Government Finance and Imposition of Serfdom After the Black Death
Margaret E. Peters
After the Black Death, serfdom disappeared in Western Europe while making a resurgence Eastern Europe. What explains this difference? I argue that was against interests of sovereign and only imposed when nobility, most whom needed to maintain their economic social standing, had leverage impose will. One way nobility gained power through financing military. Using data from fourteenth eighteenth centuries, show areas where sovereigns few other resources pay for war or defense. This paper addresses causes historical institution theorist Moore (1966) Acemoglu Robinson (2006) have argued played an important role development, lack thereof, democracy long-term growth.
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