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This article analyses the importance of paper in the context of early modern warfare. During the war against the Ottoman Empire at the end of the 17th century, the Habsburgs were establishing a new administration in Hungary, which served both military and civil purposes. Not only did administrative tasks have to be organized, but the very success of military operations depended on the well-ordered work of the administration: communication had to be smooth, and a wide variety of tasks had to be properly and reliably processed. To fulfil these requirements, the administration needed large quantities of paper. This study follows the traces of paper in the records of the Chamber Administration in Buda and points to the vital need for paper at the heart of the new Habsburg rule. The challenges of acquiring and producing paper themselves became crucial aspects of the administration’s work. The article argues that a reliable supply of paper competed even with the distribution of arms and food to become an essential resource in warfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]