A Network of Thrones: Kinship and Conflict in Europe, 1495–1918

We construct a database linking European royal kinship networks, monarchies, and wars to study the effect of family ties on conflict. To establish causality, we exploit decreases in connection caused by apolitical deaths rulers’ mutual relatives. These are associated with substantial increases frequency duration war. provide evidence that these affect conflict only through changing network. Over our period interest, percentage monarchs increased threefold. Together, findings help explain well-documented decrease war frequency. (JEL D74, N33, N34, N43, N44, Z12, Z13)