Birth of the world economy system and formation of modern societies: 12th and 19th centuries

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Level: 
Master's
CEU credits: 
2
Academic year: 
2009/2010
Academic year: 
2010/2011
Academic year: 
2011/2012
Semester: 
Fall
Start and end dates: 
9 Sep 2009
Co-hosting Unit(s) [if applicable]: 
Department of History
Stream/Track/Specialization/Core Area: 
Social and Political History in a Comparative Perspective
CEU Instructor(s): 
Lajos Racz
Additional information: 
The main goals of course are a thorough understanding and critical evaluation of key concepts and theoretical approaches that have developed and are developing in the social and economic history; a comprehensive understanding of fundamental themes in the social and economic history of the region, subjected to critical and comparative analysis; the placing of Central, South-eastern and Eastern Europe in European and global perspectives.
Learning Outcomes: 
During the course we would like to develop the ability to formulate, investigate and discuss historically informed questions in a comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. The ability to identify and work with primary sources and secondary of historical study. The ability to design and use appropriate historical research strategies and techniques in a critical and reflexive manner. We pay special attention to develop ability to employ higher order-thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Ability to locate, synthesize and critically evaluate literature relevant to the research topic. Ability to efficiently integrate theories, secondary and primary data, and advance an argument that is compelling, consistent and well-supported by relevant evidence. Ability to synthesize information determines a focus point, research question, and thesis statement; discern main line of argumentation. Ability to constructively and collaboratively participate in discussions and debates.
Assessment : 
Regular and well-prepared participation in the seminar counts fifty percent of the final grade. The remaining fifty percent of the grade will be determined by result of test at the end of lectures.
Full description: 

1 –Theories of world economy system

Interpreting the global economy as a historical phenomenon was practically in the air because of the middle of the 20. century. Immanuel Wallerstein put this hypothesis into a theoretical system in 1974 firstly.Wallerstein’s theory got numerous critiques. Fernand Braudel did the reconsideration of the world economy theory, he published it in a volume in 1979. The three formulated  criterion regarding the global economy in Braudel trilogy: a confinable area is needed, one single central city directs it (Venice, Antwerpen, Genova, Amsterdam, London), consists of zones with different stages of development (centre, half periphery, periphery), and the tenseness following from the different development insures the dynamics of the system.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. Divisions of Space and Time in Europe. New York pp. 21-45.  [savepdf]

 2 – The mediaeval European economy world

Europe rose out from the direct agricultural consumption during the 11th and 12th centuries (Wilhelm Abel), that is from the age of self-sufficiency. The two poles of the mediaeval European economy: North (the country of Netherlands and Baltikum) and South (north Italy). North Italy may have said thanks for her economic strength to the intermediate trade first of all. The merchants of Northern Italy mediated towards Europe the eastern spices, first of all pepper. The Netherlands were the centre of Europe's northern pole, that may have said thanks for her economic strength to her textile industry first of all. Baltikum was attached to Netherlands; she was raw material provider (tree, grain, tar, honey). The Hanza towns organized Baltikum economic life. Europe's northern and southern economic pole the Champagne-Brie-i cities' system connected it uniform system.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. The first European world-economy. New York pp. 92-115. [savepdf]

3 – The crisis of the 14th century

By the beginning of the 14. century, Europe attained the upper limit of her demographic increase opportunities. The population of 85-90 million turned into one which cannot be supplied beside the environmental relations deteriorating on the time of the little ice-age. The epidemic of the black death fetched the final collapse between 1347-1352 after the agricultural catastrophes of the 1310’s. One-third of the European population fell victim to it.. This shocked the European institutions in the bases of the multilayer crisis. So political, economic and social changes were beginning following the period of the black death, the traditional world's institutions were corroded.

  • Epstein, S.R. 2001. The late medieval crisis as an ’integration crisis’. In Early Modern Capitalism, ed. Prak, Maarten. London pp.25-47. [savepdf]

4 – The century of Venice

To the end of the 14th century North Italy unambiguously became the centre of the European economy. The crisis shocked the state-cities dealing with the trade of the luxury articles less, than the territorial states relying on the taxpayers. The pawn of the power of Venice and his economy: the Mediterranean Sea made it grow above the trade of her half check monopolizing. The ability of the adaption was the capital virtue of Venice, one single important economic-financial innovation (bill, gold coin, bank) neither originated from Venice, but the city took everything over and efficiently employed.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. The belated rise of Venice. New York pp. 116-138.  [savepdf]

5 – Atlantic’s rise and hexday of Antwerp

The great geographical discoveries totally redrew the lines of force of the European economy .Economic centre of he tilted balanced Europe fell for Antwerpen for a time. Antwerp’s golden age at the same time was not the merit of its dwellers. The city was the meeting point between the Portuguese distributing the eastern spices, the German business houses dominating the European continental trade (Fugger, Welser, Imhof), and Spanish Habsburg aiming for hegemony creating colonial empire.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. The unexpected rise of Portugal; or from Venice to Anwerp. New York pp. 116-138. [savepdf]

6 – The last rekindling of the Mediterranean world: century of Genova

The 1557 bank bankruptcy wrecked the German merchant houses, first of all the Fugger dynasty. The Spanish empire needed new creditors however. The German bankers were replaced by Genoese financiers, who brought the subtle financial techniques of the Mediterranean world. The Genoese merchants became state officials in Spain, got married into the Spanish elite. An intercontinental commercial-financial system that was operational until the end of the 18th century managed to be created with huge work left over.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. Putting the record straight: the age of Genoese. New York pp. 157-174. [savepdf]

 7 – The Dutch world supremacy and Amsterdam

Netherlands came into existence in octogenarian war (1568-1648) fought against the Spanish-Habsburg realm. In the course of the war the United Provinces not only got her independence, but got the check above the world trade. Behind the Dutch commercial world hegemony was not the sovereign power, but a share company, the Dutch East-Indian Company were at a standstill (in which the state was a shareholder naturally).

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. TheCity-Centred Economies of the European Past: Amsterdam. New York pp. 175-206. [savepdf]

8 – The territorial states' rise: France and England

The territorial states were shaken by the multilayer crisis of the 14th century ; by the 17th century they regenerated successfully. The states' resources pretty much exceeded the state-cities' economic opportunities. There were two states like that in Europe, the chance of which overlooked the acquisition of the check above the world trade: France and England. England managed to execute this task on the turning of the 17th and 18th centuries, and London became for two centuries the centre of the global economy.

  • Braudel, Fernand 1992. The Pesrpective of the World. England trading supremacy. New York pp. 352-385. [savepdf]

9 – Social modernisation: the nobility

Four privileges were at the European nobility's disposal during the Middle Ages. A nobleman may have carried a weapon exclusively. A nobleman may have possessed land personally only (dominium directum). The nobility was free from under the direct taxes. In capital cases though only the king (concerned the crown court) may have passed sentence on the nobleman. In the time of the early modern times the absolute states brought all these privileges into question. The new sovereign power defined the nobility's social role again in all of his elements.

  • Kamen, Henry 1984. European Society. 1500-1700. Nobles and gentlemen. London pp. 93-119. [savepdf]

10 - Social modernisation: the bourgeoisie

The citizenry was an intermediary group between nobility based on their privilegies to birth, and the daily physical work making peasentry. Four scopes of activity that made the civil lifestyle possible existed: the practice of trade, industrial activity, the office, and finally financial activity. Social ethos which can be defined well, was not at the bourgeoisie's disposal in  the time of the Middle Ages. The civil ethos came into existence in early modern Netherlands when the wealthy Protestant bourgeoisie, which took arranging in the hand of the republic's affairs of state in nobility's deficiency.

  • Kamen, Henry 1984. European Society. 1500-1700. The bourgeoisie. London pp. 93-119. [savepdf]

11 – Social modernisation: the peasantry

From the peasantry, two kinds opinion lives in the (historical) public consciousness. According to one of the notions the only natural occupation is the peasant work (Aristotle), the first peasant was Adam, our ancestor. The peasant lifestyle is the state of the pureness accordingly. A social group got stuck in the state of the barbarity according to the other approach, the peasant uneducated and clumsy one.

  • Kamen, Henry 1984. European Society. 1500-1700. The peasantry. London pp. 146-166. [savepdf]

12 – Social modernisation: marginal social groups

In a proportion differing periodically, but there were social groups in Europe that always stayed outside the society. We can separate three large social groups existing steadily: the religious refugees, the beggars and the slaves.

  • Kamen, Henry 1984. European Society. 1500-1700. The marginal population. London pp. 167-193. [savepdf]