Europe's Third World: The European Periphery in the Interwar Years (Modern Economic and Social History)

230 Pages·2006·0.71 MB·English

by  Derek H. Aldcroft

Europe’s Third World
Modern Economic and Social History Series
General Editor: Derek H. Aldcroft
Titles in the series include:
Railways in Britain and the United States, 1830–1940
Studies in Economic and Business History
Geoffrey Channon
Exchange Rates and Economic Policy in the 20th Century
Edited by Ross E. Catterall and Derek H. Aldcroft
Trade Unions and the Economy: 1870–2000
Derek H. Aldcroft and Michael J. Oliver
Spain
A Modern European Economy
Joseph Harrison and David Corkill
Britain and the Economic Problem of the Cold War
The Political Economy and the Economic Impact of the British
Defence Effort, 1945–1955
Till Geiger
Industrial Reorganization and Government Policy in Interwar Britain
Julian Greaves
Merchants and Migrations
Germans and Americans in Connection, 1776–1835
Sam A. Mustafa
Industrial Clusters and Regional Business Networks in England,
1750–1970
Edited by John F. Wilson and Andrew Popp
Europe’s Third World
The European Periphery in the Interwar Years
DEREK H. ALDCROFT
University of Leicester
© Derek H. Aldcroft, 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission
of the publisher.
Derek H. Aldcroft has asserted his moral right under the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
Published by
Ashgate Publishing Limited Ashgate Publishing Company
Gower House Suite 420
Croft Road 101 Cherry Street
Aldershot Burlington
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Ashgate website: http://www.ashgate.com
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Aldcroft, Derek Howard
Europe’s Third World: The European Periphery in the Interwar Years –
(Modern Economic and Social History).
1. Europe – History – 20th century. 2. Europe – Economic conditions – 20th
century. 3. Europe – Social conditions – 20th century. I. Title
940’.09724
US Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Aldcroft, Derek Howard,
Europe’s Third World: The European Periphery in the Interwar Years/ Derek
H. Aldcroft.
p. cm. – (Modern Economic and Social History)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Europe – History – 20th century. 2. Europe – Economic conditions – 20th
century. 3. Europe – Social conditions – 20th century. I. Title. II. Series:
Modern Economic and Social History Series.
D421.A425 2006
940’.09724–dc22 2005014115
ISBN 0 7546 0599 X
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
For Steven
with sincere thanks
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Contents
List of Tables viii
General Editor’s Preface x
Acknowledgements xi
Introductory Note 1
1 Characteristics of the European Periphery 3
2 Peripheral Europe Before 1914 17
3 Peripheral Europe in the Interwar Setting 39
4 The Balkan States 68
5 The Baltic States 94
6 Poland and Hungary 106
7 Spain and Portugal 127
8 Greece, Turkey and Albania 144
9 Development Stalled? 171
References 184
Index 202
List of Tables
1.1 Population and Income Levels for Selected Countries 5
1.2 Indices of Agricultural Productivity in Calorie Units
(average 1931–35, Europe = 100) 6
1.3 ‘Surplus’ Agricultural Population Assuming Existing
Production and European Average Per Capita Level
(circa 1930) 7
1.4 Ethnic Composition of Peripheral Countries circa 1930 (%) 10
1.5 Rural/Urban Distribution of Population (circa early 1930s) 12
1.6 Infrastructure Levels Based on Five Components 14
2.1 Real GNP Per Capita for Different Regions (1960 US dollars) 23
2.2 Growth Rates of GDP Per Capita 1870–1910 25
2.3 Per Capita Levels of Industrialisation (UK in 1900 = 100)
(triennial averages, except 1913) 26
2.4 Railway Development circa 1911 27
2.5 Indices of Agricultural Productivity (in millions of direct
calories per male agricultural worker) 1830–1910 29
2.6 Annual Rate of Growth of Productivity in Agriculture
1830–1910 30
3.1 Dates and Levels at which Currencies Stabilised after 1918 45
3.2 Debt Servicing as a Percentage of Export Earnings 1926–32 55
3.3 Exchange Rates in the 1930s 61
4.1 Indices of Area, Yield and Production of Cereals in Romania 87
5.1 Industrial Establishments and Employment in Lithuania
1927/38 103
5.2 Percentage Shares of Britain and Germany in the Imports
of the Baltic States (1920s) 104
5.3 Percentage Shares of Britain and Germany in the Exports
of the Baltic States (1920s) 105
LIST OF TABLES ix
7.1 Annual Rates of Industrial Growth 1913–50 132
8.1 Distribution of Economically Active Population of Greece (%) 145
8.2 Growth Rates in Manufacturing and Extractive Industries in
Greece and Other Balkan Countries 1928–38 153
8.3 Growth Performance of the Turkish Economy by Sector
1923–39 (average annual growth rates) 165
9.1 Per Capita GNP (1960 US dollars) 173
9.2 Alternative Estimates of GDP or Income Per Capita
(% changes) 174
9.3 Steel Consumption Per Capita (in kilograms) 176