The economic history of Central, East and South-East Europe : 1800 to the present

The collapse of communism in Central, East and South-East Europe (CESEE) led to great hopes for the region and for Europe as a whole in the early 1990s. A quarter of a century on, the picture is more mixed: in many CESEE countries, the transformation process remains incomplete, and the economic catch-up process has taken much longer than originally anticipated. The current situation has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the long-term political and economic implications of the Central, East and South-East European historical experience. This thematically organised text offers a clear and comprehensive guide to the economic history of CESEE from 1800 to the present day. Bringing together authors from both East and West, the book also draws on the cutting-edge research of a new generation of scholars from the CESEE region. Presenting a thoroughly modern overview of the history of the region, the text will be invaluable to students of economic history and CESEE area studies. The collapse of communism in Central, East and South-East Europe (CESEE) led to great hopes for the region and for Europe. A quarter of a century on, the picture is mixed: in many CESEE countries, the transformation process is incomplete, and the economic catch-up has taken longer than anticipated. The current situation has highlighted the need for a better understanding of the long-term political and economic implications of the Central, East and South-East European historical experience. This thematically organised text offers a clear and comprehensive guide to the economic history of CESEE from 1800 to the present day. Bringing together authors from both East and West, the book also draws on the cutting-edge research of a new generation of scholars from the CESEE region. Presenting a thoroughly modern overview of the history of the region, the text will be invaluable to students of economic history and CESEE area studies. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 List of figures 11 List of tables 15 List of contributors 19 Preface 22 1 Editor’s introduction 24 2 Living standards in the very long run: the place of Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in the divergence debate 36 The long 19th century: 1800–1914 60 3 Economic growth and sectoral developments, 1800–1914 62 4 Economic policy during the long 19th century 92 5 Economic integration with Western Europe and the global economy, 1800–1914 120 6 Population and living standards, 1800–1914 151 The interwar period: 1918–1939 159 182 7 Economic growth and structural change in Central, East and South-East Europe, 1918–1939 184 8 Economic policy, 1918–1939 211 9 Between disintegration and convergence, 1918–1939: flows of capital, goods, and labor 239 10 Population and living standards: Central, East and South-East Europe, 1918–1939 266 The state socialist period: 1945–1989/1991 298 11 Economic growth and structural developments, 1945–1989 300 12 Economic policy under state socialism, 1945–1989 326 13 Economic integration within COMECON and with the Western economies 347 14 Population, living standards and well-being, 1949–1989 375 The transition period: since 1989 404 15 Economic growth and sectoral developments during the transition period, 1990–2008 406 16 Economic policy: path dependency and path creation, 1989–2015 436 17 Political and economic integration with the Western economies since 1989 457 18 Population, living standards and well-being since 1989 491 Index 519