War, State and Society in Württemberg, 1677-1793 PDF
Preview War, State and Society in Württemberg, 1677-1793
This page intentionally left blank This book provides a radical new interpretation of the aims of the lesser German princes during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through the example of the duchy of Wurttemberg. Arguing that the princes' political ambitions were funda- mental in shaping the internal development of their territories, the author sheds new light on the political importance of the notorious German 'soldier trade' and its role in international diplomacy. The wider social and political impact of these policies is also investigated in a comparative framework, while traditional interpretations of the dramatic struggle between duke and estates are challenged in a reassessment of the role of early modern representative institutions in German state development. The relationship of these internal political struggles to the different elements of the Holy Roman Empire is revealed, opening up new perspectives on the role of the German states within the imperial structure and revealing the empire as a flawed but functioning political system. CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN EARLY MODERN HISTORY War, state and society in Wurttemberg, 1677-1793 CAMBRIDGE STUDIES IN EARLY MODERN HISTORY Edited by Professor Sir John Elliott, University of Oxford, Professor Olwen Hufton, Harvard University, and Professor H. G. Koenigsberger The idea of an 'early modern' period of European history from the fifteenth to the late eighteenth century is now widely accepted among historians. The purpose of Cambridge Studies in Early Modern History is to publish monographs and studies which illuminate the character of the period as a whole, and in particular focus attention on a dominant theme within it, the interplay of continuity and change as they are presented by the continuity of medieval ideas, political and social organisation, and by the impact of new ideas, new methods and new demands on the traditional structure. For a list of titles published in the series, please see end of book War, state and society in Wurttemberg, 1677-1793 PETER H. WILSON University of Newcastle upon Tyne CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS Published by the Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP 40 West 20th Street, New York, NY IOOI 1-421 I, USA 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia © Cambridge University Press 1995 First published 1995 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress cataloguing in publication data Wilson, Peter H. War, state and society in Wiirttemberg, 1677-1793 Peter H.Wilson. p. cm. - (Cambridge studies in early modern history) Includes bibliographical references. ISBN o 521 47302 o 1. Wiirttemberg (Germany) - History, Military. 2. Wiirttemberg (Germany) - Politics and government. 3. Social classes - Germany - Wiirttemberg - History - 18th century. 4. Holy Roman Empire - History - 1648-1805.1. Title. 11. Series. DD801.W76W55 1995 943'.47-dc20 94-16546 cip ISBN o 521 47302 0 hardback Transferred to digital printing 2003 WD For my parents
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