| Map of France: Acquisitions of King Louis XIV. Important areas gained included parts of Alsace and Lorraine, which were disputed by France and Germany well into the twentieth century. In terms of size, the largest region acquired by Louis XIV was Franche-Comté (today's Departments of Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône, and Territoire de Belfort), located at the Jura Mountains, one of the few heavily Protestant areas of France. Despite portions of Franche-Comté being ruled by the Germanic dukes of Württemberg for many years, Franche-Comté ("Free County" in English) is a Francophone region that borders French-speaking Switzerland. Click here to enlarge this image. |
