War and Society in Renaissance Europe, 1450-1620

War and European Society #1

by J.R. Hale

In the modern view of Renaissance Europe, the rise of humanism often obscures violence and warfare. As J. R. Hale observes, "there was probably no single period in which there was neither war nor occurrences that looked and felt remarkably like it." This major new assessment by one of the world's foremost Renaissance historians analyzes the impact of war on government, economy, technology, the military, and civilian life and broadens our conception of society in the early modern centuries. From the end of the Hundred Years' War to the eve of the Thirty Years' War, Europe's population increased and its culture grew more complex; so too, its wars expanded from the episodes of "violent housekeeping" associated with succession to conflicts of territorial self-definition and quests for princely glory through acquisition. This book examines the devleopments in military technique and technology which both fueled and resulted from the changing nature of warfare. Hale's main focus, however, is on the people—nobles and officials, merchantes and soldiers, peasants and townsfolk—whose lives were touched by war. He dicusses recruitment among mostly reluctany social groups and decribes conditions of service in the military for both professional and part-time soldiers. While the direct effects of war could be devastating for an area's populace, Hale shows that indirect effects, though less acute, were more pervasive. Economic and demographic shifts, increased and more efficient taxation, and governmental growth occasioned by war had profound and lasting influence on the shape of European society.

Genres: History, Military History, War, Nonfiction, Academic, European History

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

AKA John R. Hale

British historian specializing in the Renaissance, first Professor of History at the University of Warwick.

Reviews

[Roy McCullough]

An excellent examination of the phenomenon of war and its relationship with and impact on society during a pivotal period in European history. Subjects examined include the causes of wars, the composition and evolution of armies, innovations in military technology, changing societal views on the profession of arms, and the direct and indirect impacts of war on civilians, the economy, and the structures and processes of government. It is disappointing that the publisher chose not to include / allow footnotes but that is a minor quibble. The author writes in an engaging manner and has managed to produce that rarest of things: a scholarly work that is also readable.

[Emma]

It was good information - but if the paragraphs were more broken up it would be easier to read and take notes on.