Old and New Nobility

The Old and New Nobility is a political concept that deals with the increasing differences between the military-driven large landowning nobility (Old Nobility) and the administrative-driven small landowning nobility (New Nobility). The term was coined by Rosielyn Seyfried in her book The Nobility of the Kingdom of Stormwind, in which she describes (not as the main topic) a growing divide between the two types of nobility shown above.

Old Nobility
Old nobility is commonly characterized by longstanding families (such as the Montclairs of Westridge or the Seyfrieds of Lontshire) and their accession to power based on military gains or military achievements. These families often place value on military and service, with many of their children going to serve in their respective armies to gain military experience.

Also a common characteristic is the large plots of land they claim dominion over, with many of the members of old nobility holding large duchies and counties under their control.

Old Nobility often holds the peerages titles of Prince, Duke, Marquis, and Count.

New Nobility
New nobility is commonly characterized by families which are relatively unknown, but make their achievements known through other means such as education, donations, or cultural contributions. These families often place value on merchantry and education, in which they send their children to the various universities of Stormwind City. Often their service to the kingdom comes in the roles of administration, where they serve as tax-collectors or clerks.

These families often hold little to no land, leading the pestering title of the Titled Landless by older families. By where they have no land, they make for in economic worth, where some of the families of the new nobility have more spending power than landed lords (often because they have no land to administer themselves).

New Nobility often holds the peerage titles of Baronet, Baron, and Vicount.

Tension between Old and New
Tensions between the Old and New Nobility is rather uncommon, but does exist. It most often exists in the form of prestige, where the longstanding landed families look down on the landless, newly crowned nobility.

Though in (very) rare cases, the members of the Old Nobility claim that the king is slowly looking to replace the feudal landowners with weaker, administratively driven families. They cite this claim with the increasing amount of baronets in the Stormwind House of Nobles.

Response
Where hearing about the term, many professors and nobles have varying opinion.
 * "The Kingdom under Varian Wrynn has indeed been experience a shift in its nobility, but not to the point of where Lady Seyfried claims. If anything, the so-called 'Old Nobility' are more powerful and grounded than ever with the recent Alliance-Horde War, and the demand for their military experitise is at an all-time high. Though, to deny the point of a 'New Nobility existing would be plain ignorance. Time shall see if this divide is truly notable." - Professor Jonathon Chambers, Dean of the Royal University of Stormwind.
 * "There is no difference between this the so-called 'Old and New Nobility'. We all serve the King, and we all are his subjects. Nobility has been built in both the ways of the military and administration for over six hundred years. While I will agree there is a divide between a Baronet and a Duke, it is nonsense to call it New and Old." - Sir Joseph Campbell, 1th Baronet of Arunford
 * "It is about time someone of reason has seen the divide. The old way of life for the nobles of Stormwind is in danger. Never have I seen so many useless Knight-Lieutenants gain the title of Baronet, a useless title in of itself! Good for Lady Seyfried, maybe now something shall be done about it." - An unnamed nobleman of Westfall.