Recapping the World History Seminar ““It is Certain that the King Love Italians”: Louis XIV and Italy, 1659-1707” conducted by Dr. John CONDREN on 29 September 2022

Dr. John CONDREN from the Faculty of History, University of Oxford, was invited by the Centre for Comparative and Public History to deliver a lecture entitled ““It is Certain that the King Love Italians”: Louis XIV and Italy, 1659-1707” on 29 September 2022. Dr. CONDREN started the lecture by introducing the power blocs in Europe at the end of the 17th century. He then elaborated on the factors that influenced the rise of the “great powers”, including wealth, resources, industrialization, and commercial success. Compared with the other powers, France was the one that lacked the same essential financial institutions as Britain possessed in this period. As the most Christian king, Louis XIV refused to help the European fight against Islam in the 1680s; his selfishness, arrogance, and ambition hence incurred frequent European wars with other European powers. In the 15th century Italy, Spain had much more influence than France did, and the former controlled a large territory of Italy even in the 17th century. Though Louis remained affectionate to Italy because of his first prime minister Cardinal Mazarin, he intended to replace Spanish influence in Italy with French power not out of geographic or military purpose, but as a distraction to Spain. The lecture was concluded by reflecting on the meaning of being Italian in Niccolò MACHIAVELLI’s The Prince.

World History Seminar (2022-23)

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