A world of paper : Louis XIV., Colbert de Torcy, and the rise of the information state

Frontmatter Tables (page vii) Figures (page ix) Preface (page xiii) Introduction (page 3) 1. Louis XIV, Roi-Bureaucrate (page 14) 2. Torcy's Preparation for and Rise to Power (page 44) 3. Mentorship and Testing (page 94) 4. The Department of Secretary of State Torcy (page 138) 5. The Department's Structures and Personnel (page 170) 6. The Triumph of the Commis (page 225) 7. Finances and Rewards (page 282) 8. Preserving, Deploying, and Controlling Information (page 320) 9. Ambassadors in Paris and Abroad (page 354) 10. Information and the Formulation of Foreign Policy (page 371) 11. Domestic Administration (page 435) Conclusion (page 460) Abbreviations (page 473) Notes (page 475) Bibliography (page 717) Index (page 773) Historians And Social Scientists Have Long Identified Bureaucracy As The Modern State's Foundation And The Reign Of France's Louis Xiv As A Model For Its Development. A World Of Paper Offers A Fresh Interpretation Of Bureaucracy Through A Close Examination Of The Department Of The Sun King's Last Foreign Secretary, Jean-baptiste Colbert De Torcy. Torcy, Who Served As Foreign Secretary From 1696-1715, Is Widely Regarded As One Of The Most Brilliant Foreign Ministers Of The Ancien Regime. Building On The Work Of His Predecessors, He Fashioned A Skilled Team Of Collaborators As He Managed The Complex Issues Of War And Peace During The Turbulent Final Decades Of Louis Xiv's Reign. John Rule And Ben Trotter Examine Torcy's Department To Depict Administrative Structures As They Emerged Through The Circulating Stream Of Paper That Connected His Office With Provincial Administrators And Diplomats Abroad. They Explore The Collection And Centralization Of Information During Torcy's Tenure Through The Creation Of A Modern State Archive, Discreet Intelligence Gathering, And The Surveillance And Management Of The French Mails. They Also Study The Postal Carriers, Couriers, Household Officers Of The Royal Court, Genealogists Hired For Research, And An Informal Brain Trust Of Experts, And Advisors Who Carried Vital Information In And Out Of The Department Every Day. A Remarkable Reconstruction Of The Department Of Jean-baptiste Colbert De Torcy, A World Of Paper Demystifies Bureaucracy And Explores The Ways In Which The Modern Information State Developed From His Labours. Louis Xiv, Roi-bureaucrate -- Torcy's Preparation For And Rise To Power -- Mentorship And Testing -- The Department Of Secretary Of State Torcy -- The Department's Structures And Personnel -- The Triumph Of The Commis -- Finances And Rewards -- Preserving, Deploying, And Controlling Information -- Ambassadors In Paris And Abroad -- Information And The Formulation Of Foreign Poicy -- Domestic Administration. John C. Rule And Ben S. Trotter. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 717-772) And Index. Issued Also In Electronic Format. Historians and social scientists have long identified bureaucracy as the modern state's foundation and the reign of France's Louis XIV as a model for its development. 'A world of paper' offers a fresh interpretation of bureaucracy through a close examination of the department of the Sun King's last foreign secretary, Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy. Torcy, who served as foreign secretary from 1696-1715, is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant foreign ministers of the ancien regime. Building on the work of his predecessors, he fashioned a skilled team of collaborators as he managed the complex issues of war and peace during the turbulent final decades of Louis XIV's reign. John Rule and Ben Trotter examine Torcy's department to depict administrative structures as they emerged through the circulating stream of paper that connected his office with provincial administrators and diplomats abroad. They explore the collection and centralization of information during Torcy's tenure through the creation of a modern state archive, discreet intelligence gathering, and the surveillance and management of the French mails.0They also study the postal carriers, couriers, household officers of the royal court, genealogists hired for research, and an informal "brain trust" of experts, and advisors who carried vital information in and out of the department every day. A remarkable reconstruction of the department of Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy, 'A world of paper' demystifies bureaucracy and explores the ways in which the modern information state developed from his labours Historians and social scientists have long identified bureaucracy as the modern state's foundation and the reign of France's Louis XIV as a model for its development. This book offers a fresh interpretation of bureaucracy through a close examination of the department of the Sun King's last foreign secretary, Jean-Baptiste Colbert de Torcy.