What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine how urban actors navigated the ambiguous boundaries between piracy, privateering, and naval warfare in late medieval Southwestern Atlantic Europe.

August 20, 2026European History Quarterly

Urban Diplomacy and Criminalization of Piracy in Southwestern Atlantic Europe in the Late Middle Ages

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Authors

JTJesús Ángel Solórzano TelecheaUniversidad de Cantabria

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals that medieval Atlantic seaports used arbitration and cooperative diplomacy to regulate privateering, highlighting the early role of urban legal frameworks.

Key Points

To examine how urban actors navigated the ambiguous boundaries between piracy, privateering, and naval warfare in late medieval Southwestern Atlantic Europe.
Analyzed historical maritime records, legal practices, and diplomatic mechanisms in Cantabrian and Breton seaports during the late Middle Ages.
Evaluated the role of urban institutions, including arbitration tribunals, the Brotherhood of the House of Trade, and the issuance of letters of marque.
Identified persistent legal ambiguities between legitimate privateering and piracy that were dictated by shifting economic and political interests rather than rigid state laws.
Showed that urban seaport communities favored negotiated settlements and bilateral arbitration over militarized confrontation to maintain trade stability.

Cite This Study

Jesús Ángel Solórzano Telechea (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a86b56c8a91293e6a1ccd1a https://doi.org/10.1177/02656914261477985

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals that medieval Atlantic seaports used arbitration and cooperative diplomacy to regulate privateering, highlighting the early role of urban legal frameworks.

Urban Diplomacy and Criminalization of Piracy in Southwestern Atlantic Europe in the Late Middle Ages

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Urban Diplomacy and Criminalization of Piracy in Southwestern Atlantic Europe in the Late Middle Ages

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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