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The Napoleonic Wars: A Watershed in Spanish History?

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  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro
  • Santiago Caballero, Carlos

Abstract

The Napoleonic Wars had dramatic consequences for Spain's economy. The Peninsular War had higher demographic impact than any other military conflict, including civil wars, in the modern era. Farmers suffered confiscation of their crops and destruction of their main capital asset, livestock. The shrinking demand, the disruption of international and domestic trade, and the shortage of inputs hampered industry and services. The loss of the American colonies, a by-product of the French invasion, seriously harmed absolutism. In the long run, however, the Napoleonic Wars triggered the dismantling of Ancien Régime institutions and interest groups. Freed from their constraints, the country started a long and painful transition towards the liberal society. The Napoleonic Wars may be deemed, then, a watershed in Spanish history.

Suggested Citation

  • Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Santiago Caballero, Carlos, 2018. "The Napoleonic Wars: A Watershed in Spanish History?," IFCS - Working Papers in Economic History.WH 26737, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto Figuerola.
    • Handle: RePEc:cte:whrepe:26737
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Regina Grafe & Alejandra Irigoin, 2012. "A stakeholder empire: the political economy of Spanish imperial rule in America," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 65(2), pages 609-651, May.
    2. Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2013. "The Rain in Spain? Climate versus urban demand as causes of agricultural stagnation in eighteenth-century Spain," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 17(4), pages 452-470, November.
    3. Nuno Palma, 2016. "Sailing away from Malthus: intercontinental trade and European economic growth, 1500–1800," Cliometrica, Journal of Historical Economics and Econometric History, Association Française de Cliométrie (AFC), vol. 10(2), pages 129-149, may.
    4. Barbier, Jacques A. & Klein, Herbert S., 1985. "Las prioridades de un monarca ilustrado: el gasto público bajo el reinado de Carlos III," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 473-495, December.
    5. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro, 1994. "Terms of trade and backwardeness: testing the prebisch for spain and britain during the industrialization," UC3M Working papers. Economics 2978, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    6. Simpson, James, 1989. "La produccion agraria y el consumo español en el siglo XIX," Revista de Historia Económica / Journal of Iberian and Latin American Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(2), pages 355-388, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Prados de la Escosura, Leandro & Rodriguez-Caballero, Carlos Vladimir, 2020. "Growth, War, and Pandemics: Europe in the Very Long-run," CEPR Discussion Papers 14816, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
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    3. repec:cte:whrepe:30248 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Leandro Prados de la Escosura & Blanca Sánchez-Alonso, 2019. "Economic Development in Spain, 1815-2017," Working Papers 0163, European Historical Economics Society (EHES).
    5. Carlos Santiago-Caballero, 2021. "Domestic migrations in Spain during its first industrialisation, 1840s–1870s," Cliometrica, Springer;Cliometric Society (Association Francaise de Cliométrie), vol. 15(3), pages 535-563, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Napoleonic Wars;

    JEL classification:

    • F54 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - Colonialism; Imperialism; Postcolonialism
    • E02 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General - - - Institutions and the Macroeconomy
    • N13 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: Pre-1913
    • N43 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, International Relations, and Regulation - - - Europe: Pre-1913

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