The Fronde was a civil war in France between 1648-1653 that began as a rebellion of the French nobility and parliament against the government of the young King Louis XIV and his Italian-born chief minister, Cardinal Mazarin. Taxes imposed to fund the Thirty Years' War led to discontent among the middle class. By 1651, France descended into war and anarchy, with provinces experiencing starvation, looting, and pillaging. The royal army eventually suppressed the revolts by 1653, allowing Louis XIV to consolidate power as an 18-year-old king.