Economics Detective Radio

The Economic History of War and Conflict with Jari Eloranta

May 26, 2017

Professor Jari Eloranta discusses the economic history of war and conflict, from pre-modern societies to the 20th century. Topics include military funding strategies, transitions in compensating soldiers, the evolution of warfare and state financing, the impact of wars on institutions, and the relationship between military spending and economic growth.

50:55

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Episode guests

Jari Eloranta

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Quick takeaways

Pre-modern states used trade revenue, debt, and conquest to finance military, shaping early conflict dynamics.

French Revolution marked shift to total war, influencing warfare strategies towards mobilization and alliances in Europe.

Deep dives

Funding Military in Pre-Modern Societies

Pre-modern states financed military through tariffs, loans, or conquest, often relying on indirect revenue from trade. They utilized citizens for public debt and conquest to fund conflicts, leading to high stakes and consequences.

Introduction

3min

Military Compensation Strategies in Historical Conflicts

2min

Evolution of Warfare and State Financing

10min

Understanding Conflict and War: 19th Century to World War II

27min

Political Influence on Defense Contracting and Stimulus Spending

2min

Military Spending and Economic Growth

7min

My guest for this episode is Jari Eloranta, he is a professor of comparative economic and business history at Appalachian State University. Jari's work focuses on the economic history of national defense. In this far-reaching conversation, we go all the way back to pre-modern societies' methods of financing their militaries, then trace the transitions up through the early modern period and into the 20th century. We discuss the way war has shaped modern states and institutions.

Books mentioned:

The First Total War: Napoleon's Europe and the Birth of Warfare as We Know It, by David A. Bell.

The Gunpowder Age: China, Military Innovation, and the Rise of the West in World History, by Tonio Andrade.