How Louis XIV Survived His Hegemonic Bid: The Lessons of the Sun King’s War Termination

This book explains how Louis XIV survived his bid for European hegemony unscathed while other aspiring hegemons in modern history suffered catastrophic defeats. It argues that Louis employed a powerful coalition-breaking strategy unique to him and lays out the implications of Louis XIV’s unique case for today’s security competitions.

Why do some great powers survive their hegemonic bids, while others lose everything? France’s Louis XIV stands out among modern aspiring hegemons as the only one to leave his country intact, even larger than he found it. Similar to other potential hegemons, Louis fought general wars he failed to win decisively. But Louis would often negotiate peace from a position of strength while other aspiring hegemons generally fought to the finish, thus solidifying uncompromising balancing coalitions. This eagerness to pursue peace from a position of strength mollified opposing coalitions and allowed France to extract some gains, however limited. This book helps us understand how wars with today’s aspiring hegemons could end.

• | Author: Dylan Motin
• | Publisher: Anthem Press
• | Publication Date: Sep 02, 2025
• | Number of Pages:
• | Language:
• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781839996139
• | ISBN-10: 1839996137