The internationalisation of the world economy and the economic and political development in Europe are factors that have fostered new interest in the common economic heritage of the European countries. Spanning 500 years, this tale of the economic history of Western Europe seeks to unearth the roots of present day problems. Among its major themes are: the early industrial development, the spreading of industry up until World War One, the bad experiences through 1914-1945, the analyses of different stages of economic growth, development in European integration since World War Two, the influence of external developments including foreign policy and security matters. The book will appeal to anyone interested in European economic and political history. Different from most textbooks on this subject, it does not confine itself to the three great economies of Western Europe: Great Britain, France and Germany. Instead, the book provides separate chapters on national developments including Benelux, the Scandinavian countries, Italy, Spain and Portugal as well as USA and Japan. Further, most tables include Austria, Finland and Switzerland.
Ideal as a textbook for both undergraduate and graduate courses in Economic History, History of Europe and European Integration.