Chapter I: Preface

The year 1914 marks one of the great turning points in history. I have accordingly revised the part of this book covering the recent period to close the narrative at that date, and have added another part, covering the history of commerce in the war and in the two or three years of peace immediately following. The commerce of the great nations of the world has departed since 1914 far from its accustomed paths and forms. In my attempt to make intelligible the commercial changes of the time I have had to take account of matters in public finance, currency and foreign exchange which are usually treated apart from the history of international trade. I have thought it better, by touching on these outside subjects, to show the reasons for the course which commerce has followed, rather than to omit the reasons because they are hard for the student of the history of commerce to understand.

CLIVE DAY

CONTENTS

PART I

ANCIENT COMMERCE

CHAPTER PAGE

I. GENERAL CONDITIONS 1

II. ORIENTAL PERIOD 9

III. GREEK PERIOD 17

IV. ROMAN PERIOD 26

PART II

MEDIEVAL COMMERCE

V. CONDITIONS ABOUT THE YEAR 1000 31

VI. TOWN TRADE 41

VII. LAND TRADE 54

VIII. FAIRS 63

IX. SEA TRADE 70

X. THE LEVANT TRADE 79

XI. COMMERCE OF SOUTHERN EUROPE 90

XII. COMMERCE OF NORTHERN EUROPE 102

XIII. DEVELOPMENT OF THE MEDIEVAL ORGANIZATION OF
COMMERCE 113

XIV. COMMERCE AND POLITICS IN THE LATER MIDDLE AGES 123

PART III

MODERN COMMERCE

XV. EXPLORATION AND DISCOVERY 128

XVI. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION 139

XVII. CREDIT AND CRISES 150

XVIII. THE MODERN STATE AND THE MERCANTILE SYSTEM 161

XIX. SPAIN AND PORTUGAL 174

XX. THE NETHERLANDS 190

XXI. ENGLAND: SURVEY OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 199

XXII. ENGLAND: EXPORTS 209

XXIII. ENGLAND: IMPORTS; SHIPPING; POLICY 219

XXIV. FRANCE: SURVEY OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 229

XXV. FRANCE: POLICY 242

XXVI. THE GERMAN STATES 250

XXVII. ITALY AND MINOR STATES 263