"The Paradox of European History: How Independence" Topic
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Tango01 | 13 Aug 2020 8:23 p.m. PST |
… Required Interdependence "European political geography is the product of violent competition which has left the continent divided into distinct states, unlike China or (to a lesser extent) North America. This process is often described as a Darwinian struggle for survival, with only the ‘fittest' states achieving full sovereignty. Leopold von Ranke, one of the founders of modern historical method, argued that ‘primacy of foreign policy' dictated how each state developed internally. Each state strove for autarky, modifying its own institutions, economy and society so as to compete more aggressively and efficiently with its neighbours. More recently, John Brewer coined the term ‘Fiscal-Military State' to describe the institutionalisation of permanent taxation and armed forces during the seventeenth and eighteenth century. His study is part of a wider debate on whether authoritarian or constitutional states are more efficient at mobilising resources for warfare. This research has greatly extended our understanding of the interrelationship between political institutions, economies and societies, but it has largely overlooked the fact that virtually no European state has waged war without external assistance. This is the paradox of European history. Competition was only possible through cooperation with allies, neutrals and even enemies, since states have rarely obtained all they needed for warfare from their own populations, while governments have generally been unable to prevent their own subjects from aiding other powers. The ‘success' of each state has depended not only on its ability to assert itself militarily, but also on being recognised as a ‘state' by its neighbours. The emergence of diplomatic conventions and international law is only one aspect of this process. Europe contained a host of semi-sovereign entities, like the German and Italian principalities and city-states, who not only struggled to preserve or enhance their autonomy, but also provided war-making resources to other, larger states…" Main page link Amicalement Armand
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Der Krieg Geist | 21 Aug 2020 4:48 p.m. PST |
Good article, if a bit short. Would have liked it to go into greater detail. |
Blutarski | 23 Aug 2020 3:25 p.m. PST |
"… virtually no European state has waged war without external assistance." Really? Unless the author has a uniquely qualified definition of "waging war", I can think of a few. B |
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