Core Idea
What core analogy does Tilly use for war-making and state-making?
Organized crime and racketeering (rulers create threats and then sell protection).
Capital States rely on...
trade, cities and wealthy merchants
What happened to states that failed to extract effectively?
destroyed or absorbed
How did the Tudors consolidate state power in England?
They destroyed private armies, razed fortresses, and enforced a royal monopoly of force.
How does Fredirck Lane describe the government’s “protection business”?
Governments collect tribute (taxes) above the cost of security and create “protection rents” for merchants.
What are the 4 interactive activities needed for state-making?
War-making, state-making, extraction (taxes/tribute), and protection
Coercion-Intensive States rely on...
Direct force and large armies
How do war-making, extraction, and protection reinforce each other?
Eliminating rivals increases extraction, which funds more war and protection, creating a self-reinforcing cycle.
What measures did Richelieu take to establish royal power in France?
He destroyed rebel castles, condemned private armies and dueling, and declared royal control of violence.
How does Tilly’s model apply to modern international relations?
States of power function on a similar protection-racket logic.
How does Tilly explain a government monopoly of violence?
The states accumulate force while others lose it, and gradually normalize coercion through "legitimate" and "necessary" protection.
What fiscal effect did war-making have on Britain and its population during the Napoleonic Wars?
Taxes rose from 15% to 24% of national income, and debt skyrocketed. Taxes remained after wartime.