ABSTRACT
Le Grand Conde was firmly convinced that the constitution of the state required that the senior posts of responsibility be occupied by men of his blood and rank and that, he was morally obliged to respect the order represented by the social hierarchy. Conde was therefore as high in the social hierarchy as it was possible to be without being a member of the immediate royal family, a grand seigneur without any doubt. As fundamental and bewildering changes in the terms of people's existence made themselves felt, Conde's iconic status became even more important as some kind of guarantee of stability. Conde had shown in his military career that he understood the necessity of establishing as wide a network of fideles as possible in the areas he conquered and of distributing promotions to his officers. As Governor of three important provinces, Conde could rely on huge networks of military and civil officers to act in accordance with his interests.
