In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many states responded to threats of the type depicted in the two images by:
- seeking to increase tax revenues
- professionalize their militaries
How did the states respond ?
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, many states responded to the growing threats posed by powerful empires like the Ottoman Empire by seeking to increase tax revenues and professionalize their militaries.
Rising military expenditures due to constant warfare with the Ottomans compelled European states to explore ways to increase their tax revenues. This included implementing new taxes, such as the taille in France and the tithe in England, and increasing the rates of existing taxes.
In addition to increasing tax revenues, European states also sought to professionalize their militaries by creating standing armies, training soldiers more rigorously, and adopting new military technologies.