relation: http://eprints.imtlucca.it/1420/
title: Technology and the Era of the Mass Army
creator: Onorato, Massimiliano Gaetano
creator: Scheve, Kenneth
creator: Stasavage, David
subject: H Social Sciences (General)
subject: JA Political science (General)
description: We investigate how technology has influenced the size of armies. During the nineteenth century the development of the railroad made it possible to field and support mass armies, significantly increasing the observed size of military forces. During the late twentieth century  further advances in technology made it possible to deliver explosive force from a distance and with precision, making mass armies less desirable. We find strong support for our  technological account using a new data set covering thirteen great powers between 1600 and 2000. Contrary to what is so often suggested, we find little evidence that the French Revolution was a watershed in terms of levels of mobilization.
publisher: IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca
date: 2012-10
type: Working Paper
type: NonPeerReviewed
format: application/pdf
language: en
rights: cc_by_nd
identifier: http://eprints.imtlucca.it/1420/1/EIC_WP_2012_5.pdf
identifier:   Onorato, Massimiliano Gaetano and Scheve, Kenneth and Stasavage, David  Technology and the Era of the Mass Army.  EIC working paper series  #5/2012    IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca    ISSN 2279-6894.