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History of the world economy - Polyak GB

III. NEW TIME (XVIII - XIX VV.)

19. Economic development of leading countries in the XVIII century.

19.1. General characteristics of the era

In the XVIII century. In Western Europe, feudal relations continued to dominate, or their rather significant vestiges. But the completion of the transition to capitalist economy was close and obvious. The main events of this epoch in the social and economic sphere were: the emergence and formation of bourgeois economic relations, the domination of competition in the rapid growth of industry, the industrial revolution in England, the growth of the economic and political significance of the bourgeoisie, the strengthening of the anti-feudal movement, the subordination of the village to the city, Between people monetary relations, the dissemination of educational ideas of social equality and personal freedom.

XVIII century. Became the century of reason and enlightenment. It was during this period that medieval religious ideas and established traditions were questioned. The desire for knowledge began to be based on reason, and not on faith. Free thought is the main means of socio-economic and socio-political progress at this time.

The ideas of social equality and personal freedom were mastered first of all by the third estate. It was the bourgeoisie, which did not enjoy any important hereditary social privileges (unlike the nobility and the clergy), acted not only against the privileges themselves, but also against the state system supporting them. The ideas of the Enlightenment enshrined in the character of people the qualities necessary for a business person, such as enterprise, ingenuity, practicality.

Economically, Western Europe in the XVIII century. Was an example of a relatively rapid pace of industrial development. Already at the beginning of the century the European manufactory entered the final stage of its development and began to prevail over craft in a number of countries (England, Holland, certain branches of production in France). In most other European countries (France, Germany), the development of the manufactory was restrained by the survivals of feudalism, guild privileges, the narrowness of the domestic market,

The highest maturity reached British manufacture. And by the middle of the XVIII century. In England, the necessary socio-economic and political conditions for an industrial revolution. The main content of this process was the transition from factory to factory. From small-scale production, based on manual labor, to large-scale machine industry, first in light industry.

The radical revolution affected technology, technology and production organization. The system of machines with a common motor ensured the continuity of the labor process. Cheaper and high-quality factory products replaced products of handicrafts, handicrafts and manufactories. There was a final separation of industry from agriculture. There were large cities and capitalist industrial centers. It finalizes the class of the bourgeoisie - the factory owners and hired workers - the industrial proletariat. XVIII century. Was a century of trade with the predominance of foreign economic ties until the last third of the century. Sometimes the growth rate of foreign trade was higher than the growth of industrial production. The predominant idea of mercantilism remained, the protection of the trade surplus. At the same time, the capital of the top bourgeoisie was often concentrated not in the industrial sphere, but in trade, shipbuilding, banking. Great was also his share in the non-production spheres - buying out taxes, borrowing from the state, buying government jobs, etc. At the same time, the policy of mercantilism was closely linked with the policy of active protectionism - supporting the expansion of commercial capital and encouraging domestic industry.

And yet Europe XVIII century. To a large extent - agrarian. Agricultural production determined the necessary conditions for the existence and functioning of society. In this sphere the overwhelming majority of the population was employed: from 75% in England to 80-85% in France. Different forms of land ownership created regional features. Gradually, in European countries, the agrarian sector underwent changes in the form and structure of the lease. Small peasant rent was replaced by a large commercial one. More and more in rent relations the hired labor was involved. In direct dependence on this was the socio-economic differentiation of the peasantry. On the one hand, a "reserve army of labor" was created, on the other hand, bourgeois elements grew in the person of the prosperous peasantry. A coup in the field of agricultural production in Europe in the XVIII century. Was reduced to the transition to intensive farming, the replacement of two- and three-field crop rotation with a multi-field and multi-plow crop. Agricultural machinery came to the aid of manual labor.