as King Philip I of Portugal: with him was realized the dream of a unified Iberian Peninsula under one monarch, in this case a scion of House Hapsburg.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]This dream would only last sixty years, and three Kings would have succeeded themselves on the dual thrones of Spain and Portugal over the years: Philip II & I from 1580 to 1598, Philip III & II from 1598 to 1621, and finally, Philip IV & III. The latter tried to turn Portugal into nothing more than a Spanish Province, raising taxes against Portuguese merchants, reducing the Portuguese influence in the Spanish Cortes and giving Portuguese government posts to Spaniards. This angered the Portuguese who finally rebelled in 1640, imprisoning Philip IV of Spain’s cousin, Margaret of Savoy, who had been ruling Portugal in his name. Portugal soon rejected the rights of the Spanish King to the throne, proclaimed its independence and chose itself a new King.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Among the five candidates we mentioned in the 1580 Portuguese Succession Crisis, there is one we have yet to introduce: Catherine of Guimarães, youngest daughter of the youngest son of Manuel I of Portugal, Duke Edward of Guimarães. Though Catherine failed to claim the Portuguese throne, her rights were technically stronger than that of the Spanish Kings and had been bolstered by her marriage to her cousin Duke John I of Braganza, a descendant of John I of Portugal. By 1640, Catherine’s rights to the Portuguese throne had been inherited by her grandson, Duke John II of Braganza. When Portugal rejected the rule of Philip IV of Spain, the Portuguse proclaimed the Duke of Braganza as King John IV of Portugal: he would be the first King of House Braganza to rule Portugal.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]John IV’s first task however would be to fight for his country’s independence: despite his forces being engaged in the Thirty Years’ War on the Austrian side and against France in the War of the Pyrenees, Philip IV of Spain tried to reclaim the Portuguese throne: thus began the Portuguese Restoration War which would last for twenty-eight years. In the early stage of the war, the Portuguese would show the Spanish they would not be easily returned to submission. Starting 1646, the Spanish concentrated their efforts in the other conflicts they were fighting, most notably against the French, who supported the Portuguese rebels: this period was characterized by military standoffs and small-scale raiding. The last stage of the War started shortly after Spain made peace with France: King Philip IV looked for a decisive victory that would bring an end to the war, but he ultimately failed. Portugal finally won back its independence in 1665 [14], a few months after Philip IV’s death.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Christina of Sweden’s voyage to Rome[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]June 6, 1654 saw the end of House Vasa in Sweden with the abdication of Queen Christina. After a twenty-one year long reign where, though many admitted she did a good job, Christina had become convinced women shouldn’t rule: the Queen had thus decided to leave the throne. Another reason that led to her abdication was her wish to convert to Roman Catholicism, something which would have not gone well in Lutheran Sweden. During an impressive Abdication ceremony, Queen Christina wore her regalia which were taken from her one by one. Christina took the crown from her head herself as Count Per Brahe, overwhelmed by emotion, found himself unable to do so. Remaining in a simple white taffeta gown, steadying “like an Angel” according to Per Brahe, Christina made her farewell speech with faltering voice, thanking everyone before she left the throne to her successor, her cousin Carl Gustav of Zweïbrucken-Kleeburg, now King Charles X of Sweden.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Christina then left her country and started a journey that would bring her towards Rome. After she passed through Denmark disguised as a man, she arrived in Antwerp in August. She spent several months in the Spanish Netherlands, converting on Christmas’ Eve in Brussels. She then pursued her voyage south to Rome, making a stop in French Alsace in April 1655. There, she met her friend King Louis XIV of France, who was returning from a tearful voyage in Neuburg.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]One year prior to his Alsatian encounter with Christina of Sweden, King Louis XIV had lost his sister Marie de France, Countess Palatine of Neuburg, who had died in childbirth. The baby, a daughter who would be named Marie Anne, survived: she was the twelfth children Marie de France had given to Philip William, although two had died at birth and four would die before the age of 25. Even if he had wished to attend the funeral of his sister, Louis XIV had been unable to: he thus made a short trip to Neuburg in spring 1655 and stayed there for two weeks, mourning the loss of his sister with his brother-in-law. Philip William of Neuburg had been very close to Marie de France and would sincerely mourn her death, something Louis XIV would always thank him for.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Count Palatine of Neuburg had however found true love in the person of Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt whom he had met two years prior. What seemed at first like a platonic love turned into a real passion, to the point Philip William married her in summer 1655 [15], barely a year after his first wife’s death. Louis XIV, though angered by the speed his brother-in-law remarried, never took grief against him for this: the new couple was extremely happy and would have 13 children, three of whom died at birth while four others didn’t live up to the age of 25.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]It was thus after that short trip to Neuburg that Louis XIV and Christina of Sweden met in Colmar. Having become friends during Louis XIV’s attempted negotiations for a Franco-Swedish marriage via their letters, the real encounter proved to be a very pleasant one. A result of this would be that the King of France would make Christina the godmother of two of his sons: Charles [16] and Alexandre. Christina left Alsace one week after her arrival, and continued to travel to Rome where she finally arrived in January 1656 [17]. History hadn’t heard the last of her, although she would never recover the Swedish throne and play a lesser role in European politics.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot][1] As a result of TTL Louis XIV’s persona and age upon accession, Mazarin is going to be less powerful than OTL. He will still play an important role in France, but his influence is limited.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][2] The ten cities of Colmar, Haguenau, Kaysersberg, Mulhouse, Munster, Obernai, Rosheim, Sélestat, Turckheim and Wissembourg.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][3] The title was proposed OTL, but OTL Louis XIV refused.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][4] Since William II of Orange married Elisabeth de France, he didn’t marry Mary, Princess Royal. As a result, she was wedded to her cousin Charles Louis, Elector Palatine.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][5] TTL term for people studying Alternate History. It’s a derivation of the word Uchronia, which comes from the Greek and is formed of the word Chronos (time) with the prefix U (inexistent). The main reason for the use of this word is, however, linked to the French form Uchronie, as French is still a major language in this world. For the record, Uchronie is the only French word I know to talk about AH: apart from the litteral translation (Histoire Alternative) which isn’t very good, I don’t know what other word I could use in French.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][6] Since the Stuarts currently have no ties with the House of Orange, the OTL First Anglo-Dutch War is butterflied away. As a matter of facts and from the looks of it, the OTL Anglo-Dutch Wars have probably been all butterflied away although ATL version might happen (but I haven’t decided yet).[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][7] Due to butterflies, there will only be one Stadtholderless period instead of two.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][8] This will be covered and explained later.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][9] Small spoiler. Don’t expect this to happen before several decades if not a few centuries though.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][10] OTL William III’s Guardianship was ruled to be shared between his mother, paternal grandmother and his uncle Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg. The situation will be the same for the children of William II, though Elisabeth will be kept away at first.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][11] Quite different from OTL as OTL Louis XIV kept fighting the Dutch.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][12] When OTL William III turned 16 in 1666, Johan De Witt took over his education and instructed him weekly on state matters. The situation here will roughly be the same but with rather funny results.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][13] Due to butterflies, there is no Franco-Dutch Wars and 1672 doesn’t turns out as the rampjaar. As a result, Johan De Witt won’t be murdered in 1672 and lives up to his 67th birthday.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][14] OTL, Portugal’s independence wasn’t recognized by Spain before 1668. However, due to a harsher War of the Pyrenees ITTL, the Spanish give in to the Portuguse earlier than OTL.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][15] OTL, Elisabeth Amalie of Hesse-Darmstadt was the second wife of Philip William of Neuburg, although he married her in 1653. The couple was said to be a very happy one and fathered 17 children. ITTL, Elisabeth Amalie is still free by 1655, allowing for her marriage to Philip William.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][16] I know: I didn’t mention this son in a previous update. There’s one reason: Charles is one of the four children of Louis XIV who didn’t live up to adulthood: he was born in 1656 but died in 1665. That’s maybe silly of me, but I keep a genealogical record of the people I create…[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][17] A bit later than OTL due to the stop in France she made.[/FONT]
 
No major changes yet, I see...

Stuff should get different by 1700, though - does the Spanish Habsburg line still die out as OTL, and if it does, is it earlier or later?
 
SavoyTruffle said:
No major changes yet, I see...

Well... I don't want to go too fast with changes in fear of making the timeline ASB. Though I think there are a few butterflies that will lead to drastic changes later on, especially regarding Dynasties and the Netherlands.

The next update should have its share of changes though ;)

SavoyTruffle said:
Stuff should get different by 1700, though - does the Spanish Habsburg line still die out as OTL, and if it does, is it earlier or later?

I'll cover the state of the Spanish Hapsburg line in the next update, but I can confirm it will go extinct and probably around the same time as OTL. On the other hand, the succession to the last Spanish Hapsburg King is going to go a different way :p
 
An interesting update Yorel.

I would keep some form of Anglo-Dutch wars as IIRC they were mainly down to commercial differences.
Though political problems aggravated certain events there would still be pressure by the English merchants for tariffs especially if the Dutch are doing well.

Can I suggest Allochronia as an alternative (;)) phrase to AH - it means "other times" in Greek. Perhaps rendered as Allochronics or Allochronie/y in English.
This is because Uchronia (uchronie) was formed as a 19thC play on Utopia (Charles Rennouvier's book was called Uchronie - L'Utopie dans l'histoire)
 

Vitruvius

Donor
Interesting. I see big things coming out of the meeting with Christina. Her later arrival in Italy might be enough to shift events around and butterfly away the Monaldeschi affair, that would allow her to keep her sterling celebrity reputation in Rome. And with a closer relationship to Louis XIV... just wondering if you're setting her up to get Naples as was plotted for a while OTL.
 
The Professor said:
I would keep some form of Anglo-Dutch wars as IIRC they were mainly down to commercial differences.
Though political problems aggravated certain events there would still be pressure by the English merchants for tariffs especially if the Dutch are doing well.
Thanks for the information. I wasn't sure I would get rid of all the Anglo-Dutch Wars though I did thought of having ATL versions of them. I might have one of them happen during the reign of Charles II...
The Professor said:
Can I suggest Allochronia as an alternative (;)) phrase to AH - it means "other times" in Greek. Perhaps rendered as Allochronics or Allochronie/y in English.
This is because Uchronia (uchronie) was formed as a 19thC play on Utopia (Charles Rennouvier's book was called Uchronie - L'Utopie dans l'histoire)
Thanks for the tip. I'll think about it ;)
Vitruvius said:
And with a closer relationship to Louis XIV... just wondering if you're setting her up to get Naples as was plotted for a while OTL.
Haven't decided yet.
 
Willem III not being a Stuart at least got rid of the glorious revolution, although a successful dutch-French invasion would be cool to see :D

maybe a French Ireland as result?

No glorious revolution will mean most likely a far less dominant britain.

If the Spanish war of succession still takes place things might get different,with the republic on the French side now. Maybe we even see the dutch taking some German territories? Or the Netherlands just stays out of this conflict, both options are good, it might prevent the grave financial consequences from otl. but then again this Louis XIV is only the same in name, a completely different person, so it might not even happen.
 
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indeed or a daughter..

maybe we see the rye house plot being successful, after all enough butterflies already. Or even we may see the act of exclusion pass(so no king James), after all in contradiction to otl, This Louis XIV is not Charles secret ally (at least i think so, as many of the maneuvering otl was about French hostility to the Netherlands, which is not there now) so Charles stands less strong towards parliament.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rye_House_Plot
 
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EvolvedSaurian said:
Quite a good TL. More please?

Working on it. I can't announce when it will be posted though: I do hope to post it this week, but I can't promise anything.
 
Xgentis said:
Is it dead?

In its current form, yes. I'm no longer satisfied with the current timeline, so I will be making a 2.0 version. There are also a few things I decided to change because I thought I hadn't done enough research.

I should post the first post of the new version soon.
 
En effet, jusqu’à présent, je ne connaissais aucun autre Francophone sur ce Forum. :)
'Y a aussi Hendryk et LSCatalina qui sont, tous les deux, Français de France.

RogueBeaver et moi, nous sommes (anglo) Canadiens, et Dan1988 et bm79 sont Franco-Americains. Nous pouvons, au moins, lire la langue....
 
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