Replication dataset and codes - Schaff "Warfare and Economic Inequality: Evidence from Preindustrial Germany (c. 1400-1800)"
Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Felix S.F. Schaff, London School of Economics
Version: View help for Version V1
| Name | File Type | Size | Last Modified |
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| Code | 12/05/2022 09:42:AM | ||
| Data | 12/05/2022 09:35:AM | ||
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application/pdf | 93.3 KB | 12/05/2022 05:07:AM |
Project Citation:
Schaff, Felix S.F. Replication dataset and codes - Schaff “Warfare and Economic Inequality: Evidence from Preindustrial Germany (c. 1400-1800).” Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2022-12-05. https://doi.org/10.3886/E183421V1
Project Description
Summary:
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The deposited data allows replication of the statistical analysis and figures in "Warfare and Economic Inequality: Evidence from Preindustrial Germany (c. 1400-1800)". The question the project adresses is simple: What was the impact of military conflict on economic inequality? I argue that ordinary military conflicts increased local economic inequality. Warfare raised the financial needs of towns in preindustrial times, leading to more resource extraction from the population. This resource extraction happened via inequality-promoting channels, such as regressive taxation. Only in truly major wars might inequality-reducing destruction outweigh inequality-promoting extraction and reduce inequality. To test this argument I construct a novel panel dataset combining information about economic inequality in 75 localities, and more than 700 conflicts over four centuries. I find that the many ordinary conflicts — paradigmatic of life in the preindustrial world — were continuous reinforcers of economic inequality. I confirm that the Thirty Years’ War was indeed a great equaliser, but this was an exception and not the rule. Rising inequality is an underappreciated negative externality in times of conflict.
Scope of Project
Subject Terms:
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Wealth;
Inequality;
Warfare;
Institutions;
Political Economy
Geographic Coverage:
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Germany
Time Period(s):
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1400 – 1800
Universe:
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Cities and villages in preindustrial Germany.
Data Type(s):
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administrative records data
Collection Notes:
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The main wealth inequality data analysed in the project has been collected from historical sources, for example archival sources, but also from edited primary and secondary sources.
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Published Versions
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