Qu’est-ce qu’une brigue? Pratiques et acteurs des brigues électorales dans la République de Genève à la fin du XVIIe siècle
Résumé
What is a «brigue»? Practices and actors in electoral cabals in the Republic of Geneva at the end of the 17th century
Though they are frequently mentioned in studies dedicated to the history of voting and elections in the «Ancien Régime», our knowledge of electoral cabals is still blurry, as primary sources on the subject are very scarce. A very thorough investigation of the relevant files enables us to shed light on the most concrete aspects of electoral cabals in the Republic of Geneva, that is to say, on the practices of the various actors involved. After underlining the limits of a macro-historical approach, we will present a small number of studies illustrating the different kinds of practices subsumed under the legal definition of electoral cabals. What do we know about the spreading of libels or small papers, which were widely dispersed throughout the city? Why is recommendation tolerated de facto though forbidden de jure? How was the buying of votes organized ; who were those who financed electoral cabals by giving money «to be distributed» to the cabal leaders? Who were the cabal leaders and how did they collect votes? What did the bribed electors obtain in exchange for the vote they had promised?