The transition from feudal society to the extended nation state was made possible by the centralization of policy on one hand and the decentralization of policy implementation on the other (Tout 1937;Ellul 1955; Chrimes 1952). The colonial era would be described the same way, but on a world-wide scale (Gladden 1972). There are splendid comparisons of British, French, Portuguese, Dutch, and Belgian approaches to issues of colonial centralization and decentralization, the management of courts, and the organization and management of navies and armies (Gladden 1972, 323-333)