A History Of Europe 1648 1948

This new collection of original essays by leading academics explores major issues in Russia's relations with the wider world since the seventeenth century. The emphasis is not on Russian foreign policy per se, but on the different levels of interaction between Russia, its immediate neighbours, and the wider global community, including cultural, political and economic relations. The book has been produced in honour of the distinguished historian, Professor Paul Dukes.

Since the earliest of times, human beings have endeavored to uncover the causes of prosperity. History is the best tool that society possesses for identifying and analyzing the factors that contribute to economic growth; yet economic statistics that lend themselves to comparison are hard to come by. Even academics who specialize in individual countries almost never present a set of statistics covering the whole 20th century - and for the previous centuries, the data is even more chaotic. Here, for the first time, the economic statistics of the world are presented in a rationalized format that allows for an easy comparison across countries and through time. Part One analyzes the most relevant ideas and theories that have been considered as causal variables of economic growth. It summarizes these ideas pedagogically and tests them against the historical data. The results of such analyses are highly troubling because they reveal an absence of correlation between theory and reality. Part Two presents a collection of statistics illustrating the development of the world economy during the last centuries. The data was extracted from economic, history and economic history books, from the publications of the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations' specialized agencies, research institutes and country statistical publications, and other books and journals. Analyzing the data over geography and time, Sabillon concludes that contrary to contemporary wisdom, left to market forces alone the economy will not and does not flourish. The factors that cause growth, he says, still need to bestudied with a fresh eye. This orderly and consistent presentation of statistics may be just the tool that helps future economic theorists to identify a reliable path to sustained growth. This analysis of the long-term historical development of the nations of the world is the culmination of a fourteen-year research project funded in part by the Swiss National Fund for Scientific Research, the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva, Switzerland, and by the Geneva Business Institute. * Carlos Sabillon has an advanced degree from the Institute of International Studies (Geneva, Switzerland) in Economic History. His book Manufacturing, Technology, and Economic Growth was published by M.E. Sharpe Inc., 2000.

Discussing a series of economic, confessional, political and espionage networks, this volume provides an illuminating study of network history in Northern Europe in the early modern period. The empirically researched chapters advance existing 'social network theory' into accessible historical discussion.

The development of Europe accelerated from the middle of the 17th century with the formation of the nation states and the growth of empires. By the beginning of the 20th century, European empires dominated most of the world's surface - however, the two world wars brought the continent down from its peak of power. From 1945 to 1989, Europe lost its empires and fell under the influence of the two superpowers, the USA and the USSR; but with the decline and fall of the latter, Europe has since moved towards a new unity. Paths to a New Europe considers the development of the continent from its origins through premodern to postmodern times, and provides a balanced treatment of Europe and of its wider global setting. Within the overall division of East and West Europe, each section is given due attention and Paul Dukes shows how cultural traditions, along with socio-economic differences and realignments of political power, have evolved over the centuries, still exerting influence as Europe moves towards unity after the collapse of the Eastern bloc and the end of the Cold War.

Om Sof'ja (1657-1704), der som formynder for sine yngre brødre, Fedor (1661-1682) og Ivan (1666-1696), var Ruslands første kvindelige regent

What's the secret? Can policies "grow" the economy? How do leaders make their countries prosper? Since the earliest of times, humans have endeavored to uncover the causes of prosperity. Step by step, Sabillon tests the principal theories on the causes of economic growth against the facts of history. Here, for the first time, the economic statistics of the world are presented in a rationalized format that allows for an easy comparison across countries and through time, with a challenge to those who study them. What do the statistics show, and what are the trends beyond cherished theories that suit various political purposes? Tested against the historical data, textbook ideas and theories consistently come up short. Such analyses are highly troubling, because they reveal an absence of correlation between theory and reality. The data -- statistics illustrating the development of the world economy during the last several centuries -- was extracted from economic, history and economic history books, from publications of the World Bank, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organization, the United Nations' specialized agencies, research institutes and country statistical publications and other books and journals. Analyzing the data over geography and time, Sabillon concludes that contrary to contemporary wisdom, left to market forces alone, the economy will not and does not flourish. Only decisive intervention in support of manufacturing and technological advancement can provide growth. This systematic review of history and test of accepted dogma challenges economic theorists to consider one part of the equation of economic policy that has been wiped off the blackboard in today's politically-correct debates

This work reveals the hitherto unrepresented relationship that developed between Scotland and Sweden during the second half of the sixteenth and first half of the seventeenth centuries. Sweden's emergence as an independent Nordic, and indeed European, power required continual military and economic growth, which in turn necessitated a constant supply of manpower. The initially piecemeal migration of private individuals from Scotland bringing both martial and mercantile skills to Sweden gradually grew into an informal alliance, albeit officially sanctioned by the Swedes, based on personal networks. Equally the impact of Sweden's support for the Scottish Covenanting movement on British state-formation is scrutinized. This fresh perspective on Scottish-Swedish connections is aimed at those interested in state-formation, migration studies, diplomatic developments, and military history.