The increase in army size observed in early modern times changed the way states conducted wars. Starting in the late 18th century, states switched from mercenaries to a mass army by conscription. In order for the population to accept to fight and endure war, the government elites began to...

The increase in army size observed in early modern times changed the way states conducted wars. Starting in the late 18th century, states switched from mercenaries to a mass army by conscription. In order for the population to accept to fight and endure war, the government elites began to...

The book describes the social costs of conscription in the Netherlands using methods from Public Finance and Law and Economics. This analysis shows that both the tax for the population, or the subsidy for the armed forces, and the lack of scarcity considering human resources caused by the draft,...