9 - The prospects for provincial solidarity

Summary

It is easy to emphasize the conflicts which divided the rulers of Languedoc and the inadequacies of their authority, but it is also important not to lose sight of their fundamental solidarity of interests. Let us examine this other side of the coin. The rulers shared similar social and economic backgrounds. They aspired after the same goals and were enraged by the same ‘abuses’, most of which seemed to be encroachments on their prerogatives by an overbearing state machine. Given the seriousness of the crisis of relations between 1620 and 1660, we might well ask whether they could not have joined forces in an alliance to protect themselves from royal innovations. This question is especially important because the usual interpretation sees the provinces reacting defensively against an assault by the centralizing state, and the followers of Mousnier argue that the provincial orders and corps fought as units against the encroachments of the crown. What were the prospects for such provincial solidarity?

Consider the elements that were available in Languedoc: a province with long-established historical borders and a tradition of unified action; the rudiments of a constitution in the form of a set of frequently-reiterated privileges and a certain legal tradition; a governing class with no essential economic interests dividing it.