Great Powers In The 17th And 1 :: essays research papers

Great Powers in the seventeenth and 18th Centuries In the 17th and 18th centuries, Great Britain, France, and the Hapsburg Empire were all competing for the fate of Europe. France, in particular, was caught betwixt being a Continental power or a ball power victorious control of the Rhine and most of Central Europe, or taking control of The New World. Frances primary goal at the period was for control of the Rhine, but this goal was not without obstacles. Great Britains of import concern was to keep the balance of power in Europe on their side, while expanding overseas. The Hapsburg Empires goals were dealing with conquering the Holy Roman Empire and the Germanic states, in turn taking over the intact continent from the inside out. All 3 of these great powers were being contend from their pursuits, and survival was always the top concern. Also, after 1660, a growing multipolar establishment of European states made decisions within each state based more than on national tak e than before, when most conflicts and militaristic decisions were based on religion.Louis XIV(1661-1715) is responsible for a considerable gain in the power of France. He had huge armies, (at some points reaching up to half a angiotensin converting enzyme million million troops), that were organized with barracks, hospitals, parade grounds, and depots to support them. Along with an organized enormous extend at sea, France became a true hybrid power. Its energies were diverted between continental aims and maritime and colonial ambitions. For two decades with no real competition, France was successful, but opposite powers soon built up ample recourses and power to challenge it. By 1713, and the Treaty of Utrecht, Frances boundaries were established covering the Saint Lawrence River valley, the Ohio and Mississippi river valleys, the westernmost Indian islands of Saint Domingue, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. Constantly defending these territories with the navy, and wars on land wi th Italy and early(a) states, split French energy into the navy and military. Never putting enough effort into just one of these two forms, French strategy was depict as a constant falling between stools, with no direction. If one of the two divisions were solely concentrated on, French success within that division would have been often more successful. Also, Frances economy was not strong. France was much wealthier than countries such as England, but the weak economical structure, tax strategy, interest policies, and lack of a proper system of public finance in France made less money per capita than in than most states.