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This book provides a concise and accessible introduction to the history of France from the end of the Thirty Years War in 1648 to the eve of the Revolution in 1788. William Doyle, a leading authority on the period, examines the political, social, and cultural developments of the age, showing how the absolute monarchy of Louis XIV gradually declined into the crisis that would eventually lead to the Revolution. He explores the tensions between the monarchy and the nobility, the growth of the Enlightenment, and the economic and social pressures that built up over the course of the eighteenth century. This is an ideal starting point for anyone seeking to understand the origins of the French Revolution.
This volume investigates the structural, social, and political transformations of France during the century preceding the Revolution of 1789. William Doyle, a prominent historian of the eighteenth century, utilizes a synthesis of archival research and historiographical analysis to examine the decline of the absolute monarchy. He argues that the rigid social hierarchies and fiscal instability of the Old Regime created insurmountable pressures that eventually rendered the system unsustainable.
What You Will Find
Historians and students of French history frequently cite this work as a reliable, concise overview of the period's complex political landscape. The text is noted for its academic clarity and its ability to distill dense historical developments into a coherent narrative for both scholars and undergraduates.
Page Count:
296
Publication Date:
2001-07-12
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0198731302
ISBN-13:
9780198731306
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