Instructions of French Diplomats at the Imperial Court and Imperial Diplomats at the Court of the Sun King in the Second Half of the Seventeenth Century: Content Analysis and Comparison of Narrative Options

Abstract

The article analyses diplomatic instructions issued by the French and Imperial courts in the second half of the 17th century. Drawing on archival sources, it compares the content, structure, and language of instructions given to diplomats sent from Vienna to Versailles and from Versailles to Vienna. The study demonstrates how these documents reflected differences in the two monarchies’ approaches to the representation of power, court ceremonial, and the pursuit of political objectives. Particular emphasis is placed on the symbolic and strategic functions of the instructions and their role in shaping early modern diplomatic practice.