Some may have easily guessed why the end-date was chosen. Probably less would immediately know the relative significance of the start date.
In 1772 the first partition of Poland-Lithuania happened, largely as a result of the german will to artificially keep the ottoman empire alive for a bit longer. Russia had defeated the ottomans and was to expand in regions formerly of their control, including those creating a large border with Austria. Due to some other complications (part of which was Austria's will to even go to war with Russia so as to weaken its new position), in the end it was decided that the three powers of the east of Europe would expand simultaneously in Polish lands, so as to supposedly reach a new balance of power, negating the further weakening of the ottoman empire.
1764 is probably mostly known by historians as the onset of the demise of the order of Jesuits. France ordered their destruction, and rapidly other powers followed suit, despite the pope's (Clement XIII) official declaration of support for the Jesuits in 1765. In the following years Spain and most of northern Italy took over the regional possesions of the order which was no more in their lands. With the death of the pope, in 1769 the new pope (Clement XIV) agreed to declare the order as not protected by Catholic canon.
However my main reason for choosing 1764 is one centered in southern France, in the very origin of the largest river of that country, the Loire (Leger). It was in the province of this origin that in 1764 a series of horrible slayings started to take place. In the end (for most this was 1770) the killings of local peasants and other people using the roads around the forest, probably exceeded one hundred, and were attributed to a large wolf-like animal, termed as La Bête du Gévaudan 1.
The Beast was deemed as slain in early 1765 by a noble and high-ranking army official, sent by the French King, François Antoine. Antoine killed a large animal that resembled a wolf, but had a size mostly analogous to a horse while being a lot shorter since it only rose to a little less than one full meter, but extended to nearly two meters.
The being was also said to had been smelling in the most horrible way, which was apparently the reason why even after it was stuffed and sent to Versailles, it was soon decided to bury it.
*
I would like to ask if you could provide more notable concurrent European events of this time. I am thinking of loosely having a parallel to elements of this affair in a new short story set in the present. I particularly liked the fact that following the beast's massacres, the entire region was for a time known as "Pays de la Bête"; "Country of the Beast".
In 1772 the first partition of Poland-Lithuania happened, largely as a result of the german will to artificially keep the ottoman empire alive for a bit longer. Russia had defeated the ottomans and was to expand in regions formerly of their control, including those creating a large border with Austria. Due to some other complications (part of which was Austria's will to even go to war with Russia so as to weaken its new position), in the end it was decided that the three powers of the east of Europe would expand simultaneously in Polish lands, so as to supposedly reach a new balance of power, negating the further weakening of the ottoman empire.
1764 is probably mostly known by historians as the onset of the demise of the order of Jesuits. France ordered their destruction, and rapidly other powers followed suit, despite the pope's (Clement XIII) official declaration of support for the Jesuits in 1765. In the following years Spain and most of northern Italy took over the regional possesions of the order which was no more in their lands. With the death of the pope, in 1769 the new pope (Clement XIV) agreed to declare the order as not protected by Catholic canon.
However my main reason for choosing 1764 is one centered in southern France, in the very origin of the largest river of that country, the Loire (Leger). It was in the province of this origin that in 1764 a series of horrible slayings started to take place. In the end (for most this was 1770) the killings of local peasants and other people using the roads around the forest, probably exceeded one hundred, and were attributed to a large wolf-like animal, termed as La Bête du Gévaudan 1.
The Beast was deemed as slain in early 1765 by a noble and high-ranking army official, sent by the French King, François Antoine. Antoine killed a large animal that resembled a wolf, but had a size mostly analogous to a horse while being a lot shorter since it only rose to a little less than one full meter, but extended to nearly two meters.
The being was also said to had been smelling in the most horrible way, which was apparently the reason why even after it was stuffed and sent to Versailles, it was soon decided to bury it.
*
I would like to ask if you could provide more notable concurrent European events of this time. I am thinking of loosely having a parallel to elements of this affair in a new short story set in the present. I particularly liked the fact that following the beast's massacres, the entire region was for a time known as "Pays de la Bête"; "Country of the Beast".
