Few historians would deny that Louis XIV's France dominated the political, cultural and military landscape of late 17th-century Europe. Yet the financial foundations on which French hegemony were based remain open to question. Traditionally the regime has been viewed as the archetypal centralizing monarchy in which warfare was the main motor driving reform. Yet more recently research has pointed to a more subtle interpretation in which power was negotiated and interests balanced between the crown and members of the elite. ...
Read More
Few historians would deny that Louis XIV's France dominated the political, cultural and military landscape of late 17th-century Europe. Yet the financial foundations on which French hegemony were based remain open to question. Traditionally the regime has been viewed as the archetypal centralizing monarchy in which warfare was the main motor driving reform. Yet more recently research has pointed to a more subtle interpretation in which power was negotiated and interests balanced between the crown and members of the elite. "Corps and Clienteles" offers a different approach to this debate by focusing on the intersection between institutions and personal relationships in the financial strategies surrounding Louis XIV's final two wars. It argues that, in appealing to the elite for financial support to wage war, Louis in return stabilized many of the structures on which the elite stood, entrenched elements of privilege throughout the political landscape, and devolved power to provincial institutions. Especially with the participation of privileged corps as financial intermediaries, the politics of war finance in the last 25 years of Louis's reign profoundly influenced the direction in which absolutism developed through the remainder of the Old Regime. The book situates the period 1688 to 1715 as a crucial stage in the development of absolutism; tying the choices available to Louis XIV with the structures and institutions that he inherited from his predecessors, while setting his approach apart. By also measuring the impact of financial negotiations between crown and corps on the later state, it is argued that absolutism under Louis was neither ossified nor in crisis, as the latter half of his reign is often described, but rather dynamic and flexible as it sought to meet the financial costs of warfare.
Read Less
Add this copy of Corps and Clienteles: Public Finance and Political to cart. $51.62, good condition, Sold by Phatpocket Limited rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham Abbey, ESSEX, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Ashgate Publishing.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. Ships from UK in 48 hours or less (usually same day). Your purchase helps support Sri Lankan Children's Charity 'The Rainbow Centre'. Ex-library, so some stamps and wear, but in good overall condition. 100% money back guarantee. We are a world class secondhand bookstore based in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom and specialize in high quality textbooks across an enormous variety of subjects. We aim to provide a vast range of textbooks, rare and collectible books at a great price. Our donations to The Rainbow Centre have helped provide an education and a safe haven to hundreds of children who live in appalling conditions. We provide a 100% money back guarantee and are dedicated to providing our customers with the highest standards of service in the bookselling industry.
Add this copy of Corps and Clienteles: Public Finance and Political to cart. $77.05, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2003 by Ashgate Publishing Limited.
