Decline and Recovery in Britain’s Overseas Trade, 1873–1914

For too long there has been an unquestioning acceptance that Britain's economic decline began long before the First World War. By focusing on international trade in the 1873-1914 period this book analyses the facts behind this myth, examining Britain's performance in comparison with that of its major rivals in the very areas where they came into competition with each other. What emerges is a much more complex picture of both losses and gains, in which Britain's position gradually adjusted to a changing world economic order, and appeared to be doing so remarkably successfully. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction: Britain’s ‘Decline’....Pages 1-12 Britain and Germany....Pages 13-20 The City of London and International Trade 1850–1914....Pages 21-63 Particular Points of Strength in Britain’s Overseas Trade....Pages 65-76 British Trade to Singapore and Hong Kong....Pages 77-89 Trade Competition in the Regions of Recent Settlement....Pages 91-138 Conclusion....Pages 139-146 Postscript....Pages 147-153 Back Matter....Pages 154-160