Strategic materials and state capacity in Renaissance Italy: The economic policies of ‘Roman saltpetre’ procurement
研究了15世纪罗马对战略物资硝石的需求激增，以及国家为保障供应而采取的混合公私手段，揭示了军备采购对国家能力早期发展的作用。
Abstract Demonstrating the existence of a soaring demand for strategic materials in fifteenth‐century Rome, the article pioneers research in the late medieval trade in saltpetre, the irreplaceable, rare component of gunpowder, indispensable for waging war following the diffusion of artillery technology. More importantly, the essay highlights the political measures undertaken to support the supply of materiel, revealing a pragmatic stance that combined state control with private initiative. The result is a compelling example of the role arms procurement played in the early development of state capacity.