louis_xiv

1709, what a year!

You might think that 2009 was a year of crisis, a year of plagues and poverty, a year where the only success one could expect was survival. You might be right. But if you're living in a country where "plagues" mean principally Swine Flu, where "poverty" means principally many people losing their job, and "survival" means avoiding bankruptcy, be assured that 1709 in France was worse. Much worse.

But it was not only a year of catastrophes, it was a year of hope. A tipping point in French history. You know those situations in novels or theater plays where everything seems lost, the enemies are victorious, the hero alone - and then, something happens, something unexpected, something that turns the situation around ? That was 1709 for France.

On January 1st 1709, the situation was not yet catastrophic. That doesn't mean that everything was fine. Since years, France was at war with pretty much everybody else in Europe, except Bavaria and Spain - the latter being the apple of discord in this war (that's why it wll be called War of Spanish Succession). The war chest was almost empty, but so were probably the war chests of my enemies. In december 1708 I had proposed peace to the Coalition, ready to exchange Spain for peace. And as Spain was what this war was all about, I had hope they would accept.

Then, around January fifth, came the winter. The worst winter in Europe since centuries, later nicknamed the "Great Frost", or "Grand Hiver" in France. Even the scholars of your time seem to be unable to explain what happened. And believe me, in my time a strong winter is one of the worst things that can happen to a country. Over a million died. (You might want to check my post from March for details.)

And this was just the beginning. When the winter was gone, he had destroyed seeds, vineyards, fruit trees. I did my best to limit the famine, I sold my golden tableware and forced the nobles to pay for soup kitchens, but it was not enough. When a whole country is starving, even an absolute monarch has very little power to help. Especially when the chests are empty.

Then came, at last, the answer from the British-Dutch-Austrian Coalition to my peace proposal. The conditions they "proposed" were simply inacceptable. They wanted me to go to war against the king of Spain, my own grandson. When I read it, it became clear that their goal was no longer Spain : They wanted to humiliate me, hurt me, destroy me. I couldn't accept this. I rejected the offer, and despite famine, my decimated armies and the war-weariness of my people, the war went on.

It was in this situation that the wind suddenly turned around. On June 12th, I appealed to the population in a proclamation to be read in all churches of the country. It wasn't a "do you want total war" speech - I simply explained the situation, my peace proposal, the conditions our enemies wanted to impose. It was almost an apology. I hoped, not without doubt, that despite famine and battle fatigue, my subjects would understand their king.

And they did. Not only that they understood - they came to join their king's armies. My poor, hungry, war-weary and often recalcitrant French dropped hammers and hayforks and took muskets and swords. Thousands enlisted to the army, took arms to defend king and country. If anybody tells you that French are cowards, don't listen to them. I've never been so proud of my subjects before. I've never been so proud of being their king.

And they didn't come in vain. In september, Malbourough and Eugene crossed the Rhine with two armies and tried to invade France, but they failed: Their march on Paris, meant to be the coup de grace to France, was stopped at Malplaquet, the Coalition was forced to retreat. I feel that the war has reached its tipping point. Moreover, my spies report that in England, the war-eager Whigs are losing ground against the Tories who seem more ready for a peace threaty. Maybe peace is not far, a peace which is acceptable for France. I hope so. France hopes so.

Besides, the winter of 2010 doesn't seem so strong, up to now. At least the wine isn't freezing on my table.

In any case, I feel that down here in 1710, the worst is over.

What about 2010 ?