War Finances And Logistics

Question 1

Problem

Answer 1

Immense cost
Logistics - how do you feed a bigger army operating over long periods of time?
Impact on communities, state formation

Question 2

Hypothesis

Answer 2

Wars increasingly financed through public taxes

Logistics - Taming the self-catering army; from plundering to pillaging

Question 3

Fiscal policies

Answer 3

Declining revenue
Local resistance to totalitarian claims
Crown turns to sea (revenues from customs, colonies..)
Crown turns to banks
Crown sells assets (including tax farming)

Question 4

Warfare as a business

Answer 4

Military leaders invested money in their army
Investment had to bear fruit
Continued war until gain was made
Avoiding battle and prolonging war

Question 5

From war financing to state formation

Answer 5

Regular political conflict over financing war with two possible outcomes - government loses/state declines/democracies disadvantaged…or…government wins/introduction of absolutism/bankers, crown, merchants prevail

Question 6

Taming the self-catering army

Answer 6

Organised and paid for by garrisons, private quart