1st Edition

A History of States and Economic Policies in Early Modern Europe

By Silvia A. Conca Messina Copyright 2016
    246 Pages
    by Routledge

    246 Pages
    by Routledge

    Why was early modern Europe the starting point of the economic expansion which led to the Industrial Revolution? What was the state’s role in this momentous transformation? A History of States and Economic Policies in Early Modern Europe takes a comparative approach to answer these questions, demonstrating that wars, public finance and state intervention in the economy were the key elements underlying European economic dynamics of the era.





    Structured in two parts, the book begins by examining the central issues of the state–economy relationship, including military revolution, the fiscal state and public finance, mercantilism, the formation of commercial empires and the economic war between Britain and France in the 1700s. The second part presents a detailed comparison between the different economic policies of the most important European states, looking at their unique demographic, economic, military and institutional contexts. Taken as a whole, this work provides a valuable analysis of early modern economic history and a picture of Europe’s global position on the eve of the Industrial Revolution.





    This book will be useful to students and researchers of economic history, early modern history and European history.

    Introduction PART I War, Finance and Mercantilism Chapter 1: Great Divergence, Fiscal-Military State and Economic Policy Chapter 2: From Trading Cities to Territorial States Chapter 3: The “Military Revolution” Chapter 4: The Rise of the Fiscal State Chapter 5: Different Paths to Public Finance and Fiscal Systems 5.1 Spain 5.2 France 5.3 The Dutch Republic 5.4 England and the United Kindom 5.5 Prussia 5.6 The Habsburg Monarchy Chapter 6: European States and the Crisis of the 17th Century Chapter 7: Responses to the Crisis: Re-centring the European Economy Chapter 8: Mercantilism Chapter 9: Naval Power and Global Trade Chapter 10: The Economic War between France and Britain in the 18th Century PART II Economic Policies Chapter 11: The Italian States (16th17th Centuries) 11.1 The Republic of Venice 11.2 The Republic of Genoa 11.3 Grand Duchy of Tuscany between the 16th century and crisis 11.4 The Savoy State 11.5 The Papal State 11.6 The Duchy of Milan 11.7 The Kingdom of Naples Chapter 12: State, Economic Policy and the Portuguese Empire Chapter 13: Spain: Empire, Crisis and Reforms Chapter 14: The Dutch Republic: a “Merchant State” Chapter 15: France: State, Colbertism and Economic Performance Chapter 16: England and the United Kingdom: The Mercantile System Chapter 17: The Economic Policy of Sweden Chapter 18: Russia from Peter the Great to Catherine Chapter 19: State and Economy in Frederick II’s Brandenburg-Prussia Chapter 20: The Habsburg Monarchy Conclusion Bibliography Index

    Biography

    Silvia A. Conca Messina is Assistant Professor of Economic History in the Department of Historical Studies at the University of Milan, Italy. She has published widely on Economic History and Business History in Italy and Europe from early modern to modern age. Her publications include Cotton Enterprises: Networks and Strategies. Lombardy in the Industrial Revolution, 18151860, Routledge, 2016 and A History of Wine Production and Consumption in Europe, 2 vols, edited with S. Le Bras, P. Tedeschi, M. Vaquero Piñeiro, 2019.