The practice of using fortifications in France in the early modern time

The article considers the main aspects of the instrumentalization of ancient, particularly Roman heritage in the practice of creating a unified system of fortifications of the French Kingdom - Pre Carre at the end of the XVII century, which is associated with activity of the outstanding military engineer and philosopher sébastien de Vauban. The author describes how the main provisions of the concept created by the French Marshal, and the main aspects of the implementation of the "new limes". Demonstrate the practice of using consolidation as a specific tool of implementation of the "diplomacy of power" characteristic of the era of absolutism.