TY  - RPRT
M1  - imt_eic_working_paper
N2  - 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.
A1  - Onorato, Massimiliano Gaetano
A1  - Scheve, Kenneth
A1  - Stasavage, David
PB  - IMT Institute for Advanced Studies Lucca
SN  - 2279-6894
UR  - http://eprints.imtlucca.it/1420/
TI  - Technology and the Era of the Mass Army
AV  - public
Y1  - 2012/10//
KW  - JEL classification: F52
KW  -  N4
KW  -  N7
KW  -  O33; Keywords: Military
KW  -  Security
KW  -  Soldiers
KW  -  Technological Change
KW  -  Technology
KW  -  Technology Adoption
KW  -  War
KW  -  Warfare
EP  - 47
N1  - Updated on November 2013 
ID  - eprints1420
ER  -