Medieval Europe: War and States

Question 1

What do we mean by state

Answer 1

-Weber: states has monopoly over the legitimate use of physical force

Question 2

Military developments

Answer 2

• In fourteenth century the King of France had established an office for artillery
• Use of artillery under Charles VII between 1449 and 1453
• Venice one of the first to establish a permanent army in the 15th century
• Compagnies d’ordonnance set up in 1445 which set up an army of salaried men was a direct response to the problem of Brigandage
• Du Guesclin created the Brigands as a kind of standing army in 1363

Question 3

Warfare changing fiscal capacity of states

Answer 3

• Venice spent about 1/5 of it’s wealth on the permanent army
• Capture of the French King John II in 1356 led to the creation of the Gabelle (a tax on salt) to pay the ransom which ended up lasting 57 years
• The fouage was the first direct tax in peace-time in 1363 in France
• Spanish conquest of Granada cost 80 million maravedis, a sum that would have been impossible to raise without taxation
• revenues increase in the fifteenth century 200% in England and France and 1000% in Spain

Question 4

centralisation

Answer 4

• proveditori in Venice who acted as intermediaries between the govt. and mercenaries
• English war of the roses 1455-65 led to Henry VII sealing control

Question 5

Historians

Answer 5

• Charles Tilly
• Porter 5 steps of war and state formation
• Arrighi