The King's Army
Warfare, Soldiers and Society during the Wars of Religion in France, 1562–76

A study of warfare and society during the wars of religion in France.

James B. Wood (Author)

9780521550031, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 22 August 1996

368 pages, 9 b/w illus. 13 maps 42 tables
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.658 kg

'James Wood's splendid study … marks a major advance in our understanding of this deeply confused period. This is a book packed with detail, based on extensive primary research, whose separate sections are brilliantly combined to advance a general argument.' Historical Journal

Historians have long ignored the military aspect of the wars of religion which raged in France during the late sixteenth century, dismissing the conflicts as aimless or hopelessly confused. In contrast, this meticulously researched analysis of the royal army and its operations during the early civil wars brings warfare back to the centre of the picture. James B. Wood explains the reasons for the initial failure of the monarchy to defeat the Huguenots, and examines how that failure prolonged the conflict. He argues that the nature and outcome of the civil wars can only be explained by the fusion of religious rebellion and incomplete military revolution. This study makes an important contribution to the history of military forces, warfare and society, and will be of great interest to those engaged in the debate over the 'Military Revolution' in early modern Europe.

Introduction: Rumors of war
1. The campaigns of the army, 1562–76
2. The camp and the army of the King
3. The army in the field
4. 'The footmen of the King'
5. The gendarmes
6. The artillery train
7. In search of a battle: Dreux, 1562
8. The defence of Chartres, 1567–68
9. A host of strangers: the army's presence
10. The destruction of the army: the siege of La Rochelle, 1573
11. Paying for war
Conclusion: the limits to action.

Subject Areas: Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700 [HBLH], European history [HBJD]