His first important test came in the War of Devolution (1667 68) between France and Spain over Louis XIV's claim to the Spanish Netherlands, when Louvois accompanied the king into battle.
He said it would continue to push for change, despite the verdict, pointing to recent devolution agreements between the government and the north-east.
The devolution agreement between central government and Greater Manchester outlines the powers to be transferred as the region moves towards having a directly elected mayor in 2017.
Known locally as "devo health", the deal was struck behind closed doors in February 2015 by the 10 local authority leaders in the second of three devolution agreements between the Greater Manchester combined authority and Osborne, who sees Manchester at the heart of his "northern powerhouse project".
He said the choice was "between greater devolution and irreversible separation".
These mayors will sit at the heart of devolution deals, agreed between central government and local areas, which will see accountability and responsibility decentralised.
The committee added that the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) must do more to demonstrate the link between devolution and economic growth, as repeatedly trumpeted by the former chancellor George Osborne.
Tensions between devolution and a central grip on power can particularly emerge around topics considered of relevance for national development, notably urban growth centers, or the legitimacy of central leadership (frequently claimed to be essential for the effective protection against disasters and other risks).
Nevertheless, in the end, the perception among most voters was that they were choosing between more devolution and independence, precisely the choice that Cameron had wanted to avoid.
Brown, who was widely credited with playing a decisive role in helping the no side win last month's referendum, turned on the Tories after they drew a link between further devolution to Scotland and the creation of English votes for English laws at Westminster.
