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PRUSSIA'S ‘TRANS-OCEANIC MOMENT’: THE CREATION OF THE PRUSSIAN ASIATIC TRADE COMPANY IN 1750

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2006

FLORIAN SCHUI
FLORIAN SCHUI
Affiliation:
St Edmund's College, Cambridge
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Abstract

In 1750 Frederick II of Prussia created a new trade company in Emden. Diplomats, merchants, and other observers in Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Hamburg reacted with great concern to this Prussian bid to join the world of overseas commerce. These concerns were not unfounded. Frederick pursued his goal with great determination. The article explains why Prussia embarked on this ultimately unsuccessful venture and why established commercial powers such as Britain or the Netherlands felt threatened by the new competitor. In this context the article explores an international debate about political economy that was associated with the creation of the Prussian trade company. This debate took place in Britain, the Netherlands, Hamburg, and Prussia. The case of the Prussian Asiatic trade company suggests that the concepts of Oceanic and Atlantic history need to be extended beyond the narrow stretch of coastal regions. In the Prussian case the drive to join the world of overseas commerce originated from the inland and from a country that had traditionally been oriented towards overland commerce and European expansion. The study of the events and debates associated with the creation of the trade company also suggests a partially new perspective on Prussia's economic policies in the period.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Historical Journal , Volume 49 , Issue 1 , March 2006 , pp. 143 - 160
Copyright
© 2006 Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

A first version of this article was presented at the World History Workshop of the History Faculty, University of Cambridge, on 2 May 2004. I would like to thank the participants of the workshop, Chris Clark, William O'Reilly and two anonymous referees for valuable comments.