War and Peace
‹ 8 · Outline · 10 ›
9.War, finance and the economy
9a.The expense of war and public debt
See also: Taxation 8 · Wealth 13b · Government 8b
Benvenuto Cellini, The Autobiography of Benvenuto CelliniVol. 31
- p. 319–320Rumours of war and the Emperor's army marching on Paris leave the realm short of money.read · scan
Samuel Johnson, Life of Addison, 1672-1719Vol. 27
- p. 169Addison wrote The Present State of the War, a topical tract on the need for augmenting forces, which soon fell into neglect.read · scan
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsVol. 10
- p. 248–249An unsuccessful war destroying the treasure behind paper credit would cause greater confusion than in a gold-and-silver economy.read · scan
- p. 270Fleets and armies produce nothing in peace and nothing compensating in war.read · scan
- p. 272Expensive French wars and civil discord wasted stock and added two hundred millions of debt.read · scan
- p. 312Nations must hoard gold and silver in peace to pay fleets and armies abroad in war.read · scan
- p. 321–323Foreign wars and armies are maintained with consumable goods rather than gold and silver.read · scan
- p. 323Financing foreign war by exporting circulating money, plate or princely treasure is a poor resource.read · scan
- p. 323The costly wars of the century, like the last French war, were financed without exporting money, plate or treasure.read · scan
- p. 325The great expense of the late war was defrayed from annual produce, not accumulated treasure.read · scan
- p. 424Two wars cost hundreds of millions and new debt to defend colonial trade monopoly.read · scan
- p. 470–471War with a debtor nation could forfeit the creditor state's funds.read · scan
- p. 472War is the chief modern expense; in ancient republics every citizen-soldier served at own cost.read · scan
- p. 547Expensive wars to maintain independence burdened Holland with debts and taxes.read · scan
- p. 551–552War multiplies expense several times over at once, while peacetime improvidence leaves the treasury empty and forces borrowing.read · scan
- p. 555Easy borrowing hides war's cost from the people, who enjoy war news and dream of glory, and regret peace.read · scan
- p. 556Only the needs of a new war or national vengeance make an overtaxed people accept new taxes.read · scan
- p. 559Paying for war from current taxes would make wars shorter and less wantonly undertaken, since people would feel their full burden.read · scan
- p. 561–562Expensive wars drive borrowing and taxation; Britain's industry recovered after the last war, but another war might make taxes oppressive.read · scan
Edmund Burke, A Letter to a Noble LordVol. 24
- p. 413–414Rubble of the Duke's buildings is computed to supply the sans-culottes a year of war on Europe's aristocracy.read · scan
Alessandro Manzoni, I Promessi Sposi (The Betrothed)Vol. 21
- p. 503–504Thoughts of war are more pressing than the plague for the governor Spinola, who dies in that war.read · scan
- p. 518–519Military quartering and havoc impoverished the duchy; the governor is occupied with the war.read · scan
John Ruskin, Sesame and LiliesVol. 28
- p. 130Unjust wars are supported by capitalists' loans and national covetousness; nations should support literature and thought instead of war.read · scan
9b.War, trade and national rivalry
See also: Wealth 12c · Race and Nationality 9c
Sir Walter Raleigh, The Discovery of GuianaVol. 33
- p. 307Warns of Spanish military strength, fleets and threats of invasion funded by treasure.read · scan
John Dryden, All for Love; or, The World Well LostVol. 18
- p. 7An island cannot win land wars; government suits defence, and conquest abroad brings poverty at home.read · scan
Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of NationsVol. 10
- p. 86–87Peace or war affects demand for distant manufactures.read · scan
- p. 342–343Defence of the country is said to depend on the number of sailors and shipping, justifying trade restrictions against the Dutch.read · scan
- p. 343–344National animosity toward Holland, and defence mattering more than opulence, make the Act wise despite its commercial cost.read · scan
- p. 365Commerce, which should bind nations in friendship, becomes a source of discord; merchants' jealousy is as fatal to Europe's repose as kings' ambition.read · scan
- p. 366A neighbour's wealth is dangerous in war and politics, enabling stronger fleets and armies, but beneficial in peace and commerce.read · scan
- p. 368Neighbouring nations are necessarily enemies, and national animosity and mercantile jealousy obstruct beneficial commerce.read · scan
- p. 393France and Spain demanded Portugal exclude British ships and admit garrisons, an aggressive act premised on the mistaken belief England needed the Portugal trade.read · scan
- p. 420Victory in war gave Britain exclusive trade in Senegal, which manufacturers exploited.read · scan
- p. 421–422Successful war placed beaver-producing country under British dominion, enabling trade restrictions.read · scan
- p. 457Forts protect merchants from violence; ambassadors were kept in peacetime for commerce, not for war or alliance.read · scan
- p. 459–460Commerce is likened to a species of warfare with continually changing operations.read · scan
Thomas Carlyle, Inaugural Address at EdinburghVol. 25
- p. 377Phocion warned Athens it could not fight Philip's disciplined armies and full treasury.read · scan
Ralph Waldo Emerson, English TraitsVol. 5
- p. 375Wellington saw Napoleon's mendacious empire living by war would fail without trade and prosperity.read · scan
John Greenleaf Whittier, PoemsVol. 42
- p. 1342–1344Massachusetts offers no arms, only commerce, greeting Virginia peacefully.read · scan
John Ruskin, Sesame and LiliesVol. 28
- p. 114Nation watches civil war slaughter weighing only the price of cotton, not which side is wrong.read · scan
- p. 131–132France and England buy panic of each other annually; they should make peace and spend the money on knowledge.read · scan
Louis Pasteur, The Physiological Theory of FermentationVol. 38
- p. 271–273Pasteur's research was inspired by national misfortunes after the war of 1870 and rivalry with Germany.read · scan
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