In recent decades, historians of early-modern Europe, and above all those who study the eighteenth century, have elaborated the concept of what has been called the 'fiscal-military state'. This is a state whose international effectiveness was founded upon the development of large armed forces, whose performance and supply necessitated both further administrative development and the provision of large sums, the raising of which involved unprecedented levels of taxation and borrowing by governments. The present collection of essays, by leading authorities in their individual fields, all of whom have published widely on their chosen topic, explores the subject of the fiscal-military state by focusing on its leading exemplars in eighteenth-century Europe: Austria, Britain, France, Prussia and Russia. It also includes a chapter on the Savoyard state (the kingdom of Sardinia), a lesser power whose career illuminates by comparison developments elsewhere. In addition, and rather unusually, a further chapter considers the fiscal-military state in a broader, comparative international context, in the arena of international relations. Each chapter provides a summary of the state of knowledge regarding the fiscal-military state debate insofar as it relates to the state under consideration. As well as contributing to that debate, they take matters further by systematically analysing the sources of wealth and income, and the way these were tapped, and the broader impact that this attempt to extract resources had on society and the state, both in the short and longer term. The differing patterns, and the variety of models of fiscal-military state makes for ease of comparison across Europe, making the volume an invaluable resource to both students and researchers alike.

In recent decades, historians of early modern Europe, and above all those who study the eighteenth century, elaborated the concept of what has been called the fiscal-military state. This volume of essays by leading authorities, all of whom have published widely on their chosen topic, explores the subject of the fiscal-military state by focusing on its leading exemplars in eighteenth-century Europe. In addition a further chapter considers the fiscal-military state in a broader, comparative international context, in the arena of international relations. The differing patterns, and the variety of models of fiscal-military state makes for ease of comparison across Europe. The volume will therefore be invaluable to both students and researchers alike.

The concept of the 'fiscal-military state', popularised by John Brewer in 1989, has become familiar, even commonplace, to many historians of eighteenth-century England. Yet even at the time of its publication the book caused controversy, and the essays in this volume demonstrate how recent work on fiscal structures, military and naval contractors, on parallel developments in Scotland and Ireland, and on the wider political context, has challenged the fundamentals of this model in increasingly sophisticated and nuanced ways. Beginning with a historiographical introduction that places The Sinews of Power and subsequent work on the fiscal-military state within its wider contexts, and a commentary by John Brewer that responds to the questions raised by this work, the chapters in this volume explore topics as varied as finance and revenue, the interaction of the state with society, the relations between the military and its contractors, and even the utility of the concept of the fiscal-military state. It concludes with an afterword by Professor Stephen Conway, situating the essays in comparative contexts, and highlighting potential avenues for future research. Taken as a whole, this volume offers challenging and imaginative new perspectives on the fiscal-military structures that underpinned the development of modern European states from the eighteenth century onwards.

This pioneering exploration of the phenomenon of the composite state in eighteenth-century Europe employs a comparative approach to sustain the case for the inclusion of Ireland within this interpretive framework. Written by acknowledged experts, the collection uniquely combines the findings of new research on Ireland with broader syntheses of some of the major composite states of Europe. Chapters on Irish legislation relating to the confessional state, public finance, internal security and social and economic `improvement' are complemented by accounts of representative institutions in France, Hungary and Poland-Lithuania. A reflective introduction and conclusion set the collection in the wider historical and interpretive context. The volume thus amplifies our understanding of the nature of the European composite state and the deliberations of the Irish parliament. --Book Jacket.

Winner of the 2023 Marc Raeff Book Prize; A 2023 REFORC Book Award Longlist TitleThis book highlights the main features and trends of Russian “political” thought in an era when sovereignty, state, and politics, as understood in Western Christendom, were non-existent in Russia, or were only beginning to be articulated. It concentrates on enigmatic authors and sources that shaped official perception of rulership, or marked certain changes of importance of this perception. Special emphasis is given to those written and visual sources that point towards depersonalization and secularization of rulership in Russia. A comparison with Western Christendom frames the argument throughout the book, both in terms of ideas and the practical aspects of state-building, allowing the reader to ponder Russia’s differentia specifica.

Includes accounts of civilians' roles and experiences through wars in twentieth-century Europe.

The Bee and the Eagle brings together a team of international specialists to present original findings on six key themes of Empire: political cultures, war and military institutions, monarchy, nationalism and identity, and everyday experience. With a comparative approach, it begins in 1806 at the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, and its replacement by a French-sponsored new political order.