02 - English Restoration and Louis XIV by Osmund Airy

Dive into the intriguing period between 1648 and 1679 with British historian Osmund Airy. We explore a time when Cardinal Mazarin, fresh off concluding the pivotal Peace of Westphalia for France, had to face the noble rebellions known as the Fronde. By the time Mazarin drew his last breath in 1661, he had paved the way for Louis XIV to become an absolute monarch, eager to expand his realm through conquest. However, opposition arose from the young Stadtholder, William III of Orange in Holland, and the reinstated Charles II in England, who was dealing with Parliament, placating religious factions, and squashing both real and imagined plots, all while frivolously spending Louiss clandestine subsidies. Join us as we unpack this riveting time in history.