ɪnðə fˈɜːst hˈæf ʌvðə sˈɛvəntˌiːnθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi, fɹˈæns wʌz dᵻvˈaɪdᵻd ɪntˈɜːnəli ænd θɹˈɛʔn̩d ɛkstˈɜːnəli; wˌaɪl ɪt lˈɑːɹdʒli stˈeɪd ˌaʊɾəv ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪtiːn dˈæʃ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt θˈɜːɾi jˈɪɹz wˈɔːɹ, səpˈoːɹt fɚðə dˈʌtʃ ɹᵻpˈʌblɪk ɪn ɪts wˈɔːɹ ʌv ˌɪndᵻpˈɛndəns fɹʌm spˈeɪn ᵻvˈɛntʃuːəli lˈɛd tə ðə wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi fˈaɪv dˈæʃ wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd sˈɪkshˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn fɹˈæŋkoʊspˈænɪʃ wˈɔːɹ.
In the first half of the 17th century, France was divided internally and threatened externally; while it largely stayed out of the 1618-1648 Thirty Years' War, support for the Dutch Republic in its war of independence from Spain eventually led to the 1635-1659 Franco-Spanish War.