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Of Firms and Captives: Railway Infrastructures and the Economics of Forced Labour (Spain, 1937 – 1957)

Author

Listed:
  • Fernando Mendiola

    (Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, Iruñea – Pamplona, Spain)

Abstract

This article deals with the main economic keys that explain the evolution in the deployment of prisoners and prisoners of war on extending and reconstructing the railways. The first part presents a list of the works carried out during the Spanish civil war and the Francoist dictatorship. Subsequently, an analysis is made of the three main variables of work according to institutional change and the business structure of the Spanish railway. Thanks to this variety of situation, we can better understand to which extent labour supply and productivity levels are on the basis of the evolution of enterprises strategies towards this kind of labour in different situations, such as war economy, after-war reconstruction, and dictatorship, until 1957.

Suggested Citation

  • Fernando Mendiola, 2014. "Of Firms and Captives: Railway Infrastructures and the Economics of Forced Labour (Spain, 1937 – 1957)," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1405, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    • Handle: RePEc:ahe:dtaehe:1405
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fernando Mendiola Gonzalo, 2012. "El impacto de los trabajos forzados en la economía vasconavarra (1937-1945)," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 8(02), pages 104-116.
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    5. Joachim Lund, 2010. "Building Hitler's Europe: Forced Labor in the Danish Construction Business during World War II," Business History Review, Harvard Business School, vol. 84(3), pages 479-499, September.
    6. Fernando Mendiola, 2012. "El trabajo forzado en infraestructuras ferroviarias bajo el franquismo (1938 – 1957): una estimación cuantitativa," Documentos de Trabajo - Lan Gaiak Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra 1204, Departamento de Economía - Universidad Pública de Navarra.
    7. Fenoaltea, Stefano, 1984. "Slavery and Supervision in Comparative Perspective: A Model," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 635-668, September.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • N84 - Economic History - - Micro-Business History - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N44 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: 1913-
    • N34 - Economic History - - Labor and Consumers, Demography, Education, Health, Welfare, Income, Wealth, Religion, and Philanthropy - - - Europe: 1913-
    • L92 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Transportation and Utilities - - - Railroads and Other Surface Transportation

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