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The edict of Nantes (13 April 1598) was the final religious settlement that came Henry IV’s victory in the Ninth War of Religion, and gave the Huguenots a series of political, social and religious rights and produced a period of comparative religious peace that lasted for almost a century.
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Confirmation of Edict of Nantes after death of Henri IV.
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French indirect involvement in the Thirty Years War (1618-48).
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(limiting Edict of Nantes) to lessen danger of Huguenots being a state within the state.
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The Spanish were attacked by the French after a declaration of War and lasted until 1659
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The French declared war with the Austrian Habsburgs and the war lasted until 1648
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Birth of Louis I and a continues path later to Louis XIV. Louis XIII and his wife Anne (Ana) of Austria in 1640 causing the Birth of Louis' brother Philippe
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Causing the Accession of Louis XIV, regency of his mother - having set aside the will of Louis XIII -with Mazarin as ,first minister's
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(or of Münster where France had presided, while Sweden had presided at Osnabrück) between France and the Austrian Habsburgs France obtains sovereignty over bishoprics of Metz, Toul and Verdun and gains the City of Breisach and the Landgravates of Upper and Lower Alsace.
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The Fronde (or Frondes, distinguishing between the parliamentary Fronde, or Fronde of the judges, and the Fronde of the high nobility) directed against the power of the crown and the influence of Mazarin and his nominees.
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Louis XIV is able to be of age to rule France as a leader and ruler
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Louis XIV takes part in war against Spain on northern, north-eastern and eastern frontiers of France.
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Louis XIV's journeys to southern and south-western of France.
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France has Roussillon and Cerdagne (ceded in 1493) returned and gains land in the Spanish Netherlands. From Spain's ally Lorraine France obtains the duchy of Bar and military routes across the duchy to keep Communications open with bishoprics ceded in 1648 and with Alsace.
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Henceforth Louis governs (on Mazarin's advice) without a first minister; cabinet and conseil government develops and the civil service is increasingly bureaucratised.
July. Louise de La Vallière becomes Louis' mistress. -
Maria Teresa renounces her right to the Spanish throne against a promised dowry (which was never paid). France returns the duchy of Bar to the duke of Lorraine, the duke in his turn accepts the military routes and French fortifications along them. The Assembly of the Clergy condemns Jansenism.
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Between 1662 and 1672 five more children (two sons, three daughters) are born of Louis' marriage to Maria Teresa, none of whom survived infancy or early childhood.
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(which Cromwell had won from Spain with French help) to Louis XIV for five million francs.
Institution of hospital services throughout France. Boulonnais peasant revolt. -
Between 1662 and 1678 ten acknowledged illegitimate children are born to him; those who survive early childhood are legitimised.
Beginning of military reforms; these continue throughout reign with improvement in discipline and Organisation, abolition of venality, introduction of new weapons, and fortresses built on new principles. -
Sorbonne's declaration against papal infallibility confirmed by Louis and the Paris Parlement
Intendants take over administration of indirect taxation.
French colonists in New France (Canada) reach 25,000 in number. -
1663, Inscriptions and Medals, and Paintings and Sculpture; 1666, Science, and Academy of Rome; 1669, Music, Dancing; 1671, French Royal Academy; Architecture, and Botanical Garden.
French trading companies founded and commercial treaties to promote trade signed. Companies: 1664, French West India Company and East India Company; 1665, French North Africa Company; 1669, French Company of the North; 1670, French Levant Company; -
Regulations for the ,free crafts' (i.e. the non-guild ones) in respect of hours of work, prices, holidays, etc.
Containment of Huguenots begins.
French protective tariff to promote own manufacturers.
Grandes fêtes at Versailles.
Colbert restores council of commerce. -
French bombardment against pirates of Algiers and
Tunis preying on French commerce.
Council of justice founded to edit and formulate
French codes, ordinances; work completed by 1685:
1669, for water and forests; 1679, for criminal cases;
1671, for civil cases; 1673, for commercial matters; -
Special tribunals sent to Clermont-Ferrand to deal with the nobility's harsh treatment of commoners (Grand Jours d'Auvergne); another to Forez next year.
French occupy western half of Santo Domingo.
Construction of the arsenal at Brest and the port of Rochefort. -
French participation in Anglo-Dutch war on Dutch side. At Peace of Breda France obtains Acadia, hut cedes to England Antigua, Montserrat and St Kitts.
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The Paris Parlement forbidden to discuss or vote on royal edicts before their registration.
Silk manufactures begun in Paris at the Château de Madrid.
Wool manufactures begun at Carcassonne. -
The Gobelins factory established. Work begun on Louis' Mémoires.
Greation of post of leutenant-general of Paris (minister for Paris) with a great variety of responsibilities.
Francoise (Athenais de Montespan replaoes La Vallie're as Louis' mistress.
French protective tariffs directed against England and the Dutch Republic.
Workers' associations banned after revolts in Rheims and Lyons.
Reduction in number of printers, to facilitate censorship. -
War of Devolution (of Queen's Rights) after negotiations with Spain over the unpaid dowry had failed; Flanders offensive (Louis present) successful and French gains made at Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle in respect of the northern frontier (twelve fortified places); Franche-Comté (conquered 1668) restored to Spain.
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Louis orders ,Church peace', forbidding public controversy between Jansenists, Gallicans and Ultramontanes.
Secret partition-treaty with Leopold 1 for the Spanish inheritance.
Creation of militia by Louis (by drawing of lots in parishes).
The maritime inscription of sailors between the ages of 20 and 60 to serve one year in three or four in navy. -
Chamber of Commerce for Marseilles.
First general règlement for the textile industry. Colbert takes over tile administration of the navy. -
Southward exploration and expansion from the Great Lakes into the Missouri valley by Marquette, Jollet and La Salle; westward expansion from New France by Jesuit missionaries from 1671.
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French factory established at Magilipatam (India).
French preferential duties aimed at Dutch sugar refineries.
Dutch virtual boycott of French goods. -
Town of Versailles started. Chapel begun, not completed till 1710.
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Dutch war, beginning with French invasion of the territory of the Republic and developing into a general war. French gains: from Spain, Franche-Comté and western Espanola (renamed Haiti); from emperor and Empire, sovereignty over Metz, Toul and Verdun, and French interpretation of sovereignty in respect of Alsace, including the Décapole, all confirmed. French concession: restoration of less harsh tariff (that of 1664) for the Republic.
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Controversy with papacy over régale begins.
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1673, French Senegal Company; 1682, French Hudson Bay Company; 1698, French China Company; 1701, French Guinea Company. Treaties:
1662, with the Dutch Republic; 1663, with Denmark Norway and Sweden; 1671, with German Baltic free cities; 1683, with Morocco; 1684, with Algiers and Tunis; 1713, with all ex-enemies of the War of the Spanish Succession.
French soldiers take part in the war against Turks in Hungary (victory of St Gotthard). -
French factory established at Pondichery (India).
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Antifiscal revolts in Bordeaux and in many towns in the south and west.
Urban and rural antifiscal revolts in Brittany. -
The 'poisoning scandal' (the diabolist affair) breaks in Paris; investigation from 1679.
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Vauban put in charge of fortifications; barrière de fer begun in 1679.
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Chair of French law established at the Sorbonne.
Palace at Marly started.
French persecution of the Jansenists. -
Increasing persecution of the Huguenots.
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The Mississippi valley to mouth of river explored by La Salle, Folliette, Marquette, Hennequin and the Iberville brothers; French Colony of Louisiana (named after Louis XIV) established in 1682.
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Taxes farmed again (gabelle, aides, traites and royal domains).
City of Paris bestows title ,Le Grand' on Louis XIV. -
Taxes farmed again (gabelle, aides, traites and royal domains).
City of Paris bestows title ,Le Grand' on Louis XIV. -
Reunion policy to annex to France or to claim sovereign rights over dependencies which formerly belonged to the gains of 1648, 1659, 1668 and 1678/9.
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Strassburg (which opened its bridge to Imperial troops in 1674 and 1677, permitting invasion of France) joins France under pressure (henceforth Strasbourg); local autonomy and religious freedom survive.
The duke of Mantua sells Casale to France.
French bombardment of Tripoli pirates. -
Birth of Louis' first grandchild, a boy from the marriage of the dauphin in 1680 with the Bavarian princess Marie-Christine; in all three legitimate grandchildren were born alive or survived infancy; by his legitimised children Louis had nine grandchildren.
Louis moves his court and central administration to Versailles.
The four Gallican articles attack papal authority in France. -
Death of Louis' wife Maria Teresa.
Reduction in taille benefits peasants.
Spain declares war on Louis to stern the French reunion policy in the Spanish Netherlands, and in the duchy of Luxembourg, where the fortress of the City of Luxembourg seems threatened; after the war has started the fortress is taken by the French. -
Louis sends expeditions against Algiers, eventually an undertaking is given that French shipping will not be molested.
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Spain's ally, to deny Spain use of Genoese fleet.
Probable date (1682 and 1689 also possible ones) of Louis XIV's second (morganatle) marriage to Mme de Maintenon.
Truce of Ratisbon (Regensburg) for twenty years with Spain and the emperor; Louis is to keep his reunions and conquests (such as Luxembourg) for that period and hopes to make the settlement permanent at a later date. -
In Savoy encouraged by Louis XIV; Louis forbids Geneva to protect French refugees. School of St Cyr (Hôtel de St Cyr) founded by Louis XIV and Mme de Maintenon for the education of 250 girls, noble and commoners; by 1692 converted into a religious institution.
Madagascar annexed by France. -
16 October. Revocation of the Edict of Nantes.
22 October. Edict of Fontainebleau permitting, liberty of conscience.
Water pumped from the Seine to Versailles. -
Conflict with the papacy over the franchise (quartiers), that is, right of asylum in embassies in Rome.
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Journey of French explorer Grefillon through Mongolia.
French militia arrangements improved.
William III lands in England; his invasion leads to the flight of James II to France and the establishment of a Jacobite court at Saint-Germain. -
Nine Years War (also called War of Orlêans because of Liselotte's claim to the Palatinate; or the War of the League of Augsburg, somewhat misleadingly, after the 1686 league since not all the signatories took part in the war. The aim of the league was to confine Louis to his 1659 boundaries by moral solidarity and diplomatic pressures.)
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English embargoes and/or prohibitive duties on French goods (wine hit in particular).
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Louis XIV ends the regale dispute with the papacy, setting aside the Gallican articles.
Saint-Simon arrives at court; begins notes for his memoirs, 1694.
Establishment of French factory in Senegal. -
Vauban suggests capitation tax; it is enforced in 1695 according to class (twenty-two classes), not income; abolished in 1697, reinstated in 1701.
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Fénelon's letter to Louis XIV.
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Duke of Savoy signs separate peace with France (obtains Casale and Pignerol) and opens the way to a general peace; marriage arranged for the duc de Bourgogne, Louis' eldest grandson, to Mane-Adelaide of Savoy.
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Louis XIV restores the reunions, but keeps Strasbourg, Longwy and Saar-Louis. Fenelon exiled from court.
Quietism is condemned by Pope Innocent XI. -
Senegal conquest is completed
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Relaxation in persecution of Huguenots by Louis XIV.
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Partition treaties between Louis XIV, William III and the Dutch Republic to solve the Spanish succession problem: France stands to gain important areas both by first (Naples and Sicily) and second (Milan to be exchanged for Lorraine, Naples and Sicily) treaties.
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Methods to encourage trade, great efforts in respect of overseas trade and exploration.
Louis' emissary Poncet travels overland from Cairo to Ethiopia.
Attempts to establish lieutenant-generals of police also in provincial towns. -
On the advice of the pope, nominates Louis XIV's second grandson, Philip, duke of Anjou, his heir on the condition that no partition shall take place.
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1 November. Death of Carlos II.
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16 November. Louis XIV accepts the will of Carlos II.
Greater freedom of trade permitted to Dunkirk, Marseilles and Bordeaux.
France buys the unexpired portion of hbe asiento held by a Portuguese company. -
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September. France prohibits entry of English textiles.
Death of Louis' brother Philippe. -
April-July. Unsuccessful negotiations at The Hague in which the Maritime Powers fail to obtain cessions of
Spanish land and commercial advantages from Louis XIV acting on behalf of Philip V of Spain.
Paper money introduced in France. -
Revolt of the Protestant Camisards in the Cévennes, put down 1704 but flares up again in 1710.
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In America Queen Anne's War. The English conquered Acadia in 1711 and kept this at the peace, as also Newfoundland and Hudson Bay. In Europe Philip V had to cede the Spanish Netherlands, Naples, the Tuscan ports and Sardinia to Austria; Sicily to Savoy, and Gibraltar and Minorca to England; but only minor losses were suffered in Spanish America (to Portugal). The asiento trade in slaves was awarded to England for thirty years.
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Unrest ('terror') in Casrais, Albigeois and Toulouse and Languedoc.
Introduction of the centime denier. -
another great-grandson who survived till 1712 was born in 1705; a third great-grandson (later Louis XV who became king in 1715) was born in 1710; there were also three great-grandsons from the marriage of Philip V to Mane-Louise of Savoy.
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Papal bull (Vineam Domini) condemns Jansenism once more.
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Riot at Cahors, another in 1709.
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Circulation of paper money enforced.
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Hard winter (bad harvests 1708 and 1709).
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Freer French trade with both Indies.
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The razing of the church and the convent at Port-Royal; 1711 destruction of the cemetery which had been worshipped as a shrine.
On all Frenchmen irrespective of privileges (the idea owed much to Vauban and Boisguilbert). -
Capture by a French naval force of Rio de Janeiro (restored at peace).
14 April. Death of the grand dauphin.
Louis XIV extends the advantages held by the Dutch in respect of French tariffs since 1678 to Britain, Denmark-Norway and the free Baltic cities of the Empire.
Louis XIV withdraws his promise of freedom of worship in the principality of Orange. -
Foundation of the Académie Politique to train foreign office officials and diplomats.
Death of Louis' eldest grandson (18 February), the grandson's wife (12 February) and their elder son (8 March).
Opening of official peace congress at Utrecht after separate negotiations with the English Tory government after 1710 had led to the peace preliminaries of October 1711 and to the Anglo-French separate armistice of 17 July 1712.
Free exchange re-established in France. -
September. Papal bull (Unigenitus) condemns Jansenism; Louis XIV orders Parlement to enforce the bull in February 1715.
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Peace negotiations between Louis XIV and the emperor. Treaty of Rastadt (6 March) whereby emperor gives up claim to Metz, Toul, Verdun and Alsace and lets France keep Landau.
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March-July. Peace treaties signed between France and her enemies, except the emperor and Empire.
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July. Louis makes it possible for his legitimised sons, the duke of Maine and the count of Toulouse, to succeed if the Orleans and Condé families should die out in the male line; both are declared princes of the blood. 2 August. Louis XIV's will, establishing a regency council of fourteen members, the president of which is to be his nephew, the duke of Orleans, on which his two legitimised sons shall have seat.
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4 May. Death of Louis' youngest grandson, the duke of Berry.
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7 September. Peace treaty between France and the Empire (at Baden in Argau) confirms the Rastadt peace.
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August. Louis XIV's illness and final arrangements for the governorship and education of his heir, his great-grandson Louis.
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1 September. Death of Louis XIV.
