Richelieu's Army (Paperback)

David Parrott

ISBN 10: 0521025486 / ISBN 13: 9780521025485

Published by Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2006

About this Item

Paperback. It is assumed widely that 'war made the state' in seventeenth-century France. Yet this study of the French army during the ministry of Cardinal Richelieu (162442) shows how the expansion of the war effort was not matched by army reform but by a reliance on traditional mechanisms of control. The army imposed a huge burden upon the French population, but far from being an instrument of the emerging absolutist state its demands contributed to weakening Richelieu's hold upon France and heightened levels of political and social tension. This is the first detailed account of the size, organization, recruitment, financing and control of the troops during this formative period of French history. The book also includes a detailed study of foreign policy during Richelieu's ministry, and places the training, deployment and fighting methods of the French army into the context of arguments for military change in early modern Europe. The title was runner up in the History Today Awards 2002. It is assumed widely that 'war made the state' in seventeenth-century France. Yet this study challenges the traditional interpretations of the role of the army as an instrument of the emerging absolutist state, and shows how the expansion of the French war effort contributed to weakening Richelieu's hold upon France. Runner up in the History Today Awards 2002. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780521025485

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Richelieu's Army (Paperback)
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0521025486
• ISBN 13: 9780521025485
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

A definitive reinterpretation of the role and influence of the French army during Richelieu's ministry.

Review

'This book bucks the trend. Most books promise far lass than their titles, but Parrott delivers more ... a major work for those interested in early-modern military history.' History Today

'This is a monumental study, which not only puts a definitive stamp on its subject but sets a high standard for all future military historians.' Theodore K Rabb, The Times Literary Supplement

'No previous study has lavished such attention on this chapter in military history ... This is a monumental study, which not only puts a definite stamp on its subject but sets a high standard for all future military historians.' European History

'The originality of this book lies in Parrott's mastery of the literature on seventeenth-century warfare written in all the major Western European languages. It is a triumph of scholarship that, by placing French developments in a wider European context, will have an impact well beyond the hexagon ... We can only congratulate David Parrott on producing such a fine monument.' H-FRANCE

'This is a book that beautifully illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of institutional history.' History

'It is one of the most important studies of early modern warfare since the revival of that subject in the 1970s, as well as being an important contribution to seventeenth-century French and European history.' War in History