Prak Flashcards
What is the central question of Prak’s article?
The central question of Prak’s article is to challenge the currently dominant interpretation of early modern history, which emphasizes standing armies and neglects the mutation of the role of the militias. He explains they are patriotic and will defend their home instead of doing it out of self interest and enslaving the population. Enemies could buy of standing armies. Prak seeks to demonstrate that the idea and practice of the citizen-soldier remained a vital ingredient in the socio-political structures of society, and he aims to prove this point by analyzing texts from the European tradition of republican political theory and examining the role of civic militias in different historical periods.
In which historiographical debate does the article position itself and how does Prak position himself in that debate?
The article positions itself within the historiographical debate surrounding the role of civic militias and citizen-soldiers in early modern European history. Prak argues against the currently dominant interpretation of early modern history, which emphasizes standing armies and neglects the significance of civic militias. He positions himself as challenging the idea that the monopoly of violence was complete in the hands of early modern European governments, asserting that civic militias remained important in shaping the socio-political structures of society. Prak also aligns himself with the discourse of classical republicanism, arguing that civic militias added a significant dimension to conceptions of citizenship and played a vital role in shaping the ritual and political lives of medieval and early modern towns.
What kind of sources does Prak use and how does he use them in his argumentation? Find out for each part of his argumentation which kind of information Prak uses.
Prak uses a variety of sources in his argumentation. In the first part of his argument, he references the work of influential political theorists in the ‘republican’ tradition to demonstrate the importance of the idea and practice of the citizen-soldier in early modern society. This includes referencing the writings of Machiavelli, Fletcher, and Van der Capellen to show their concern about the military dimension of citizenship.
Machiavelli’s “The Prince” paints Mercenaries as unreliable because they were only in it for the money, not attempting to protect their homes. For civic militias, the land is important, as they will defend their land and, thus, the state. When conquering more land, arm those, too. This was an Italian idea that was revived in the English Civil War, as seen in James Harrington’s Oceana in 1655.
Fletcher’s “Discourse of Government with Relation to Militias” 1697- standing armies will enslave us.
Derk believed arming the citizens and training them to use their arms would help to restore civic freedom, and thus, it was suggested the prosperity of the country as a whole
Machiavelli, Fletcher and Van der Capellen agreed that militias were vital to any healthy constitution. Whereas professional armies were likely to become instruments of oppression in the hands of the government, civic militias would allow citizens a ‘voice’ in the realm of business.
In the second part of his argument, Prak uses historical evidence from the Middle Ages to demonstrate the role of civic militias before the Military Revolution. This includes referencing historical texts and records from the period to illustrate the significance of civic militias in early society.
In the third part of his argument, Prak discusses civic militias’ role after professional soldiering became dominant. Here, he uses historical evidence and data from the European tradition of republican political theory to show how civic militias remained significant in policing and as a political force throughout the early modern period.
Prak uses a combination of historical texts, records, and data to support his argument about the importance of citizen-soldiers in early modern society. He draws from various sources to provide a comprehensive and well-supported analysis.
