Rascoala: the Last Peasant's Revolt
In early 1907 the peasants of Romania rose up against feudal laws, wealthy landowners and the agents who kept them living in penury and servitude. Markus Bauer discusses the legacy of an 'unbelievable bloodbath'.
Economic History
Rome: The Lure of the Orient
At the height of the Roman Empire, hundreds of merchant ships left Egypt every year to voyage through the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean, exchanging the produce of the Mediterranean for exotic eastern commodities. Raoul McLaughlin traces their pioneering journeys.
India: An Inspector Calls
Rosie Llewellyn-Jones recalls the Victorian economist who helped resolve the financial crisis in India after the Mutiny of 1857.
The Enlightened Economy: An Economic History of Britain 1700-1850
Deirdre N. McCloskey reviews a book by Joel Mokyr.
The House of Lords Rejects the 1909 People’s Budget
The budget proposed by the Liberal government was 'a social and political revolution of the first magnitude'. After passing the Commons, it was voted down by the House of Lords on 30 November 1909.
Bursting Bubbles: Economic Crises in History
In the wake of the credit crunch, Dan Jones looks at past episodes of runaway greed and the moral lessons learnt.
The Hanseatic League: Europe’s First Common Market?
In the 13th century a remarkable trading block was formed in northern Europe. The Hanseatic League prospered for 300 years before the rise of the nation-state led to its dissolution.
The St Valentine’s Day Massacre in Chicago
An infamous mafia massacre occurred on 14 February 1929.
France 1709: Le Crunch
Already rocked by defeats in the War of the Spanish Succession, Louis XIV’s France faced economic meltdown as the chaotic nature of its finances became apparent. Guy Rowlands discovers striking parallels with the current credit crunch as he charts the crisis that was to lead, ultimately, to the French Revolution.
The Spartacist Uprising in Berlin
A power struggle in postwar Germany erupted on January 5th, 1919.