The Holy Roman Empire at bay: financing the defence against the Ottomans, c.1560-1610

Volckart, Oliver ORCID: 0000-0001-7330-111X (2025) The Holy Roman Empire at bay: financing the defence against the Ottomans, c.1560-1610. Economic History Working Papers (387). London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

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Abstract

How did the Holy Roman Empire solve the collective action problem of defending itself against the Ottomans between 1566 and 1606? To answer this question, the article first reassesses the extent to which the imperial estates paid their defence dues. The new approach followed here indicates that with on average 72.5 percent, compliance rates were more than 15 percentage points lower than previously suggested. The article then statistically examines factors that influenced compliance, finding that the perceived legitimacy of the grant of a Turkish Aid by the imperial diet increased the estates’ willingness to pay. Also, it finds that several groups of estates were willing to pay larger shares than their respective control groups. It argues that while the emperor used the funds to finance the wars with the Ottomans, the primary motive of these estates for contributing was securing the emperor’s support in protecting private property rights.

Item Type:	Monograph (Working Paper)
Official URL:	https://www.lse.ac.uk/Economic-History/Working-Pap...
Divisions:	Economic History
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HJ Public Finance
JEL classification:	H - Public Economics > H1 - Structure and Scope of Government > H10 - General H - Public Economics > H2 - Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue > H26 - Tax Evasion H - Public Economics > H3 - Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents > H30 - General H - Public Economics > H4 - Publicly Provided Goods > H41 - Public Goods N - Economic History > N4 - Government, War, Law, and Regulation > N44 - Europe: 1913-
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2025 08:39
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2025 08:39
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/129940

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