The Dynastic State and the Army under Louis XIV: Royal Service and Private Interest 1661–1701

by Guy Rowlands

• ISBN13: 9780521144742
• ISBN10: 0521144744
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-24
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

The 'personal rule' of Louis XIV witnessed a massive increase in the size of the French army and an apparent improvement in the quality of its officers, its men and the War Ministry. However, this is the first book to treat the French army under Louis XIV as a living political, social and economic organism, an institution which reflected the dynastic interests and personal concerns of the king and his privileged subjects. The book explains the development of the army between the end of Cardinal Mazarin's ministry and the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession, emphasising the awareness of Louis XIV and his ministers of the need to pay careful attention to the condition of the king's officers, and to take account of their military, political, social and cultural aspirations.

Table of Contents

General introduction: 'Absolute monarchy', dynasticism and the standing army

'Patrimonial Bureaucracy': The Le Tellier Dynasty and the Ministry of War: Introduction

The Secretary of State for War and the dynastic interests of the Le Tellier family

The ebb and flow of Le Tellier power, 1661-1701

The use and abuse of servants: the Ministry of War, venality and civilian power in the army

Financing war: the treasury of the Extraordinaire des guerres

Corruption and the pursuit of self-interest in the Ministry of War

The Forging of the French Officer Corps and the Standing Army under Louis XIV: Introduction

In the name of sustainability: reforming the structure of the standing army and the officer corps

The business of a regiment

The pressures and temptations of service

The High Command of the French Armies: Introduction

The commanders-in-chief and the delegation of royal authority

The appointment of general officers

The summits of ambition and the rewards of good service: the bienfaits du roi and the high command

Conclusion: the preservation of the dynasty

Defining the grands

The proportion of revenue generated by the Extraordinaire des guerres as a 'primary receiver'

Bibliography

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