Podbit · Dwarkesh Podcast
Florence couldn't afford armies to fight France. So it spent lavishly on art, architecture, and cultural gifts for French kings instead. Culture wasn't a surplus from peace — it was a rational substitution for unaffordable military spending. Florence was playing the culture victory because the military victory wasn't available.
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At 59:20 · chapter starts 47:55
The elder Lorenzo de' Medici spent ~$30M equivalent on education. Florence used art as cheaper diplomacy than armies — commissioning gifts for French kings was more cost-effective than fighting France. [1] — Ada Palmer "Florence couldn't afford armies to fight France. So it spent lavishly on art, architecture, and cultural gifts for French kings instead. Cu…" 59:20
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