Lecture 7: War Making, State Making

Question 1

Tilly’s claims for the function of war

Answer 1

War = state formation in Europe as unintended consequence of such

Question 2

2 types of typical states with examples & 2 diff. relationships to war

Answer 2

1. Pre-modern empire; pre-industrial, agrarian empires.

EXAMPLE: China, 16th-19thc, some conflict but fundamentally peaceful.

2. European system of states after fall of Roman Empire in 476 CE

EXAMPLE: EUrope, 15thc - 20th c; in 75% of years, war did occur.

Question 3

Fundamental difference between 2 great empires: Rome and China

Answer 3

Rome collapsed; competing state system replaces empire.

China reconstituted after every breakdown; stays together.

Question 4

Empire Definition

• 3 ring of integration
• features
• Gellner’s diagram on people in empires

Answer 4

Empire=
- large pcs of territory + centralized + limited capacity to penetrate society

• small economic power; political power surrounding; military power enveloping all
• Diagram –> few upper strata with common characteristics, incl. strata of military, admin, commercial ruling class, etc. + laterally insulated communities of agricultural producers.
• state penetration of former group into latter = limited.

Question 5

Chinese Empire vs Western Empire - State and Doctrine/Ideology

Answer 5

China –> -
- Confucianism/religion of state as doctrine; order/obedience as vital.
Big empire, but had smaller power; cycle of strength, collapse, rebuild, repeat.
Sustained peace –> relative success.

Rome/Western history –>

• Saint Augustine quote; city of God. Christian persecution in Rome for 200 yrs before it became state religion.
• Break of ideological + political power in West
• example; Charlemagne wanted pope to live with him, rejection.

Question 6

Europe state system after fall of Rome

- results

Answer 6

Results –>

• multipolar system
• sep. of ideology & state –> state fragmentation, competition

Question 7

Implications of European States system for Tilly

Answer 7

Interstate competition –> change, rationalize or you risk extinction.

Due to competition –> state imitation + new military technique adopted. Decentralization (ex. control of gunpowder in China/Europe) + bureaucracy/organization for taxation (war is costly)

Question 8

Tilly’s argument essentially

- statemaking

Answer 8

statemaking = unintended consequence of war

• ruler’s desire to monopolize means of violence
• capacity to extract, repress = military, financial, admin structures (ie. a state)

Question 9

Central Process #1

Answer 9

Competition to centralize control

i. to consolidate power, rulers disarmed rivals/society + defeat pacify rivals
ii. concentration of means of violence at central level
iii. concentration of financial resources

Question 10

Central Process #2

Answer 10

administrative structure.

Power holders duties:

i) state apparatus
ii) manage taxation
iii) pay for, manage arms & soldiers
iv) increase state intrusiveness for tax

• held onto power even during peacetime.

Question 11

Central Process #3

Answer 11

Bargaining with civilians –> Civilianization; produces central paradox of European state formation.

fighting for country + paying taxes –> civilians get claim to state.

Question 12

Does argument still hold/modern circumstances?

Answer 12

Tilly –> it’s contextual.

• no civilianizing process in other contexts like developing world.
• resources + legitimacy largely coming from outside rather than within.
• dependency theory stuff.