Media Log on Nostr: > Multiple counts refused to enforce France’s first kingdom-wide tax to help fund ...

> Multiple counts refused to enforce France’s first kingdom-wide tax to help fund the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1166. In 1199, Pope Innocent the Third taxed the clergy at 2.5%, which led to open rebellion. When later King Phillip II introduced a tax (which was agreed upon by the nobles and the Church) within a year, it was abolished, and he was forced to apologize for introducing it. In the 1490s Germany first tried a realm-wide tax, and even then, Bavaria refused to ratify it. Most of northern Europe still had no permanent national tax until after 1500.
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>Because it was considered theft, the “hidden” tax of inflation was almost non-existent.

–Jeb Smith
*Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions About The Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, and Liberty* (2024)