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

Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History

by Guy Rowlands

This book presents a new interpretation of the development of the French army during the "personal rule" of Louis XIV. Based on massive archival research, it examines the army not only as a military institution but also as a political, social and economic organism. Guy Rowlands asserts that the key to the development of Louis XIV's armed forces was the king's determination to acknowledge and satisfy the military, political, social and cultural aspirations of his officers, and maintain the solid standing of the Bourbon dynasty.

432 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 1998