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I’m reviewing literature on state coercion, and I’m curious: what are the prevailing scholarly insights on the application of martial law in the Early Modern period?

My work touches on the growth of state power, and martial law seems a critical, yet under-theorized for this era, mechanism. I need a foundational overview of what historians have concluded about its use—was it a tool for order, a mask for tyranny, or something more nuanced? I'm looking for the key arguments in the field.

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By Akram Answered 1 year ago

From my research into this period, the key insight is that martial law was less a codified legal statute and more a prerogative power—a sovereign's claimed right to use military force and summary justice to suppress what was deemed "rebellion" or "invasion." Scholars like John Childs argue it was a crucial tool for nascent states lacking robust civilian policing, used to control restive borderlands, colonial possessions, and during civil wars. The justification often hinged on declaring a "time of war" within the kingdom itself, blurring the line between internal and external threat to legitimize extraordinary measures.

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