Taking Measure: The Seventeenth-Century Army
The figures in this chart are only approximate, but they tell an important story. Take special note of the relative weight of the military in the different European states.
Source: From André Corvisier, Armées et sociétés en Europe de 1494 à 1789 (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1976), 126.
Questions to Consider
- Why would England’s army be so much smaller than that of the other European states?
- Is the absolute or the relative size of the military the most important indicator of a state’s power? Explain the reasons for your answer.