Scholarly record
THE IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF FRENCH FOREIGN POLICY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE XVII CENTURY
Abstract
The article reveals the main stages of the development of political thought in France in the XVII century. Political thought was focused first on the approval of absolutist ideas, and then on justification of the "power" and "grandeur" of the French state. During the second half of XVI - early XVII centuries the ideological suppositions of establishing the hegemonic aspirations of the French monarchy were evolved and later were implemented in the Age of Louis XIV. In the second half of the XVI century, the political doctrine of absolutism was framed. It received its highest development in the work of Jean Bodin. After adopting absolute power, French monarchs declared their intention to establish the "balance" in European politics, and then the claim to the French hegemony in Europe. The literary heritage of political practice - Richelieu and Louis XIV reflects the necessary conditions and means for achieving political hegemony of France in Europe. The study is based on modern methods corresponding to the principles of historicism, objectivity and complexity. Authors consider the mental context of the Age of Louis XIV that influenced the formation of the concept of "the greatness of the state", the glory of the monarch, "political domination", which corresponds to the civilizational approach to historical science.
Publication Impact Profile
Publication details
References15
Popova E. The dominance of France in the European politics in the second half of the 17th century: ways and means of its ascent. Russia, 2004; Popova E. Foreign policy of French absolutism in the first half XVII century.: Striving for domination. Bulletin of Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. Series World History. N3, pp. 36-49.
Montaigne M. Essais. Russia, 1991. [in Russian]
Bodin J. Six livres de la république. France, 1583.
Loiseau Ch. Traité des seigneuries. France, 1608; Cardin Le Blet. De la Souveraineté du Roi. France, 1632.
A considerable part of the historians have an opinion that the plan did not exist in the reign of Henry IV, and it was established by Sully after the death of the king. See: Wolowski M.L. Le grand dessein de Henri IV. France, 1860; Michelet J. Histoire de France au XVII siècle. Henri IV et Richelieu (T.XI). France, 1857, pp. 471-472.
Sully M. de Bethune. Memoires de Maximilien de Bethune, duc de Sully, principal ministre d’Henri le Grand. – Liège, 1788.
Zeller G. Les rois de France candidates à l’Empire: Essai sur l’idéologie impériale en France. In: Aspects de la politique française. France, 1964.
Anonymous «Le grand merci de la Chrétienté au roi». 1625; Besian Arroy. Questions décidées sur la justice des armes des rois de France, sur les alliances avec les hérétiques ou infidels, et sur la conduite de la conscience des gens de guerre; Bois-Normand. L’ordre militaire pour l’accomplissement des predictions de la monarchie française, ruine et l’Empire ottoman (1633); Montégut H. Avis important sur l’état et occurrence des affaires (1641).
Cassan J. de. Les recherches des droits du roi et de la couronne de France. - France, 1643
Aubery A. De la preeminence de nos rois et de leur préséance sur l’empereur et le roi d’Espagne. P., 1649. Justes prétentions du Roi sur l’Empire. - France, 1667.
Thuau E. Raison d’Etat et pensée politique à l’époque de Richelieu. France, 1966, p.293.
Richelieu A. Testament politique. - France, 1947, p. 90.
Richelieu A. Testament politique. Russia, 1766, p. 61. [In Russian]
Mémoires de Louis XIV. Ed. J. Lognon. France, 1933.
Mémoires historiques et instructions de Louis XIV pour le Dauphin, son fils (1666). In: Œuvres de Louis XIV. Pub. Par Grimoard et P. Grouvelle. France, 1806.
View or Download full articleAccess options
SWS access login
Login as SWS Scientific CommitteeLogin as SWS Scientific PartnerLogin as SWS AuthorAuthors and approved SWS contributors will read and export their own linked papers after identity matching by SWS profile, email and SGEM GlobalID.
For librarian assistance: [email protected]
Purchase Instant Access
- Article can be downloaded after successful payment.
- Article may be used according to SWS library access terms.
- Article cannot be redistributed.



