Routledge Economic History of a Divided Europe: Four Diverse Regions in an Integrating Continent (Routledge Studies in the European Economy)

This book presents the sharp regional diff erences within the integrating European continent. Four regions – Northwestern Europe, Southern Europe, Central Europe, and Eastern-Southeastern Europe – represent high, medium, and relatively less-developed levels of economic advancement. These disparities have emerged as a result of historical diff erences that produced and reinforced cultural and behavioral diff erences. The author examines the distinctions between the regions, looks at how these differences transpired and became so retrenched, and answers the question of why some countries were able to elevate to higher levels of economic development while others could not. This book is unique in that it provides a timely historical analysis of the main causes of the most pressing conflicts in Europe today. Readers will come away from this book with a deeper understanding of the sharp divergence in economic standing between the four different regions of Europe, as well as knowledge about how institutional corruption and other cultural features exacerbated these variations. The book also offers a better understanding of major European Union confl icts between member countries and between member and nonmember countries, as well as the rise of autocratic regimes in certain countries. The book begins with a short history of European integration throughout European civilization and then goes on to discuss the modern reality of integration and attempts to homogenize the Continent that divided into four different macro-regions. It will primarily appeal to scholars, researchers and students studying Europe from various fi elds, including economics, business, history, political science, and sociology, as well as a general readership interested in Europe’s past, present, and future. Review "This is a book to read for anyone who wants to understand the reason of regional differences, their historical reasons, and recent social-political consequences of the conflicts within Europe and including the crisis of the European Union." ― László Valki, Professor of International Law, Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest "This comparative study is the successful and stimulating culmination of Professor Berend’s prolonged work on and contribution to our understanding of the forces that explain Europe’s recent past and economic experience. It will feed into and stimulate the vital debate about the idea and experience of ‘Europe.’" ― Barry Supple, Emeritus Professor of Economic History, University of Cambridge. About the Author Ivan T. Berend is a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; the British Academy; the Academy of Europe; and the Austrian, Hungarian, Bulgarian, and Czech Academies of Sciences. He was president of the International Historical Association between 1995 and 2000 and is author of 35 books.