This paper deals with agricultural dynamics in late-Imperial Russia. Based upon a comprehensive micro-level data set on annual yields between 1883 and 1913, we provide insight into regional differences of agricultural growth and the development prospects of Russian agriculture before WWI. Making...

This paper explores the pattern of agricultural productivity across 19th century Prussia to gain new insights on the causes of the 'Little Divergence' between European regions. We argue that access to urban demand was the dominant factor explaining the gradient of agricultural productivity as...

Southeast Europe's countries are often denominated as the 'first developing nations'. Since the end of the 19th century the question of industrialization dominated public economic debates in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and later on Yugoslavia. However, despite all soaring rhetoric no sustained...

Still in recent research a low productive peasant economy and traditional peasant society are often made responsible for Southeast Europe's economic backwardness prior to 1945. However, the radical change of paradigm after 1960 in the view of peasants as agents of economic growth and of their...

The characteristics of regional paths of industrialization had a deep impact on agricultural development during early industrialization in Germany. From 1840 rising incomes in the course of a "high wage-low energy cost" industrialization based on coal and steel and a rapid urbanization triggered...

The classical view of Bulgaria's failed industrialization prior to the Second World War was established by Alexander Gerschenkron. According to his interpretation, an inherently backward small peasant agriculture and well-organized peasantry not only retarded growth in agriculture but obstructed...