State in early modern France

This text addresses fundamental questions about the nature of the state in early modern France. It abandons the traditional formulation of the absolute monarchy, and presents in its place a state that evolved to meet the needs of the French elites. Collins offers a detailed analysis of French society in order to provide the broader context for the development of the French state. He argues that fundamental changes in French society made the monarchical, ministerial state a dangerous anachronism by the 1750s, leading to political impasse by the second half of the 18th century.