The First Fronde was a series of civil wars in France that emerged during the minority of King Louis XIV. Beginning in the wake of the Battle of Lens, where the French army secured a crucial victory in the Thirty Years' War, Cardinal Mazarin sought to consolidate power by arresting prominent leaders of the Parlement of Paris. Tensions had already been escalating between the monarchy and the parlement, as the latter represented the interests and grievances of the increasingly powerful nobles and the bourgeoisie. Mazarin's decision to detain these leaders on 26 August 1648 was perceived as an unacceptable overreach of authority, leading to immediate unrest among Parisians.As news spread, the citizens of Paris rapidly organized, taking to the streets to protest against the injustices they felt had been inflicted upon them. The sight of barricades going up across the city symbolized their defiance against the Crown. The insurrection marked a pivotal moment as it united various factions of the populace—ricocheting through the political landscape and leading to ongoing conflicts. The fervor exhibited by the Parisians illustrated not only their dissatisfaction with Mazarin's policies but also a growing desire for greater representation in governance.