The Danish Revolution, 1500-1800: An Ecohistorical Interpretation (studies In Environment And History)

This book tells the story of a fertile European country that, as a result of over population and military armament, over exploited its fields and forests in a non-sustainable fashion. By the eighteenth century Denmark, along with other European countries, found itself in an ecological crisis involving clear felling of forests, sand drift, floods, inadequate soil fertilization and cattle disease. This crisis was overcome by a green biotechnological revolution that changed the whole pattern of agriculture, and by the abandonment of wood as a raw material and source of energy in favour of coal and iron. This book outlines the background of the present-day ecological crisis, both in the industrial world and in developing countries, and attempts to understand early modern Europe from a consistently ecological viewpoint. Cover......Page 1 Frontmatter......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 List of Illustrations......Page 8 Figure 1 - The Danish States: Denmark, Norway, and Schleswig-Holstein in the eighteenth century......Page 10 Preface......Page 12 Figure 2 - Denmark in the eighteenth century......Page 13 The Danish Revolution 1500--1800......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 Part I - Denmark, 1500--1750: A Country in an Ecological Crisis......Page 22 1 - The Road to the Crisis......Page 24 1.1 Population Growth......Page 27 1.2 A Fiscal-Military State......Page 28 2 - The Anatomy of the Crisis......Page 33 Part II - The Ecological Revolution......Page 46 3.1 Sand Drift Is Arrested......Page 48 3.2 Land Reclamation......Page 54 3.3 Control of the Water Level......Page 55 3.4 Control of the pH Balance of the Soil: Marling......Page 64 3.5 Addition of Plant Nutrients through Better Utilization of Existing Resources......Page 72 3.6 Nitrogen from the Sea......Page 79 3.7 Nitrogen from the Air......Page 80 4.1 The Energy and Raw Materials Crisis......Page 103 4.2 Relieving the Energy and Raw Materials Crisis by Economizing......Page 107 4.3 Increased Production of Energy and Raw Materials......Page 121 4.4 Use of Wood Substitutes......Page 131 4.5 Stabilization of the Forests, 1763--1805......Page 143 Part III - The New Denmark......Page 147 5.1 The Denmark Facing East......Page 149 5.2 The Denmark Facing West......Page 156 6.1 Labour Burden and Working Hours, 1500--1800......Page 159 6.2 Falling Marginal Production and Changes in the Social Structure, 1500--1800......Page 171 6.3 Factors behind the Rising Influence of the Farmer Class during the Last Half of the Eighteenth Century......Page 187 7.1 Plague......Page 193 7.2 Malaria......Page 196 7.3 Tuberculosis......Page 199 7.4 Smallpox......Page 205 7.5 The Changing Pattern of Disease and Its Impact on Social Life......Page 206 8.1 The Danish Power Structure from the Viking Age until 1766: The Rule of the Aristocracy......Page 212 8.2 The Breakthrough of Centralistic Government, 1766--1814......Page 230 8.3 Conditions that Paved the Way for the Breakthrough of Centralistic Bureaucratic Government......Page 242 8.4 Winners and Losers......Page 256 Part IV - The Driving Forces behind the Danish Revolution, 1500--1800......Page 259 9 - Agrarian Reforms......Page 261 10 - Technology and Communication Systems......Page 267 10.1 The Danish Revolution, 1500--1800: A Chaotic Process......Page 270 Part V - The Inheritance......Page 273 11 - The Social and Political Inheritance......Page 275 12 - The Ecological Inheritance......Page 279 Appendix 1 - Currency, Weights, and Measures......Page 282 Appendix 2 - Reigns of Danish Kings and Queens......Page 284 Sources and Bibliography......Page 285 Index......Page 317 Cover 1 Frontmatter 2 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 8 Figure 1 - The Danish States: Denmark, Norway, and Schleswig-Holstein in the eighteenth century 10 Preface 12 Figure 2 - Denmark in the eighteenth century 13 The Danish Revolution 1500--1800 14 Introduction 16 Part I - Denmark, 1500--1750: A Country in an Ecological Crisis 22 1 - The Road to the Crisis 24 1.1 Population Growth 27 1.2 A Fiscal-Military State 28 2 - The Anatomy of the Crisis 33 Part II - The Ecological Revolution 46 3 - The Green Revolution 48 3.1 Sand Drift Is Arrested 48 3.2 Land Reclamation 54 3.3 Control of the Water Level 55 3.4 Control of the pH Balance of the Soil: Marling 64 3.5 Addition of Plant Nutrients through Better Utilization of Existing Resources 72 3.6 Nitrogen from the Sea 79 3.7 Nitrogen from the Air 80 4 - The Energy and Raw Materials Revolution 103 4.1 The Energy and Raw Materials Crisis 103 4.2 Relieving the Energy and Raw Materials Crisis by Economizing 107 4.3 Increased Production of Energy and Raw Materials 121 4.4 Use of Wood Substitutes 131 4.5 Stabilization of the Forests, 1763--1805 143 Part III - The New Denmark 147 5 - Landscape 149 5.1 The Denmark Facing East 149 5.2 The Denmark Facing West 156 6 - Labour Burden and Social Structure 159 6.1 Labour Burden and Working Hours, 1500--1800 159 6.2 Falling Marginal Production and Changes in the Social Structure, 1500--1800 171 6.3 Factors behind the Rising Influence of the Farmer Class during the Last Half of the Eighteenth Century 187 7 - The Disease Pattern 193 7.1 Plague 193 7.2 Malaria 196 7.3 Tuberculosis 199 7.4 Smallpox 205 7.5 The Changing Pattern of Disease and Its Impact on Social Life 206 8 - Power 212 8.1 The Danish Power Structure from the Viking Age until 1766: The Rule of the Aristocracy 212 8.2 The Breakthrough of Centralistic Government, 1766--1814 230 8.3 Conditions that Paved the Way for the Breakthrough of Centralistic Bureaucratic Government 242 8.4 Winners and Losers 256 Part IV - The Driving Forces behind the Danish Revolution, 1500--1800 259 9 - Agrarian Reforms 261 10 - Technology and Communication Systems 267 10.1 The Danish Revolution, 1500--1800: A Chaotic Process 270 Part V - The Inheritance 273 11 - The Social and Political Inheritance 275 12 - The Ecological Inheritance 279 Appendix 1 - Currency, Weights, and Measures 282 Appendix 2 - Reigns of Danish Kings and Queens 284 Sources and Bibliography 285 Index 317 9780521030434 Studies in Environment and History This book tells the story of how a fertile European country, as a result of overpopulation and military armament, overexploited its fields and forests in a nonsustainable fashion. By the eighteenth century Denmark, along with other European countries, found itself in an ecological crisis caused by clear felling of forests, sand drift, floods, inadequate soil fertilization, and cattle disease. The crisis was overcome by a green biotechnological revolution that changed the whole pattern of agriculture, and by the abandonment of wood as a raw material and source of energy in favour of coal and iron. This development had wide, unexpected consequences for the landscape, patterns of disease, politics, social structure, art, and literature. The book outlines the background of the present-day ecological crisis, both in the industrial world and in developing countries, and is the first attempt to understand early modern Europe from a consistently ecological viewpoint. This Book Tells The Story Of A Fertile European Country That, As A Result Of Over-population And Military Armament, Over-exploited Its Fields And Forests In A Nonsustainable Fashion. By The Eighteenth Century, Denmark, Along With Other European Countries, Found Itself In An Ecological Crisis: Clear Felling Of Forests, Sand Drift, Floods, Inadequate Soil Fertilization And Cattle Disease. This Book Explains How The Crisis Was Overcome, And Is The First Attempt To Understand Early Modern Europe From A Consistently Ecological Viewpoint.-- Part I. Denmark, 1500–1750: A Country In An Ecological Crisis -- Part Ii. The Ecological Revolution -- Part Iii. The New Denmark -- Part Iv. The Driving Forces Behind The Danish Revolution, 1500–1800 -- Part V. The Inheritance -- Appendices. Thorkild Kjærgaard ; Translated By David Hohnen. First Published 1994; First Paperback Edition 2006.--t.p. Verso. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 271-302) And Index. This book tells the story of a fertile European country that, as a result of over population and military armament, found itself in an ecological crisis. This book explores Denmark's successful strategies for recovery, and provides an important historical background to the modern ecological crisis. The kingdom that Christian IV took over in 1588 was in excellent condition.