Small and Medium Powers in Global History: Trade, Conflicts, and Neutrality from the 18th to the 20th Centuries

Description

This volume brings together a leading group of scholars to offer a new perspective on the history of conflicts and trade, focusing on the role of small and medium, or "weak", and often neutral states. Existing historiography has often downplayed the importance of such states in world trade, during armed conflicts, and as important agents in the expanding trade and global connections of the last 250 years. The country studies demonstrate that these states played a much bigger role in world and bilateral trade than has previously been assumed, and that this role was augmented by the emergence of truly global conflicts and total war. In addition to careful country or comparative studies, this book provides new data on trade and shipping during wars and examines the impact of this trade on the individual states' economies. It spans the period from the late 18th century to the First and Second World Wars and the Cold War of the 20th century, a crucial period of change in the concept and practice of neutrality and trade, as well as periods of transition in the nature and technology of warfare. This book will be of great interest to scholars of economic history, comparative history, international relations, and political science. Small and Medium Powers in Global History- Front Cover Small and Medium Powers in Global History Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of contributors Foreword Chapter 1: Introduction Weak states, state economic/political power, and conflicts Importance of the study of trade and neutrality Contributions of the volume Notes References PART I: Interplay of trade and conflicts in the long run Chapter 2: Trade and the new republic: American trade during the Napoleonic Wars, 1783–1830 Introduction Why study smaller (or weaker) states? Trade and the Early Republic in the historiography Aggregate trends in US trade, from the 18th century to 1860 (and beyond) US trade in the period 1790 to 1830: the impact of the war years Conclusions and further challenges Notes References Chapter 3: The United States and the Mediterranean during the French Wars (1793–1815) Introduction Securing United States shipping and trade in the Mediterranean: a small power in troubled waters The Mediterranean within global United States trade and shipping growth Conclusion Notes References Chapter 4: Commercial relations between Portugal and Russia: neutrality, trade, and finance (1770–1850) Introduction Overall trends in the diplomatic relations between Portugal and Russia Commercial relationships between Portugal and Russia Portuguese merchants and trade finance Some final remarks Notes References Chapter 5: Taxation in Brazil in the Napoleonic Wars: neutrality, economy and the outcomes of a royal court in transit Brazilian economic history and the historiography Napoleonic Wars and the Portuguese Empire The captaincy of Rio de Janeiro at the end of the eighteenth century Fiscal impacts related to the transfer of the Portuguese Court to Brazil Conclusions Notes References Chapter 6: Wartime trade and tariffs in Sweden from the Napoleonic Wars to World War I Introduction Background: Sweden’s position during the wars The development of foreign trade Tariffs and trade policy Customs revenue Conclusions Notes References PART II: Trade and neutrality in conflicts Chapter 7: Small states in harm’s way: neutrality in war Introduction The evolution of neutrality Trade concessions Labour concessions Capital concessions Conclusions Notes References Chapter 8: The Atlantic orientation: Norway and the western blockade of Germany, 1914–1918 Introduction Economic expansion and neutrality Britain and the failure of economic warfare Improvising a blockade Norwegian branch agreements Reforming the system The American embargo The Washington negotiations The devil and the deep blue sea Notes Bibliography Chapter 9: What was the impact of World War I on Swedish economic and business performance? A case study of the ball bearings manufacturer SKF Introduction Sweden’s neutrality in the Great War The economics of Sweden’s neutrality Swedish ball bearing exports Balance of payments and surplus funds increase investment The Swedish ball bearing industry, 1907–18 Supply-side effects SKF as a neutral company? Long-term growth: the 1920s and beyond Conclusions Notes References Chapter 10: The macroeconomic effects of neutrality: evidence from the Nordic countries during the wars Introduction Previous research Methodology and data Results Conclusions Notes References Chapter 11: No room for neutrality? The uncommitted European nations and the economic Cold War in the 1950s Compromising neutrality Need to secure “parallel action” Finland and Austria Why cooperate? Disadvantages and advantages of neutrality Conclusions Acknowledgments Notes References Chapter 12: Bicycles in rush hour: concluding neutrality and war Notes References Index