The fiscal-military constitution of Bourbon France in comparative perspective

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Abstract

Eschewing the notion of France as a ‘fiscal-military state’, this essay places the fiscal-military constitution of France in comparative perspective, looking at the armed forces, revenue-raising, credit and logistics. It investigates just how effective and efficient the French state was at raising and deploying resources for war in a sustainable fashion and considers the extent to which the fiscal-military constitution allowed the strategic interests and political goals of the monarchs to be met. For all the greater sophistication and increase of human, material and financial resources the French state achieved from the 1660s, it was not enough to meet the strategic demands Louis XIV and Louis XV placed on the armed forces and fiscal machinery in most wars from the 1690s. Yet these pressures not only drained energy from France, the fiscal-military overstretch, and strategic setbacks eventually generated demands for serious reform of the fiscal-military constitution by the Seven Years War, ultimately weakening the foundations of the monarchy.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Habsburg monarchy as a fiscal-military state
Subtitle of host publicationcontours and perspectives 1648-1815
EditorsWilliam D. Godsey, Petr Mat'a
Place of PublicationOxford
PublisherOUP/British Academy
Chapter2
Pages60-84
Number of pages25
ISBN (Electronic)9780191976742
ISBN (Print)9780197267349
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 10 Mar 2022

Publication series

NameProceedings of the British Academy
Volume247
ISSN (Print)0068-1202

Keywords

  • France
  • Finances
  • War
  • Fiscal-military states
  • 17th century
  • 18th century
  • Louis XIV
  • Louis XV
  • Armies
  • Navies

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