1987 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
The British Capitalism and the Imperialistic World System before the World War I
| Project/Area Number |
61301050
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Co-operative Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
History of Europe and America
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| Research Institution | Kumamoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
KUWAHARA Kanji Professor in Occidental History,Faculty of Letters,Kumamoto University, 文学部, 教授 (70039965)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
TAKAHASHI Jyun-ichi Associate Professor in Agrarian History, Faculty of Economics, Saitama Universit, 経済学部, 助教授 (30143241)
SATOH Masanori Associate Professor in Occidental History, Faculty of Humanities, Ibaragi Univer, 人文学部, 助教授 (40106737)
KIMURA Kazuo Associate Professor in Commonwealth History, Faculty of Education,Akita Universi, 教育学部, 助教授 (10004079)
ITOH Masata Proferror in Occidental History,Faculty of Education,Fukushima University, 教育学部, 教授 (80007327)
INOUE Tatsumi Professor in Economic History,Otaru Commercial College, 商学部, 教授 (10002982)
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| Project Period (FY) |
1986 – 1987
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| Keywords | Multilateral Structure of Trade and Payments / The Great Depression at the end of the nineteenth century / International Gold Standard / Free Trade Imperialism / Tariff and Trade Policy in England / 再生産=信用構造 |
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| Research Abstract |
In recent years,the researches on the classical imperialism before the World War I,have been advanced remarkably.But the economic analysis of imperialism or the Marxist interpretation of imperialism has been challenged and rejected by modern historians. Is there any relationship between classical imperialism and the Pre-War economy or are they rather inter-dependent phenomenon in the evolution of the world economy ? We try to respond this question by examining the capitalist world system before the War.Followings are the main points this study will suggest.1) From about 1890 onwards, the pattern of international trade began to change remarkably in the direction of a truly integrated international economy with the multi-lateral settlement of trading accounts . Though this "multilateralism" functioned smoothly in the Pre-War world economy,we have to pay attention to the evolving pattern of this structure after the financial crisis of 1907. 2) The British economy was at the centre of this new network of multi-lateralism which developed after 1890.These years coincided with the "high summer" of international gold standard ,a period which witnessed final triumph of UK over the capitalist world.This is the main reason why UK maintained free trade policy against rising protectionism.3) The British Free Trade System played a key role in the Pre-War world economy. It enabled USA and continental Europe to finance their purchases of primary products by exporting manufactures to UK.Fut ,to maintain this framework of maltilateralism, and to avoid international trade friction ,UK was forced to seek the newer makets in the underdeveloped areas and intensify the colonial rule on India. Thus ,a unique set of circumstances contributed to place UK at the centre of the Pre-War World. No wonder thus that JM.Keynes characterized the years between 1900 and 1914, as an age of economic "Fax Britannica".
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