This book is about the interrelationship between war, society and political ambition in absolutist state-building in the German south-west. It focuses on the duchy of Württemberg as a case study to test existing theories on the development of states and to provide an insight into the structure of the Holy Roman Empire (Reich).

The first three chapters approach these issues thematically and comparatively. The following five examine the Württemberg experience between 1677 and 1793. Though these dates mark the accession and death of particular Württemberg dukes, they also coincide with the major historical shifts that form the parameters of this study. The first is when the move towards absolutism began in earnest in both Württemberg and many other smaller German territories. The second saw the onset of the French Revolutionary Wars and the progressive collapse of the Reich. The ground rules governing the political actions of the participants in this story were irrevocably altered and a new set of circumstances was introduced under which future German state development was to take place.

In testing the validity of the theories of motive forces behind state development, Württemberg is of particular interest as it is smaller than the states normally chosen as examples of the two most widely accepted theories. It is also the prime example for the recent theory advanced specifically to explain the development of the smaller states.