Originally published in 1989, this is an empirical study of the impact of global war on the expansion and shaping of nation-states. Individual chapters examine the effects of such wars, and the preparation for them, on debt financing, expansion, military spending, welfare spending, GNP and domestic violence. The authors conclude that by virtue of the changes they spurn, global wars are inherently 'accelerators of social change'.

Karen A. Rasler, William R. Thompson

List of Tables. List of Figures. Preface. 1. Global Wars and Global Power State Making 2. The Geopolitical-Economic Context: Rokkan and the Spanish Case 3. The Geopolitical-Economic Context: France and the Maritime Powers 4. The Innovation of Public Debt 5. Spending, Death, and Taxes in the Long Run 6. War and the Economic Growth Question 7. Accommodation and Violence 8. War Making and the State. Notes. References. Index.