Wars and Soldiers in the Early Reign of Louis XIV

After the Peace of Westphalia, several German states developed a disciplined ‘Military’ that produced outstanding armies. Germany supplied mercenary troops to major and minor powers in Europe, and the military-state, usually exemplified by Prussia, became a crucial part of German history. However, Germany was apparently weak and internally divided in a multitude of states that constantly faced a hostile environment formed by belligerent great powers. Moreover, the German ‘Military’ was the resultant system of collective security and internal conflict and resolution that allowed a rich variety of political traditions to coexist relatively harmoniously. This system tried to preserve Germany against formidable attacks without making it a danger to the security of its neighbors. In contrast to the political culture of later German states, that of the ‘Reich’ was inherently defensive, preferring peace to war in both domestic politics and external relations. The book deals with the armies of the German Empire for the first time in a single book, with unpublished iconography and after the researches in the German archives.