The complex politics of this period meant individuals like Dumbarton needed both political and military skills; during the 1648-1653 Fronde or Civil War in France, as a foreign, Catholic-officered unit, his regiment was one of the few the young Louis XIV could rely on. However, in the latter stages of the 1635-1659 Franco-Spanish War, France allied with the English Commonwealth against Spain. Many exiled Royalists in France, including the future James II, now changed sides and the regiment was assigned to garrison duty to prevent its defection.