Powerful, centralized states controlling a large share of national income only begin to appear in Europe after 1500. We build a model that explains their emergence in response to the increasing importance of money for military success. When fiscal resources are not crucial for winning wars, the...

Smaller states, trade, and conflicts from the 18th to the 20th centuries -- Introduction / Jari Eloranta, Eric Golson, Peter Hedberg, Cristina Moreira, and Silvia Marzagalli -- The United States and the Mediterranean, 1783-1815 / Silvia Marzagalli (Université Nice) -- Baltic relations between...

Powerful, centralized states controlling a large share of national income only begin to appear in Europe after 1500. We build a model that explains their emergence in response to the increasing importance of money for military success. When fiscal resources are not crucial for winning wars, the...