The Emergence of Sovereign States

The key to understanding politics in early modern Europe is to understand that power was a form of property; it was owned by individuals, who could pass it along to others. One who held power in a given region, such as a prince or a king, could designate another person to exercise some or all of his or her power; since power was a property, such designations were usually made in exchange for money or land. Moreover, one who held power could pass it on to his or her heirs.

In certain parts of Europe -- especially the German lands and in France -- there was a tradition that emerged in the 1400s known as the Salic law, by which any property (including a position of power) could only be owned or inherited by men. In these regions, property and power was passed down according to a system of primogeniture  to a family's first born son.