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The Napoleonic Wars: A Watershed in Spanish History

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  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro
  • Santiago-Caballero, Carlos

Abstract

The Napoleonic Wars had dramatic consequences for Spain’s economy. The Peninsular War had higher demographic impact than any other military conflict, including civil wars, in the modern era. Farmers suffered confiscation of their crops and destruction of their main capital asset, livestock. The shrinking demand, the disruption of international and domestic trade, and the shortage of inputs hampered industry and services. The loss of the American colonies, a by-product of the French invasion, seriously harmed absolutism. In the long run, however, the Napoleonic Wars triggered the dismantling of Ancien Régime institutions and interest groups. Freed from their constraints, the country started a long and painful transition towards the liberal society. The Napoleonic Wars may be deemed, then, as a watershed in Spanish history.

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  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Santiago-Caballero, Carlos, 2020. "The Napoleonic Wars: A Watershed in Spanish History," CEPR Discussion Papers 15616, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:15616
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Regina Grafe & Alejandra Irigoin, 2012. "A stakeholder empire: the political economy of Spanish imperial rule in America," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 65(2), pages 609-651, May.
    2. Barbier, Jacques A. & Klein, Herbert S., 1985. "Las prioridades de un monarca ilustrado: el gasto público bajo el reinado de Carlos III," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 473-495, December.
    3. Rosés, Joan R., 1998. "Measuring the contribution of human capital to the development of the Catalan factory system (1830–61)," European Review of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 2(1), pages 25-48, April.
    4. Tedde, Pedro, 1994. "Cambio institucional y cambio económico en la España del siglo XIX," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(3), pages 525-538, December.
    5. Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Carlos Álvarez-Nogal & Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2020. "Growth Recurring in Preindustrial Spain: Half a Millennium Perspective," Working Papers 0177, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    6. Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2013. "The Rain in Spain? Climate versus urban demand as causes of agricultural stagnation in eighteenth-century Spain," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 17(4), pages 452-470, November.
    7. Simpson, James, 1989. "La produccion agraria y el consumo español en el siglo XIX," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 355-388, September.
    8. repec:cte:whrepe:29872 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Nuno Palma, 2016. "Sailing away from Malthus: intercontinental trade and European economic growth, 1500–1800," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 10(2), pages 129-149, may.
    10. Santiago-Caballero, Carlos, 2012. "Provincial grain yields in Spain, 1750-2009," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH wp12-04, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. The Economic Consequences of the Napoleonic Wars
      by guidoalfani in NEP-HIS blog on 2018-05-29 02:35:41

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Blanca Sánchez-Alonso, 2019. "Economic Development in Spain, 1815-2017," Working Papers 0163, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    2. Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2021. "Domestic migrations in Spain during its first industrialisation, 1840s–1870s," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 15(3), pages 535-563, September.
    3. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rodriguez-Caballero, Carlos Vladimir, 2020. "Growth, War, and Pandemics: Europe in the Very Long-run," CEPR Discussion Papers 14816, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    4. Santiago-Caballero, Carlos, 2021. "The gender gap in the biological living standard in Spain. A study based on the heights of an elite migration to Mexico, 1840-1930," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    5. repec:cte:whrepe:27620 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. repec:cte:whrepe:30248 is not listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Napoleonic wars; Peninsular war; Spain; Institutional change; Growth;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • F54 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Colonialism; Imperialism; Postcolonialism
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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