This book examines the role of war and the development of the smaller German territories in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through the example of the duchy of WUrttemberg. It reappraises traditional interpretations of German history that emphasize the role of Prussia and play down the significance of the smaller states. This is also the first comprehensive investigation of the relationship between developments within such territories and the structure of the Holy Roman Empire of which they formed a part. It reveals the Empire as a flawed but functioning political system and sheds new light on the reasons for its collapse in 1806.
Reviews
' ... a useful and important book ... this book must be warmly welcomed as one of a growing list of serious works in English which study the Holy Roman Empire on its own terms'. Parliaments, Estates and Representation 'An important study that goes well beyond what a mere glance at the title might suggest, it is one of the most significant additions to Cambridge's 'Studies in Early Modern History' series.' The International History Review ' ... an important study which not only adds real substance to the slowly growing body of English-language works on the lesser states of early-modern Germany (the 'third Germany') but also demonstrates that even they could pursue complex foreign policies aimed at something more ambitious than sheer survival'. Central European History ' ... an important contribution to a new appreciation of the military connection to politics and society in early modern Germany'. Journal of Modern History
