Prices, the military revolution, and western Europe's comparative advantage in violence
Abstract
Price data from England, France, and Germany show that the military sector in western Europe experienced rapid and sustained productivity growth well before the industrial revolution. The productivity growth has implications for the history of the military revolution in early modern Europe and helps explain why western Europe gained a comparative advantage in violence. It also raises questions about the economic impact of the military revolution.
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In the small arms industry, total factor productivity in making pistols grew at 1.1 percent a year (1556-1706) relative to a low-tech product such as spades.
“Another example is in the small arms industry, where Hoffman (2011) estimates the growth in total factor productivity in the making of pistols at 1.1 percent a year (1556-1706) relative to a low-tech product such as spades.”
From The Mechanics of the Industrial Revolution (2023) · cites this paper as Hoffman (2011)
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The Mechanics of the Industrial Revolution
Kelly, M., Mokyr, J., & Ó Gráda, C. (2023) · Journal of Political Economy · doi:10.1086/720890 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
ROY, T. (2013) · Modern Asian Studies · doi:10.1017/s0026749x11000825 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
- Authors
- HOFFMAN, P. T.
- Affiliations
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- HOFFMAN, PHILIP T.
- Venue
- The Economic History Review
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-01-04
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- s1
- Pages
- 39-59
- ISSN
- 0013-0117 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-0289
- OpenAlex
- W1494526311
- Cited by
- 66
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 10.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Economic History Review (publishedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Historical Economic and Social Studies
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Military history and social perspectives
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Defense, Military, and Policy Studies
- Keywords
- military revolution, early modern Europe, economic impact of war, military sector
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