Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 The economics of World War I: an overview
- 2 The pity of peace: Germany's economy at war, 1914–1918 and beyond
- 3 Austria-Hungary's economy in World War I
- 4 The Ottoman economy in World War I
- 5 Between the devil and the deep blue sea: the Dutch economy during World War I
- 6 Was the Great War a watershed? The economics of World War I in France
- 7 The United Kingdom during World War I: business as usual?
- 8 Poor Russia, poor show: mobilising a backward economy for war, 1914–1917
- 9 Italy at war, 1915–1918
- 10 Until it's over, over there: the US economy in World War I
- Index
- References
5 - Between the devil and the deep blue sea: the Dutch economy during World War I
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 July 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 The economics of World War I: an overview
- 2 The pity of peace: Germany's economy at war, 1914–1918 and beyond
- 3 Austria-Hungary's economy in World War I
- 4 The Ottoman economy in World War I
- 5 Between the devil and the deep blue sea: the Dutch economy during World War I
- 6 Was the Great War a watershed? The economics of World War I in France
- 7 The United Kingdom during World War I: business as usual?
- 8 Poor Russia, poor show: mobilising a backward economy for war, 1914–1917
- 9 Italy at war, 1915–1918
- 10 Until it's over, over there: the US economy in World War I
- Index
- References
Summary
Notwithstanding all the vicissitudes falling to the lot of a small neutral nation hemmed in on every side by belligerents, Holland has prospered during the war. This was particularly true up to and through 1917. Since then, because of the very great reduction in commerce, prosperity has not been so marked as formerly, but financially Holland is in excellent condition
(Moore, 1919: 85).The blockade also seriously affected the economies of the European neutrals; despite the initial wartime boom and the high profits deriving more especially from shipping and commerce, there can be no doubt that the economic consequences of the war were negative so far as the neutrals were concerned
(Hardach, 1987: 34).Introduction
The history of the Dutch economy during World War I is an example of the fortunes and behaviour of a neutral country in the military and economic warfare between the Allies and the Central Powers, and more specifically between the United Kingdom and Germany. In the first place, an important characteristic of the Dutch economy is its precarious geographical location, literally between the belligerent countries, and its integration with the economies of both the United Kingdom and Germany. Secondly, the developments in the Netherlands reflected the way in which the political goals and political actions of the British and the German governments towards the neutrals were inspired by strategic economic motives. And being a neutral did not mean that there was much room for manoeuvre for politicians and businessmen.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Economics of World War I , pp. 137 - 168Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2005
References
- 5
- Cited by