The politics and economics of Europe's comparative advantage in violence (original) (raw)

This paper examines the historical context of Western Europe’s comparative advantage in violence prior to 1800, contrasting it with other advanced regions such as China and Japan. It argues that Western European states developed superior military technologies, particularly gunpowder weaponry, leading to significant expansion and control over vast territories, despite the initial origins of these technologies in Asia. The research highlights the implications of military competition in Europe as a potential driver for this technological edge, exploring the reasons behind the lagging advancements in military capabilities of other powerful states.