040268 UK European Economic History (BA) (2021S)

This course will provide a broad overview of the development of the European Economy from pre-industrial times to the present. Topics include: the determinants of pre-industrial agriculture and commerce, the role of institutions for economic growth, European exploration and colonization, the Industrial Revolution, the rise of the global economy in the late nineteenth century, the Great Depression, and the process of European Integration after 1945. We will also emphasize the comparative performance of western nations versus the rest of the world.
The class will provide an overview of important events and periods in the economic history of Europe and an analysis of these events from an economic viewpoint. Students will critically read academic research papers and learn to use the tools of economics to study economic history. Depending on computer lab access, students will also complete two empirical projects that will present an introduction to quantitative work in economic history.