Nobles of the Sword

The Nobles of the Sword (French: noblesse d'épée) were the noblemen of the oldest class of nobility in France dating from the Middle Ages and the early modern period, and arguably still in existence by descent.

[4] The nobility of the sword also provided non-military services to the king, holding positions in all branches of government.

To maximize its income, however, the government continued to sell even more positions, which caused conflict between the two groups of the nobility.

However, the nobility of the sword continued to provide much of the officer class of the French army and navy, thus the kings of France needed to maintain good relations with them.

Nobles of the sword, who had greater prestige, were given control of the French provinces and were seen to hold power at Versailles.

This created conflict between the different branches of the nobility, with the nobles of the sword feeling entitled to special treatment, because of their long history and well-established rights and privileges.