The Fronde

This article is about the 17th century civil war in France. For other uses, see Fronde (disambiguation).

The Fronde
Part of the Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659)
Battle of the Faubourg St Antoine, 1652, outside the Bastille in Paris
Date 1648–1653 Location France Result Government victory
Belligerents
Kingdom of France	Parlements (1648–1649) Princes of the Blood (1650–1653)
Commanders and leaders
Louis XIV Anne of Austria Cardinal Mazarin Condé (1650-1651) Turenne (from 1651)	Gaston of Orleans Prince of Conti (from 1651) Condé
Casualties and losses
50,000+ total deaths

The Fronde was a civil war fought in France between 1648 and 1653. The term comes from the French noun for slingshot, and was originally a derogatory term for the rebels.

The conflict derived from opposition to the centralising policies pursued by the government of Anne of Austria and Cardinal Mazarin. These in turn were a response to the financial crisis caused by French involvement in the Thirty Years' War, which ended in 1648, and the ongoing Franco-Spanish War (1635–1659). It can be divided into two parts, the first from 1648 to 1649, generally known as La Fronde des Parlements, followed by La Fronde des Princes from 1650 to 1653. Both resulted in victory for the ruling regime.