Louis’ armies were overrunning Flanders in 1667, and Franche-Comte next year.  Holland, a republic with John de Witt at its head, took alarm; and Sir William Temple succeeded in effecting the Triple Alliance between Holland, England, and Sweden.  Louis found it advisable to make peace, even at the price of surrendering Franche-Comte for the present.

Determined now, however, on the conquest of Holland, Louis had no difficulty in secretly detaching the voluptuary Charles II. from the Dutch alliance.  Holland itself was torn between the faction of the De Witts and the partisans of the young William of Orange.  Overwhelming preparations were made for the utterly unwarrantable enterprise.

As the French armies poured into Holland, practically no resistance was offered.  The government began to sue for peace.  But the populace rose and massacred the De Witts; young William was made stadtholder.  Ruyter defeated the combined French and English fleets at Sole Bay.  William opened the dykes and laid the country under water, and negotiated secretly with the emperor and with Spain.  Half Europe was being drawn into a league against Louis, who made the fatal mistake of following the advice of his war minister Louvois, instead of Conde and Turenne.

In every court in Europe Louis had his pensioners intriguing on his behalf.  His newly created fleet was rapidly learning its work.  On land he was served by the great engineer Vauban, by Turenne, Conde, and Conde’s pupil, Luxembourg.  He decided to direct his own next campaign against Franche-Comte.  But during the year Turenne, who was conducting a separate campaign in Germany with extraordinary brilliancy, was killed; and after this year Conde took no further part in the war.  Moreover, the Austrians were now in the field, under the able leader Montecuculi.

In 1676-8 town after town fell before Vauban, a master of siege work as of fortification; Louis, in many cases, being present in person.  In other quarters, also, the French arms were successful.  Especially noticeable were the maritime successes of Duquesne, who was proving himself a match for the Dutch commanders.  Louis was practically fighting and beating half Europe single-handed, as he was now getting no effective help from England or his nominal ally, Sweden.  Finally, in 1678, he was able practically to dictate his own terms to the allies.  The peace had already been signed when William of Orange attacked Luxembourg before Mons; a victory, on the whole, for him, but entirely barren of results.  With this peace of Nimeguen, Louis was at the height of his power.

By assuming the right of interpreting for himself the terms of the treaty, he employed the years of peace in extending his possessions.  No other power could now compare with France, but in 1688 Louis stood alone, without any supporter, save James II. of England.  And he intensified the general dread by the revocation of the Edict of Nantes and the expulsion of the French Huguenots.