War, taxation and the enlargement of farms in coastal Flanders (seventeenth-eighteenth centuries)

Wars always have had a huge impact on societies. If a war lasts for a long period of time, it is even capable of fundamentally changing economic structures. This was a factor in an evolution that took place in coastal Flanders during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In this area, large farms became larger as they were able to absorb small leasehold farms that had gone bankrupt during periods of war. This article investigates the dynamics of this process by examining a large farm in coastal Flanders. It first identifies how such a farm was operated. Subsequently I will look at the impact of war in order to identify the mechanics behind the enlargement of the farms. This article demonstrates in particular how the collection of war taxes played a crucial role in the bankruptcy of the small farms and the survival of the large ones.