The Ancien RégimeThe term, "Ancien Régime", was first used by contemporaries to describe retrospectively the social and political structure in France which the Revolution destroyed. It is shown here to be applicable also to different countries at different dates -- for example, to Russia at the end of the nineteenth century -- but it is discussed principally in relation to France in the fateful years between 1748 and 1789. This is the study of a complex society -- its economy, institutions and beliefs, and their erosion by material and ideological change. |
