Recent content by DrakeRlugia

I love it! For the second son—any particular reason for the Duchy of Maine beyond the Comte d'Eu connection? It's perfect the way it is, but you'd think some of the other royal appanages might be first choices (Anjou, Berri, or Burgundy). Then again, it seems like the 18th century Bourbons...

Having the OTL Louis XVIII end up as his grandfather's successor instead of Louis XVI would certainly be a very interesting thought process: I'd definitely say out of three of Louis XV's grandsons, Louis XVIII was probably the one with the most political aptitude. Unfortunately I don't know too...

Indeed, most of the French royal debt was held internally—not externally. Most of those which held investments in French debt in the period of the 18th century were also those who had the means to do so: this was just the wealthy bourgeoisie who were quickly growing and becoming influential...

To be honest, by the last years of the Ancien Régime (essentially in 1788-89) they had essentially run into issues of paying their short term debts. The financial system was a mess, hence the summoning of the Assembly of Notables and later the Estates General. When we talk about France's debt in...

I definitely agree re: Calonne, though I think his reforms came a bit too late given the terrible shape of France's finances by the mid-late 1780s. He was essentially trying to plug a cork into a leak when the whole ship is almost entirely sank. But I think his views were at least the most...

Yes, that's very true. Between two and four million people were killed throughout the entirety of the conflict between 1562-1598. I suppose it also speaks to France's resiliency and their 'excess' population that they were able to suffer such losses in the 16th century and still go on to have...

Italy was also very wealthy and economically developed before the destruction and upheavals of the Italian Wars. Much of the northern / central city states relied on the contado, or adjacent rural lands to feed them. As these cities expanded however, these lands weren't always able to meet their...

Yes, as Constantine says, the term Parlement can be confusing. The French Parlements were legal courts (essentially provincial appellate courts). They did not have any sort of legislative power, but held judicial power over a wide range of issues, especially taxation. The big issue following...

Honestly, it was not much more libertine than OTL. Not enough to press secularization forward, IMO. Libertinism could very easily go hand in hand with zealotry (Louis XIV’s court comes to mind; the riotous early years drastically changed once Maintenon came to power). France’s OTL population...

This may very well be the case—but I think there was also a need for both sides to have such an alliance at that point in time. Certainly, Charles VI was doing whatever he could to ensure there would be recognition of the Pragmatic Sanction, while Elisabeth Farnese needed imperial support for...

I'll side-step 'how' France inherits Burgundy for now, since that's a difficult question and there's a variety ways for us to get there (heiress marrying the king/future king, line dying out, ect). The big thing is that any dissolution of the House of Valois-Burgundy will give the French claims...

Well, it would be distinct branches—not all under one person. The French and Spanish Bourbons did not always walk in lockstep, and especially in the period after the War of the Spanish Succession they often were in conflict (see: War of the Quadruple Alliance, failure of the match between Louis...

Maria Theresa, Charles VI's heiress, was at the center of his plans of what might happen following his eventual demise. While there were plans dating back to 1703 that discussed contingency plans if the male Habsburg line was to die out: mainly granting succession rights to Joseph I's...

For Spain and Portugal, yes. France's most profitable colonies in the New World were not it's extensive territories in Canada and Louisiana, but rather it's Caribbean territories. By the end of the Seven Years War, France gave up New France just to retain Guadeloupe and Martinique, as it's...

IIRC, the Romans were aware of rice, but it was mostly a luxury import. They imported Oryza Sativa from India, and there's some proof that it was also imported from lower Syria and even Bactria. Strabo talks about rice in one of his books, as does Horace. Even in the areas where rice had spread...