ABSTRACT
The most spectacular aspect of England's French way of war was the Sun King's predilection for barbaric violence. The English contrasted the French way of war with their own style of vigorous and straightforward fighting. By the War of the Spanish Succession a broad consensus had been reached, contrasting a dishonourable French way of war with the straightforward approach of the English. In this process, the image of Louis XIV himself was central. He was seen as the root cause and origin of the barbarism and perfidy that were believed to have infected his armies. More common than barbaric acts was French use of deception, both were believed to stem from French weakness. In the English mind the deceptive nature of the French character gave them advantages in peace, but such subterfuge was a product of French cowardice. Thus England's French way of war teaches people little about how Louis' armies fought.
