Figures 1, 2 and 3 have been removed from the electronic version of this thesis due to copyright restrictions. The full version can be viewed at the David Wilson Library.

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The thesis begins by exploring in the first chapter the process of increasing dependence of the French nobility upon royal patronage during the fifteenth century. The implications of this growing reliance upon royal favour are assessed in the second chapter in terms of the development of the standing army, and we are introduced to three Gascon companies to estimate the rival claims of King and captain to their proprietorship. The chapter continues by examining some of the characteristics of the gendarmerie, and ends by outlining the importance of service in Italy in the careers of our sample units and its effects on their composition. These three specimen companies form the basis of a study in chapters three and four of the opportunities for gain and promotion and the perils of death, wounding and capture afforded by Italian service. In chapter five the moral quality of the gendarmerie is investigated and an assessment made of the degree to which the Crown could rely upon the good conduct of its servants in Italy. The sixth chapter continues by exploring the relations of French soldiers with Italians and other foreigners across the Alps and examining the impression made upon the French by contact with the peninsula. The thesis concludes with descriptions of the careers of two Gascons who attained supreme command in Italy, with particular reference to their relations with the King and the impact of these upon their conduct of affairs. An appendix provides brief biographies of four other Gascon captains with important Italian careers.

This thesis is a historical and intellectual study of a political movement in Germany known as revolutionary- -nationalism. The movement had its origins in the First World War, gathered strength during the early twenties, but finally disintegrated in 1933 after the National Socialist seizure of power. Attention is focussed initially on the pre-war background to the development of the movement and in particular to the Prussian tradition. Then there is an analysis, using memoirs and other revolutionary-nationalist literature, of the formative influence of the war-experience on the movement. An account of post-war German nationalism starting with the Freikorps and continuing with the rise of the Nazi party provides the setting for the study of an emergent ideology of revolutionary-nationalism. The chief intellectual figures of the movement are the subject of close textual analysis. These include Ernst Juenger, the most important figure, Carl Schmitt, Hans Zahrer, Franz Schauweoker, Frederic Hielscher, Tferner Best, Ernst Niekiseh and Ernst von Salomon. Their writings are related to general currents in German social thought and German philosophy, including the sociology of knowledge and Nietzsche's philosophy of the will-to-power. Special emphasis is laid upon Hans Zehrer's political sociology and Ernst Juenger's theory of technology. The relations between the revolutionary-nationalists and the Nazi party are discussed, and in particular their respective attitudes towards political mobilisation. The thesis concludes with a study of the impact of revolutionary-nationalist thought in the post-war world upon the controversy over the nature of modern technology.

The great interest of hispanists in the more glamorous history of the Banu Umayya dynasty in al-Andalus has overshadowed the efforts of research on the Taifa period (eleventh century). Furthermore, many of the scholars who have so far studied the Taifa period are specialists in the history of the previous Banal Umayya period or periods which follow, such as that of the al-Nurabian. Consequently, there is a demand for specialisation in the Taifa period. The need for a political and social history of Seville under Hants 'Abbid is significant because, as the most powerful and influential Taifa state, Seville has sharply marked Andalusian history not only if one considers the wide scope and magnitude of its relations with the other Taifas, but also in the context of its impact on the relations of al-Andalus with Castile on the one hand and the Maghrib on the other. This thesis consists of a general introduction and survey of the primary sources, and four chapters, as follows: Chapter One: Chapter One consists of an analysis of the rise and fall of the Banta 'Abbad dynasty, with a concentration on the period of each ruler individually. Chapter Two: Chapter Two studies Seville's political system, the army, and the judicial system. The political system is viewed in terms of similarities and differences with the Banu Umayya model, on which it was based. The dominant position of the ruler in the system is emphasised. The subsection on justice is given particular importance, as the approach to Malikism in al-Andalus differs from the one generally adopted. Chapter Three: Chapter Three studies Sevillan society with a particular stress on aspects which have been overlooked in other works, such as social mobility and the Sevillan economy. Chapter Four: In Chapter Four, Seville's foreign relations are evaluated at the theoretical and actual levels in terms of Seville's relations with the Taifas, the kingdom of loon and Castile, and the Maghrib.

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The present thesis examines the career of the Andalusian mystic and politician, Ibn Qasi, dwelling particularly on his role as a revolutionary figure in the Almoravid period of Islamic Spain. He was able to achieve much of his popular support by virtue of the esteem in which he was held as a spiritual teacher in the mystical doctrines of Islam, and the present study examines his life as both politician and Sufi. Particular attention has been given to Ibn Qasi's only surviving work, the Eel' an-Na'layn, which has been analysed and partially translated in an attempt to establish his place in the spectrum of Islamic mystical doctrine. The importance of the role played by such men in the political life of Andalusia has long been recognised, and it is the purpose of the present study to give a further precision to the biography of one such leading figure. The transition from Almoravid to Almohad domination in Spain is clarified by isolating, as here, the religious currents which paralleled, and often intermingled with, the patently political objectives.