The Development of the French Economy 1750–1914
The Development of the French Economy 1750–1914
£23.99
GBPUnderstanding French economic development in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries has always proved a formidable challenge for historians. This concise 1995 survey for students is designed to make clear the areas of controversy among historians, and to guide the reader through the complexities of the debate. The author provides succinct surveys of findings on the pattern of development, and on the underlying causes of that pattern. He addresses questions such as: was France a latecomer or an early starter in industrialisation? Did long periods of protectionism help or hinder development? And was the peasantry an obstacle to change in the economy? He argues that France was not the 'backward economy' it was often thought to be; instead, it provides a quietly successful case of economic development, avoiding the massive social upheaval experienced elsewhere in Europe.
- Succinct account of main features of French economic development in 18th and 19th centuries
- Makes clear the areas of controversy among historians
- Written in easily comprehensible, jargon-free language
Product details
September 1995Paperback
9780521557771
88 pages
216 × 140 × 5 mm
0.12kg
Available
.jpg)
.jpg)
Table of Contents
- List of tables and maps
- Note of references
- Acknowledgements
- 1. Introduction: the outlines of a debate
- 2. The performance of the French economy
- 3. Natural resources and the labour supply
- 4. Capital and technical progress
- 5. An agricultural revolution?
- 6. 'The call of the markets': the pressure of demand in the French economy
- 7. Social and institutional influences on development
- 8. Conclusion
- Notes
- Select bibliography
- Index.
