Leopold I was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 after the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV. Elected in 1658, Leopold ruled the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1705, becoming the second longest-ruling Habsburg emperor. He was both a composer and considerable patron of music.
Young Leopold by anonymous, c. 1660
Leopold I, painted by Guido Cagnacci (1657–1658)
Leopold I column (1673) in Trieste
Franco-Dutch War
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The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War, was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Norway. In its early stages, France was allied with Münster and Cologne, as well as England. The 1672 to 1674 Third Anglo-Dutch War and 1675 to 1679 Scanian War are considered related conflicts.
![Left to right: The Battle of Solebay The murder of the De Witt brothers The Dutch surprise assault on Coevorden [nl; fr] The Siege of Valenciennes](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Franco-Dutch_War_Collave.jpg/500px-Franco-Dutch_War_Collave.jpg)
Left to right: The Battle of Solebay The murder of the De Witt brothers The Dutch surprise assault on Coevorden [nl; fr] The Siege of Valenciennes
The planned 1672 French offensive; the alliance with Münster and Cologne allowed them to bypass the Spanish Netherlands
Prince William of Orange, appointed Captain-General in February 1672; political conflict between his supporters and de Witt impacted Dutch preparations
Louvois, French Secretary of War, whose reforms were crucial to French success