War and social change in modern Europe : the great transformation revisisted

Halperin traces the persistence of traditional class structures during the development of industrial capitalism in Europe, and the way in which these structures shaped states and state behavior and generated conflict. She documents European conflicts between 1789 and 1914, including small and medium scale conflicts often ignored by researchers and links these conflicts to structures characteristic of industrial capitalist development in Europe before 1945. This book revisits the historical terrain of Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation (1944), however, it argues that Polanyi's analysis is, in important ways, inaccurate and misleading. Ultimately, the book shows how and why the conflicts both culminated in the world wars and brought about a 'great transformation' in Europe. Its account of this period challenges not only Polanyi's analysis, but a variety of influential perspectives on nationalism, development, conflict, international systems change, and globalization. "This book revisits the historical terrain of Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation (1944). Recent years have seen a remarkable resurgence of interest in Polanyi's powerful account of the rise and demise of Europe's nineteenth-century market system. However, this book argues that Polanyi's analysis is, in important ways, inaccurate and misleading. Sandra Halperin traces the persistence of traditional class structures during the development of industrial capitalism in Europe and the way in which these structures shaped states and state behavior and generated conflict. She documents European conflicts between 1789 and 1914, including small- and medium-scale conflicts often ignored by researchers, and links these conflicts to structures characteristic of industrial capitalist development in Europe before 1945. Ultimately, the book shows how and why these conflicts both culminated in the world wars and brought about a "great transformation" in Europe. Its account of this period challenges not only Polanyi's analysis but a variety of influential perspectives on nationalism, development, conflict, international systems change, and globalization."-- Jaquette "This book revisits the historical terrain of Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation (1944). Recent years have seen a remarkable resurgence of interest in Polanyi's powerful account of the rise and demise of Europe's nineteenth-century market system. However, this book argues that Polanyi's analysis is, in important ways, inaccurate and misleading. Sandra Halperin traces the persistence of traditional class structures during the development of industrial capitalism in Europe and the way in which these structures shaped states and state behavior and generated conflict. She documents European conflicts between 1789 and 1914, including small- and medium-scale conflicts often ignored by researchers, and links these conflicts to structures characteristic of industrial capitalist development in Europe before 1945. Ultimately, the book shows how and why these conflicts both culminated in the world wars and brought about a "great transformation" in Europe. Its account of this period challenges not only Polanyi's analysis but a variety of influential perspectives on nationalism, development, conflict, international systems change, and globalization."--Jacket Sandra Halperin traces the persistence of traditional class structures in the course of the development of industrial capitalism in Europe and the way the structures influenced state behavior and generated conflict. Halperin focuses on the interrelationship of social forces, industrial expansion, and conflict in Europe between 1789 and 1944 (in part through a critique of Karl Polanyi's The Great Transformation (1944)). Her account of the period challenges not only Polanyi's analysis, but a variety of influential perspectives on nationalism, development, conflict, international systems change, and globalization. Sandra Halperin. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 445-498) And Index.