large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb_56
large/12344/historyoffrance_1807_librivox_64kb_mp3/historyoffrance_06_yonge_64kb
English
12344
A war had already begun in Italy on behalf of the Duke of Nevers, who had become heir to the duchy of Mantua, but whose family had lived in France so long that the Emperor and the King of Spain supported a more distant claim of the Duke of Savoy to part of the duchy, rather than admit a French prince into Italy. A WAR HAD ALREADY BEGUN IN ITALY ON BEHALF OF THE DUKE OF NEVER WHO HAD BECOME HEIR TO THE DUCHY OF MANTUA BUT WHOSE FAMILY HAD LIVED IN FRANCE SO LONG THAT THE EMPEROR AND THE KING OF SPAIN SUPPORTED A MORE DISTANT CLAIM OF THE DUKE OF SAVOY TO PART OF THE DUCHY RATHER THAN ADMIT A FRENCH PRINCE INTO ITALY
prisonment, if nothing worse; but at the same time his government was intelligent and able, and promoted prosperity, as far as was possible where there was such a crushing of individual spirit and enterprise. Richelieu's plan, in fact, was to found a despotism, though a wise and well-ordered despotism, at home, while he made France great by conquests abroad. And at this time the ambition of France found a favourable field in the state both of Germany and of Spain. 2. The War in Flanders and Italy.--The Thirty Years' War had been raging in Germany for many years, and France had taken no part in it, beyond encouraging the Swedes and the Protestant Germans, as the enemies of the Emperor. But the policy of Richelieu required that the disunion between its Catholic and Protestant states should be maintained, and when things began to tend towards peace from mutual exhaustion, the cardinal interfered, and induced the Protestant party to continue the war by giving them money and reinforcements.  SUFFERED A HOPELESS IMPRISONMENT IF NOTHING WORSE BUT AT THE SAME TIME HIS GOVERNMENT WAS INTELLIGENT AND ABLE AND PROMOTED PROSPERITY AS FAR AS WAS POSSIBLE WHERE THERE WAS SUCH A CRUSHING OF INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT AND ENTERPRISE RICHELIEU'S PLAN IN FACT WAS TO FOUND A DESPOTISM THOUGH A WISE AND WELL ORDERED DESPOTISM AT HOME WHILE HE MADE FRANCE GREAT BY CONQUESTS ABROAD AND AT THIS TIME THE AMBITION OF FRANCE FOUND A FAVORABLE FIELD IN THE STATE BOTH OF GERMANY AND OF SPAIN TWO THE WAR IN FLANDERS AND ITALY THE THIRTY YEARS WAR HAD BEEN RAGING IN GERMANY FOR MANY YEARS AND FRANCE HAD TAKEN NO PART IN IT BEYOND ENCOURAGING THE SWEDES AND THE PROTESTANT GERMANS AS THE ENEMIES OF THE EMPEROR BUT THE POLICY OF RICHELIEU REQUIRED THAT THE DISUNION BETWEEN ITS CATHOLIC AND PROTESTANT STATES SHOULD BE MAINTAINED AND WHEN THINGS BEGAN TO TEND TOWARDS PEACE FROM MUTUAL EXHAUSTION THE CARDINAL INTERFERED AND INDUCED THE PROTESTANT PARTY TO CONTINUE THE WAR BY GIVING THEM MONEY AND REINFORCEMENTS
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