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Source link: http://archive.mises.org/13248/economic-nationalism-from-mercantilism-to-world-war-ii/

Economic Nationalism: From Mercantilism to World War II

July 13, 2010 by

The modern concept of the national state was born and consolidated from the 16th to the 18th century. The state’s regulation of external trade for the goals of national power in that period is known as “mercantilism.” FULL ARTICLE by Michael A. Heilperin

{ 4 comments }

Isaiah July 13, 2010 at 4:29 pm

Is it remarkable to anyone else that mercantilism is here discussed without any mention of African slavery?
I do not speak of it here as a racial matter but crucial to a proper assessment of economic nationalism and its mutations in the 17th and 18th centuries.

P.M.Lawrence July 14, 2010 at 4:15 am

African slavery wasn’t particularly relevant to it, at any rate directly. What counted was control of the cash crop colonies it supplied, and the trade that led to. That is, the African legs of the triangle trade weren’t what mattered, the return leg did.

P.M.Lawrence July 14, 2010 at 4:30 am

Countries that adopted the economic policies of mercantilism had, at least to begin with, authoritarian and powerful governments, absolute monarchies having developed upon the disintegration of the decentralized feudal systems. The rulers of that period had far-reaching powers over the activities of their subjects, while individual liberties were largely submerged.

That is quite wrong. Mercantilism came first, and absolutism came later.

British mercantilism, closely linked with Britain’s “old colonial system” (as distinct from the 19th century “new” colonial empire, which was to evolve eventually into the British Commonwealth of Nations), was brought to an end largely by the American Revolution… In 1791, it will be recalled, mercantilism was breaking down…

That is absolute nonsense. Even agitation to end it didn’t begin until the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and it was practised at least as late as the Repeal of The Corn Laws in 1846 – laws that were only passed as late as 1815. Not only is the timing wrong for an American cause, quite simply American events and precedents just weren’t that important for European economies until much later. (Jefferson thought they were, or he wouldn’t have tried the Embargo. He was mistaken.)

tungsten watches July 23, 2010 at 4:04 am

World war ii was the main reason to economic development, and is the military thoughts, but personally I think that what is no shortcut, especially the development of economy, the mainest is according to their own conditions, formulate the corresponding policies for economic development, only by LveDuoShi can not solve the fundamental problems.

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