French History Lesson

Gary Gunnels|4.4.03 @ 10:01AM|#

Yeah, because we know the Spaniards were attacking North Africa because they wanted to "liberate" them. I mean, Spain was the "bastion" of freedom at the time, right? I mean, that's why the booted out all those Jews in 1493, persecuted converted Jews, and burnt "heretics" and other unfortunantes at the stake in the inquisition, and then exported that mess to the New World?

Comparing the dynastic engagements (and the reasons for them I might add) of the Valois/Bourbon and the Spanish Hapsburg monarchs with today's relationship between the US and France is about the dumbest fucking idea I've heard in a long time. Need I remind you that France spent significant parts of the 16th and 17th centuries fending off one manner of invasion or another from the Spaniards? Hell, the reason why France was able to ally with the Dutch and the Swedes at the end of the Thirty Years War, and defeat the Spanish at the Battle of Rocroi in 1643 was because of the fear of Spanish hegemony in Europe. France making common cause with Spain's enemy was a means to protect France from Spanish efforts to take French territory, to install their own puppet on the French throne, etc. Who do you think the Catholic League was allied to? The Spaniards. When the Spanish ringed Paris with troops during the early part of Henry IV's reign, what were they trying to do? To install their own puppet on the French throne of course. France was defending its national sovereignty, and if the Barbary pirates helped them do that against the aggressive, expanionist, imperialist Spanish Hapsburgs, so be it.

Nick, I would suggest that before you comment on European history, you learn something about it.

Mark|4.4.03 @ 10:35AM|#

I wonder, did Arab pirates say "Aaarrrgh!" when they wanted to emphasize a point, like their Western counterparts? Just wondering.

--Mark

Gary Gunnels|4.5.03 @ 1:38AM|#

Roger Sweeney,

Well, everyone tends to remember the Armada, without remembering that Spain was fighting all throughout the continent of Europe trying to put its thumb on everything. And this went on for about 200 years. Spain had the economic wherewithal to do this because it had the silver mines in Mexico, etc. to exploit (as well as the people there) to fight its wars. And Spain's efforts to establish a foothold and expand into North Africa were part of a campaign to Christianize the population there. It was viewed as a crusade for a long time by the Spaniards. France not only aided the various North African potentates in common cause against a common enemy, but also a means to thumb their nose at the Catholic Church. French catholicism always ran head on into the Church because the Church wanted to run the secular affairs of the French state, and they specifically wanted to kill every last Huguenot in France, and thus get rid of the Edict of Nantes. Henry IV & Louis XIII resisted these desires of the Church and their local allies the Catholic League (this is why the Leaguers often allied themselves with Spain, because the Spanish were more "orthodox" in their views of what to do with Protestants than the first two Bourbon monarchs were). Louis XIV's designs brought about a role reversal however - France under him for forty or so years became the dangerous expansionst power of Europe, a task resumed under Napoleon, and one then picked by the Germans after 1871.

NGingrich|4.5.03 @ 2:16AM|#

And please, people, keep your comments to 64 words or less. OK? (This ain't History 101. We've graduated already.)

|4.5.03 @ 11:40AM|#

Hey, nothing wrong with long comments if they're good. Thanks, Gary.

|4.5.03 @ 11:40AM|#

Hey, nothing wrong with long comments if they're good. Thanks, Gary.

|7.29.04 @ 3:51AM|#

HELLO ALL I INFORMATION RETRIEVAL ON The SPANISH PRESENCE IN The REPUBLIC OF LUCCA BETWEEN 1750 AND 1800 BUS J AI FINDS The TRACES D A MILITARY SPANISH ANCESTOR HAVING BEEN USEFUL IN The 1ST REGIMENT CAVALRY OF PRINCE A LUCCA??? THANK YOU TO CONTACT ME

|9.3.04 @ 2:04AM|#

Bachrach Amy|9.10.04 @ 12:23AM|#

EMAIL: nospam@nospampreteen-sex.info
IP: 195.94.1.122
URL: http://preteen-sex.info
DATE: 05/20/2004 12:02:43
An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger

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Gary Gunnels|4.4.03 @ 10:01AM|#

Mark|4.4.03 @ 10:35AM|#

Gary Gunnels|4.5.03 @ 1:38AM|#

NGingrich|4.5.03 @ 2:16AM|#

|4.5.03 @ 11:40AM|#

|4.5.03 @ 11:40AM|#

|7.29.04 @ 3:51AM|#

|9.3.04 @ 2:04AM|#

Bachrach Amy|9.10.04 @ 12:23AM|#

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