France and the Estates General of 1614

France and the Estates General of 1614 Synopsis

In 1614 the French Estates General met for the last time before the Revolution of 1789. The meeting marks the beginning of the political career of Cardinal Richelieu and provides an opportunity for studying the regency of Marie de Medicis. In another sense 1614 marks the end of the Estates General in its early modern form of three separate estates preparing lists of grievances from the preliminary lists submitted to each deputy by his electors, while attending to the needs of the king. This book provides a full description of that last meeting in 1614, based on extensive research into political pamphlets, diplomatic correspondence, records of the royal councils, local and national cahiers and the proces-verbaux of the meetings. The author sets the period in the wider context of the history of France from 1598 to 1616, with particular attention to economic conditions and international relations.