Challenge: Charles II the Sun King; Louis XIII Executed, French Republic

AH Challenge:

Charles I of England's rule (40-50 years, preferably) results in the end of Parliamentary power for a century and the establishment of an enlightened despotism/rule by divine right in England.

Have Louis XIII executed and a brief (at least two years) French Republic established.

POD no earlier than 1625, when Charles I becomes king.
 

Thande

Donor
Tricky. A good first bit would be to kill 1) Buckingham, 2) Richelieu and 3) not have Mazarini ever enter French service...
 
Tricky. A good first bit would be to kill 1) Buckingham, 2) Richelieu and 3) not have Mazarini ever enter French service...

To have the third one is easy: avoid the War of Mantuan Succession. Mazarini was the Papal representative in the peace negotiations, and it was how he met Richelieu.
 
A quick outline

1621 - A decree for the restitution of church property in the south throws the Bearnese and Gascons into open revolt lead by Henri, duc de Rohan.

1622 - The Treaty of Montpellier (or the Peace of Montpellier) is signed on October 18 between King Louis XIII of France and Duke Henry II of Rohan. The treaty ended hostilities between French royalists and the Huguenots. Moreover, it confirmed the tenets of the Edict of Nantes, pardoned Henry II, and allowed the Huguenots to maintain their numerous forts and garrisons.

1625 - Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise conducts a bold attack on the Royalist fleet in the river Blavet (which included the cutting of a boom in the face of superior numbers) and the occupation of Oleron.

Fearing a repeal of the Edict of Nantes, joined with the aristocratic fear of the increasing centralization of power in Paris, revolt flares from Brittanty to Languedoc and the Rohan brothers gain English support.

The rebels had received the backing of the English king Charles I, who sent his favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham with a fleet of 80 ships. In June 1627 Buckingham organised a landing on the nearby island of Ré with 6,000 men in order to help the Huguenots.

1627 - La Rochelle is besieged by Royalists after a exchange of cannon fire.
Soubise leads the defense while his brother begins and offensive toward Paris as an opportunistic distraction.

King Louis XIII hastily attempts to block this movement near Orleans, only to be mortally wounded by cannon fire while Cardinal Richelieu is captured by a Huguenot cavalry attack on the rear of the Royalist army.

Shortly after, Buckingham attempts to relieve La Rochelle. While the assault succeeds against the demoralized Royalists, Buckingham is shot in the process and dies a Protestant martyr.

1628 - Paris refuses to open its gate to the victorious Protestants. Gaston Jean-Baptiste, Duke of Orléans, leads the defeated royal army back to the capital, but in a astounding coup, proclaims himself Lord Protector of a sort of noble republic (as he is last of the royal line) and invites the Huguenots to treat with him and join the government.

Later that year, Richelieu dies under mysterious circumstance (most likely poisoned by Gaston's order.

1629 - The Republic confirms the virtual autonomy of the Huguenot brevets in the West and South. The Estates General is reopened, including both Catholic and Protestant clergy, but ends in plans to soon have Gaston crowned King, lest Spain and England take advantage of the current government's seeming weakness.

I'll do the English part when I can, but that brings us up to the French republic part. Input is more than welcome.
 

Thande

Donor
Hmm, that's not bad.

Not sure I see Charles sending Buckingham on such a dangerous mission, but otherwise it seems plausible.

Then we need Charles to get some other new favourite advisor, one who'll 1) go softly-softly with respect to the Presbyterians in Scotland, avoiding the Bishops' War, and 2) persuade him to slowly engage with Parliament, perhaps.
 
Very interesting American Ceasar, I like it.
I am not well know with with French and English history, but Charles can increase his power during and after a short domestic conflict a la Le Fronde? An English civil war but not on a large scale as in OTL? Was there not a advisor/state man like Mazarine in England during that time, who could build the fundaments for the absolute reign of his King?
 

Thande

Donor
Very interesting American Ceasar, I like it.
I am not well know with with French and English history, but Charles can increase his power during and after a short domestic conflict a la Le Fronde? An English civil war but not on a large scale as in OTL? Was there not a advisor/state man like Mazarine in England during that time, who could build the fundaments for the absolute reign of his King?
The second part is more plausible than the first. Charles wasn't effective or popular enough to capitalise on a short war like that. And the problem, which led to the ECW in OTL, was that he had to go to Parliament for money in order to raise an army for a war - and because he had dissolved Parliament and ruled as an absolute monarch for a few years, Parliament was so pissed off that they would only give him the cash if he agreed to a lot of reforms in their favour. He refused, therefore ECW. Give him a better advisor, a Mazarini type as you suggest, and he could slowly return some powers to Parliament without such a sharp shock to the system.
 
Could you get an aristocratic republic in France ? It doesn't have to be a democratic one. But if the nobles win against the crown in the Frondes, then follow a couple of pretend kings (Soissons etc), have these overthrown and the nobles decide to rule directly instead ?

Best Regards
Grey Wolf
 
have these overthrown and the nobles decide to rule directly instead ?

Highly doubtful. The monarchy was what underpinned their position in society, after all. Take away the monarchy, and you take away a large plank of the aristocratic argument. In any case, the French high aristocracy generally considered the King to be nothing much more than the top aristocrat anyway.

Best way for a French Republic would be, as has been rightly said by Thande I think, through the Hugenots.
 
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