War and Government in the French Provinces
War and Government in the French Provinces
Few studies of the history of provincial France have hitherto spanned the conventional medieval/early-modern divide, and David Potter's detailed examination of war and government in Picardy, a region of France hitherto neglected by historians, has much to say about the development of French absolutism. Picardy emerged as a province after the campaigns of 1470–1477, and its experience of the first period of absolutism provides an enlightening contrast with that of other, more outlying provinces: the Picard nobility was notable for the extent of its participation in the army, the court and the government of France. David Potter provides a detailed analysis of the organisation of French military power in the province, and its impact during the period of the Habsburg-Valois wars. The work concludes with Picardy about to enter a difficult period of civil war.
- Crosses usual medieval/early modern split
- Examines central province, with implications for wider study of French absolutism
- Strong military history component
Reviews & endorsements
'… the produce of outstandingly wide archival research. … he is superbly equipped to analyse the intricate dynamics of warfare, politics and administration … this study makes a very valuable contribution to our understanding of the development of the early-modern state.' Archives
Product details
June 1993Hardback
9780521431897
412 pages
236 × 161 × 35 mm
0.785kg
10 maps
Available
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Table of Contents
- Acknowledgements
- List of abbreviations
- Notes on transcriptions of documents, units of money and measures
- Introduction
- 1. Return to allegiance: Picardy and the Franco-Burgundian Wars, 1470–93
- 2. The provincial governors and politics
- 3. The governors' staff and household
- 4. The Picard nobility and royal service
- 5. Military organisation in Picardy during the Habsburg-Valois wars
- 6. 'Les fruictz que la guerre rapporte': the effects of war on the Picard countryside, 1521–60
- 7. War, taxation and the towns
- 8. Peace negotiations and the formation of the frontier in Picardy, 1521–60
- Conclusion
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Index.
