Raphael

During the Middle Ages to the 19th century, England developed a centralized bureaucracy with a focus on managing finances and administering justice. This bureaucracy played a crucial role in state building and the formation of a unified legal system. Over time, the bureaucracy became more professionalized, specializing in various government functions. It also supported the functioning of parliaments, influencing legislative processes. As England expanded its colonies and trade, the bureaucratic apparatus grew to manage the complexities. England's administration had some unique characteristics, such as a lack of centralized army due to its insularity and emphasis on common law and individual rights. The development of a professional civil service reduced the monarch's absolute power. Internal conflicts and local governance structures also contributed to checks on royal power. This shaped England's political system as a center without a genuine state, focused on mercantilism and liberali These are the Conquest Chronicles, the podcast on England's road to power from the Middle Ages to the 19th century. Hello everyone and welcome to episode 3 of the Conquest Chronicles. I am Raphael and today we are going to talk about bureaucracy. Why bureaucracy? Well, according to Max Weber, a famous German social scientist of the end of the 19th century, the modern state is an administrative and legal order subject to change by legislation and to which the organized activities of the administrative staff are oriented. Whether we fully agree with these statements or not, one relevant point this definition can help us underline is that it is a key feature for any state that wants to be considered modern to possess a large and efficient bureaucracy. Indeed, since the medieval period, the influence of bureaucracy on the state building of England was profound and had lasting impacts on the development of the modern British state. Let's take a closer look at how this happened. During the medieval period, England began to develop a centralized bureaucracy, primarily to manage royal finances and administer justice. The establishment of the East Czech War in the 12th century under the reign of King Henry I is one of the earliest examples. This institution was responsible for collecting taxes, managing royal revenues and funding the functions of the state, which were crucial for maintaining royal authority and governance across England. The bureaucracy also played a critical role in the formation and administration of common law. The itinerant justices and later the establishment of permanent courts like the Court of the Common Pleas in the end of the 12th century helped in the administration of law and justice uniformly across the kingdom. This not only helped in state building, but also in the creation of a unified legal system across England, strengthening the central authority. Then, over time, as the administration grew, so did the need for a more professional bureaucracy. This was particularly notable from the Tudor period onwards, where an increase in the complexity of government functions led to the specialization of roles within the bureaucracy. This professionalization helped in the efficient management of state affairs, from fiscal policies to international diplomacy and even colonial administration. The growth of bureaucracy also paralleled the development of parliaments. The bureaucratic administration provided the necessary support for the functioning of parliaments, influencing legislative processes and the implementation of laws. This interaction between bureaucracy and parliaments was crucial in shaping a governance model that balanced royal prerogatives with the emerging rights and power of parliaments. And this is something Gabriel will talk about in the next episode too. Finally, we can mention that from the 16th century onwards, as England began to establish overseas colonies and expand its trade, the bureaucratic apparatus expanded significantly. Institutions like the admiralty and the treasury evolved to deal with the complexities of an empire and international trade, necessitating a more robust bureaucratic system to manage the expanded roles of the states. However, now that this is mentioned, there is some singularities about England's administration that can be underlined. Singularities that had influence on the way the English state was built and it can also be interesting to look at this also to understand to what extent bureaucracy can influence the direction a state can take. First, because of its insularity, England did not have the same necessities as other countries in Europe for a centralized army. In fact, the only major need for external security for England was to have a strong navy. This led to a lack of a need for the presence of a strong state and monarch being in control of the centralization of the power and of the bureaucracy, in opposition to absolutist models that were present in Europe at that time. Also, England's legal system, based on common law, emphasized the rule of law and individual rights. Legal principles developed through court decisions and the judiciary operated with a degree of independence from the monarchy. Moreover, the development of a professional civil service in England promoted a bureaucracy that was less tied to personal loyalty to the monarch and more focused on merit and competence. This reduced the monarch's ability to wield absolute power through patronage and personal networks. Another reason for this development was internal conflicts, such as the English Civil War from 1642 to 1651 and the Glorious Revolution of 1688. This conflict led to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy and greater checks on royal power. Last but not least, in England, local governance structures, including country and municipal councils, played significant roles in administration, reducing the concentration of power in the central governments. All of this led to England's political system becoming a center without a genuine state that never managed to get out of the hand of a ruling social class made by both the nobility and the aristocracy. This will lead to a state policy being more focused on mercantilism and more and more liberalism, but this will be talked more in depth in our next episode. Thank you for listening to the Conquest Chronicles. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you find new podcasts and I'll see you in the conclusion.