FRONDE, frond, the name of a political faction which played a conspicuous part in French history during the minority of Louis XIV, and gave rise to the insurrectionary movement known historically as the War of the Fronde. The members of this party obtained the contemptuous name of Frondeurs (clingers), being compared to boys throwing stones from slings, owing to the pertinacious lampoon war fare which they waged against the powerful minister of that day, Cardinal Mazarin, and the Queen Regent, Anne of Austria. Mazarin, as a foreigner and a parvenu, was detested by the French people — both patrician and proletarian — and especially had incurred the opposition of the Parliament of Paris to his measures. In 1648 Mazarin ventured on the bold step of ar resting two of the most popular members of the latter body, and on the next day, 27 August (la four's& des barricades) the Parisians rose in arms, dispersed some of the royal troops sent out against them, and barricaded the approaches to the Louvre, compelling the court party to re tire to Saint Germain, thus leaving Paris in the bands of the insurgents. Upon the Prince de Conde advancing to besiege the capital, the par liament called the citizens to arms, when the Prince de Conti, the Duc de Beaufort ('Le Roi des Halles,° and son of Henry IV), and numerous others of the great nobles of the kingdom came forward to head the insurrection. The famous Cardinal de Retz and the Duchesses de Longueville and de Montbazon also joined the popular cause. The Prince de Conde, too, changed sides and went over to the malcontents, with whom the court party shortly afterward patched up a treaty of peace of but brief dura tion. Fresh contentions arose, and Mazarin
caused the arrest of Conde and Conti. This step excited a revolt in the provinces, and Mar shal Turenne hastened to the rescue of the Frondeur princes, but was routed in the battle of Rethel (1650). The cardinal, however, en joyed but a temporary supremacy; the parlia ment again agitated against him, and procured his banishment from France, leaving the Prince de Conck master of the situation. Subse quently, the contest degenerated into a war of intrigue and is regarded as one of the most useless conflicts ever waged. The court finally agreeing to dismiss Mazarin a general amnesty was proclaimed. Conde attempted to continue the struggle, but was proscribed, and entered the service of Spain, while Mazarin, after a time, returned to Paris, and again obtained the reins of government. It was not until 1653 that the last signs of revolt in the provinces were suppressed. The defeat of the movement helped to render the monarchy absolute. Con sult Barante, 'Le parlement de Paris et vie de M. Mole' (Paris 1859) ; Gordon, 'The Fronde> (Oxford 1905) ; id., 'Lettres du Cardinal Maz arm& (Paris 1878-1906) ; Pardoe, 'Louis XIV and the Court of France, etc.' (London 1888) ; id., 'Memoirs of Cardinal de Retz' (lb. 18%) ; Perkins, 'France under Richelieu and Mazarin) (New York 1888).