Nick Crafts, Alan Taylor and I are editing a series of articles on the economics of World War I, which will be appearing at Vox over the course of the next few months. Today’s column is by Mark Harrison.
Might I humbly suggest publication of non-edited-for-length versions, if they exist.
Prof Harrison has done a very good job in bringing many strands together in an interesting piece.
KOR- what’s the consensus view (if there is one) nowadays on the reasons WW1 began ? Is it closer to Christopher Clarks Sleepwalkers claim which seems to be that elites choices were conditioned by the international system and so blame is difficult to assign, or is it still closer to the view that Germany was the primary culprit ?
from The Independent’s [UK] 100 Moments
A History of the First World War in 100 Moments: The munitions workers who made the British government tremble
It was a struggle within a struggle, in which industrial unrest was brought to heel only by the direst threats. Chris Blackhurst on a forgotten strike
‘The Catholic Church, allied to the interest of business and the professions, shaped a political culture hostile to socialism and hostile to any interference with private property and wealth accumulation. That dogma or hegemony has been reinforced by membership of the European Union and by a global neoliberal agenda.
This can be defeated only by a counter-hegemony, by persuading people of the insidiousness of the prevailing ideology that privileges hugely a wealthy elite and privileges the upper middle class strata, enforcing exclusion and powerlessness on the rest. Labour is not interested in that exacting endeavour. ‘
A. N. Other Browne
David, you will hear no mention of this in polite circles – but Issa bin Joseph was a genuine Socialist. They craftily airbrushed out about two decades of his CV – spent in Afghanistan and such parts. Little mention of his working class mates – and his somewhat unusual domestic arrangements. Of course, his Jewish ancestry was also a problem. Took some deft political shuffling, but appears to have been successful. And we snicker at the Romans who elevated their emperors to the status of gods!
The Irish Labour Party? Died in 1922, but you know what they say about zombies.
@Brian Woods Snr.
I’m very rarely welcome in ‘polite circles’ these days; prop due to that chronic dose of independent minded heterodoxy that I picked up after me roaring 20s … hence, appreciate the updates on such circles!
8 replies on “The Economics of World War I”
Might I humbly suggest publication of non-edited-for-length versions, if they exist.
Prof Harrison has done a very good job in bringing many strands together in an interesting piece.
KOR- what’s the consensus view (if there is one) nowadays on the reasons WW1 began ? Is it closer to Christopher Clarks Sleepwalkers claim which seems to be that elites choices were conditioned by the international system and so blame is difficult to assign, or is it still closer to the view that Germany was the primary culprit ?
from The Independent’s [UK] 100 Moments
A History of the First World War in 100 Moments: The munitions workers who made the British government tremble
It was a struggle within a struggle, in which industrial unrest was brought to heel only by the direst threats. Chris Blackhurst on a forgotten strike
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/world-history/history-of-the-first-world-war-in-100-moments/a-history-of-the-first-world-war-in-100-moments-the-munitions-workers-who-made-the-british-government-tremble-9487877.html
100+ yrs on
@The Irish Labour Party
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/in-what-direction-should-the-new-leader-take-the-labour-party-1.1819115
@James Connolly
Rest in peace.
‘The Catholic Church, allied to the interest of business and the professions, shaped a political culture hostile to socialism and hostile to any interference with private property and wealth accumulation. That dogma or hegemony has been reinforced by membership of the European Union and by a global neoliberal agenda.
This can be defeated only by a counter-hegemony, by persuading people of the insidiousness of the prevailing ideology that privileges hugely a wealthy elite and privileges the upper middle class strata, enforcing exclusion and powerlessness on the rest. Labour is not interested in that exacting endeavour. ‘
A. N. Other Browne
David, you will hear no mention of this in polite circles – but Issa bin Joseph was a genuine Socialist. They craftily airbrushed out about two decades of his CV – spent in Afghanistan and such parts. Little mention of his working class mates – and his somewhat unusual domestic arrangements. Of course, his Jewish ancestry was also a problem. Took some deft political shuffling, but appears to have been successful. And we snicker at the Romans who elevated their emperors to the status of gods!
The Irish Labour Party? Died in 1922, but you know what they say about zombies.
@Brian Woods Snr.
I’m very rarely welcome in ‘polite circles’ these days; prop due to that chronic dose of independent minded heterodoxy that I picked up after me roaring 20s … hence, appreciate the updates on such circles!