François VI of France was born in 1669 as the son of François V and his wife. In 1692, his father died, and he became new king. France was in a difficult situation: It was caught in the anti-French War and on the verge of losing. When in 1693 king Humphrey II of England died surprisingly, his advisors told François VI that he should continue the war, since the tide could turn again. Soon it became clear that this wasn't the case, so François VI negotiated and signed the peace of Amsterdam.
Rebuilding French power[]
In 1700, France made an alliance with Persia, against the Rum-Seljuks and Vijayanagar. As a consequence, it supported the first in the Indian War 1714-25.
During 1717-23, France used the opportunity that Italy and Russia had defeated the Seljuks, allied with Persia and stroke against the Seljuks in the fourth French-Seljuk War. The French again occupied the Sinai and Aden. This time, Jerusalem was left alone.
1725, France and Persia made an agreement about Ethiopia. Both nations were allowed to trade with the land, it was not forced to switch religion in any way, but had to pay tribute to both of them.
France also expanded in India, taking Sri Lanka in 1728. And 1731, France founded the Indochinese League with Bengal, Pegu, Thailand, Khmer, Champa and Melaka. In 1738 however, the Swedes took Sri Lanka, after defeating a stronger French fleet surprisingly.
In Europe[]
After the death of king (and Roman emperor) Eduard IV in 1722, the Netherlands were united with Sweden-Norway-Mecklenburg in personal union under his grandson. France objected the unification. 1724, it found an ally in Luxemburg; the Dutch War of Succession (also called Dutch War of Unification) began. It was resolved in 1729; France took Hainaut and parts of Flanders (again...), Luxemburg got Namur.
Then in 1735, Ludwig XVIII, last Wittelsbach duke of the Rhine Palatinate, died without heir. It wasn't completely clear whether France or Bavaria should get it. New emperor Heinrich IX of Brandenburg let the French unmisunderstandably know that he wouldn't tolerate them taking it. As a result, during 1736-42, the Palatinate War of Succession took place. Although the German and Swedish-Dutch armies couldn't defeat the French armies, when Spain and Britain threatened France, peace was made. The Palatinate went neither to France nor Bavaria, but to a grandnephew of the Bourbon king of Hungary. In case he and his brother should die without heir, the Palatinate would fall back to Bavaria.
After the council of Cork, France tried to get more influence on the Catholic church again. 1738, king François VI managed to smuggle pope Innocent from Rome to Avignon. The Italian king protested, but couldn't change it.
Predecessor: | François VI Berry (Chaos) | Successor: |
---|---|---|
François V | François VI |
Philippe VI |
Franz II | Franz III |
Karl XI |
Frans II | Frans III Count of Flanders |
Eduard IV |