This book analyzes public debt from a political, historical, and global perspective. It demonstrates that public debt has been a defining feature in the construction of modern states, a main driver in the history of capitalism, and a potent geopolitical force. From revolutionary crisis to empire...

Part I. Political Crises and the Legitimacy of Public Debts (1770s-1860s) -- 1. An Empire of Debts? Spain and Its Colonial Realm -- 2. Publicity, Debt, and Politics: The Old Regime and the French Revolution -- 3. Politics of Credit: Government Borrowing and Political Regimes in Sweden -- 4....