To What Extent had France become a Nation State by 1610
Arthur Hobhouse To What Extent had France become a Nation State by 1610? To determine the extent to which France had become a nation state by 1610, it is necessary to provide a definition, on which to base a conclusion about the strength and unity of French government and territory. The nation state consists of a country unified territorially, with an effective administrative centre, unified in religion and unified both culturally and linguistically. There was a lack of continuity in the political, territorial, religious and social unity of France during the sixteenth century. By 1610, Henry the fourth had gone a long way in the reuniting of these areas, yet had never managed to achieve the degree of unification under Francis the first or Louis the twelfth. ... The crown retained control over the outer provinces appropriated by Francis the first and Louis the twelfth, and the nobility were to a large extent obedient to the King.