History of the European Economy - Essay Example

Midterm The abolition of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD and the subsequent emergence of the Barbarian kingdoms had no serious effects on the economic activities in Europe. Crouzet notes that 950 was the year when the traditional economy in Europe was created. There were common features of European economy in nearly every part of Europe as all the regions shared similar cultures and economic institutions. Several factors were necessary in the establishment of traditional economy in Europe. These include the expulsion of the Saracens from their military base in the province in 972 and the conquering of Sicily by Christians in 1072. Muslim piracy was also reduced, and economic activities revived along the western Mediterranean coast of the Christians (Crouzet 9-12). In addition, the western and central Europe was free from invasions by the nomads from central Asia that were dangerous to the survival of Europe's economy. Between the years 1236-1242, the Mongols raid of Europe brought destructions to economies in Poland, Hungary, Bohemia, Silesia and most parts of the Balkans. In 1242, the Mongols extended eastwards and conquered China (Crouzet 9-12). The other factor that affected the European economy was the rise of feudalism, which was subsequently followed by feudal anarchy. There were frequent wars among the rivalry feudal leaders in Europe, which caused the destruction of European economy. Between the years 950-970, many fortifications were constructed to enhance the security of kingdoms under feudal leaders. Within the same years, the church contributed a lot to the safety of Europe through their peace movements (Crouzet 9-12). Another factor that was crucial to the development of European economy was the rapid growth of the population since the thirteen century. This was caused by improvements in technology and increased agricultural productivity. The population growth acted as a crucial factor in spurring the commercial and urban revolutions in the 18th centuries. The population increase had considerable influence in Northern Europe. The population growth caused changes in the prices of commodities, which lead to the development of institutions for innovations (Crouzet 9-102). #2 The population of Europe increased tremendously between the years 1000-2000 because the rate fertility was higher than that of mortality. This resulted net population growth, in Europe. Population increased constantly and would only reduce drastically incase of catastrophes such as disease epidemics. The invasions on Europe had also ceased, and security prevailed in most regions of Europe. Also, between the 8th and 14th centuries, European epidemics had decreased and a warm climate prevailed in Europe, particularly the Alps region. The favorable climate improved agriculture activities, which led to better nutrition and improved standards of living (Crouzet 9-12). In the Carolingian times, the western Christendom developed values and a model of its population. In the whole of Europe, polygamy, the use of contraceptives, abortion, desertion of children and infanticide were abolished. The church supported monogamous marriage and enforced strict rules on polygamous marriage. The nuclear family in most nations grew stronger and became dominant with the exception of the Slavic people. The system of monogamous family encouraged acceptance of children and procreation. This system also regulated procreation before marriage. The effects were increased fertility rates and reduced death rates. However, the rate of infanticides and Juvenile mortality remained high though out Europe (Crouzet 9-12). The historical records show that the population in Europe increased from 1.1-1.2 million between years 1066-1086, 3.4-4.5 million people in 1340. However, France, Europe had a population of 15 million people in 950. In 1300, the population in Europe doubled. The population continued to increased but never exploded like that in third world countries in the late 20th century. The population in Europe was mobile and most people migrated to towns. This stimulated internal trade in Europe and the rise of market economy. The increased populations in Europe provided opportunities for innovation as many people came up with new ideas. The increase in population and urbanization brought problems of pauperism and loss of land by many peasant families in Europe. Most of the wealth was concentrated on few individuals, and this made people live in abject poverty (Malanima 266). #3 The agricultural techniques in Europe between 10-12th century were intended for the production of corn. The tools used to be multipurpose and were used for growing industrial crops and subsistence crops. The agricultural tools were made from wood since iron could not be easily found, not until the tenth century.  The swing plough was a plough pulled along the ground, turning the soil. The swing plough used to be a heavy implement and required several oxen to be drawn (Vauchez et. al 25-30). The swing plough was modified in the 13th century, and it became light as the many wheels were removed. The use of the implements in agriculture depended on the magnitude of agriculture activities carried out by various agrarian societies. In carrying out agriculture on a large scale, the plough was used because it used to be much faster than the spade. The hoe and the spades were commonly used by the peasant farmers. The peasant farmers also used sickle to harvest oats and rye (Vauchez et. al 25-30). In the final medieval centuries, oxen were replaced by the horses as a source of power to pull ploughs. The yoke was used to harness animal power. The improvement to horse power increased the depth of soil, which facilitated the growing of wheat. Agriculture in the medieval times had to provide its population with various products such as beer, bread meat, fish, vegetables and fruits. The increase in population in mediaeval times necessitated a change of agriculture techniques from those previously used. As a result, the ploughs were invented to work on hard soils, oxen drew ploughs, and horses supplemented oxen power. There was also the development of spring cultivation. This had an impact of influence agricultural activities during the medieval periods (Vauchez et. al 25-30). #4 The civilizations of Asia and Middle East used common methods of Agriculture production. The two civilizations practiced agriculture through the use of elaborate irrigation systems along river valleys. The river valleys provided fertile alluvial soils for practicing agriculture. In the civilization of Mesopotamia in Asia, agriculture was practiced using irrigation along River Indus and the Yellow River. In Egypt, in the Middle East, Agriculture was practiced along River Nile. The two civilizations depended entirely on irrigation to grow crops. The organization of agriculture in these two civilizations was based on cooperation from the larger society. In contrast, agriculture in Europe was practiced on large tracks of land. Agricultural practices depended on rainfall as well as irrigation. In Europe, the land was subdivided to facilitate various activities such as the establishment of orchards, vineyards, crop fields and fish ponds (Krejci and Anna 8-9). In the Mediterranean region, agriculture is challenged by inadequate rainfall while the temperatures are good for agriculture. The torrential rainfall received in Middle East cause severe soil erosion, desiccation and formation of hard soil layers, which threaten agricultural activities. In Europe, rainfall is usually adequate and is not a problem. Agriculture in Europe is only hindered by low temperatures. The two scenarios about the two civilizations cause a difference in the agricultural techniques used. For example, in Middle East, Lithic mulching is common to conserve moisture. In temperate Europe, mould board plough was developed to allow the cultivation of heavy wet soils. In conclusion, both civilizations grew similar crops such and vines and corns. The two civilizations were also innovative. They developed various technologies to deal with the various problems they faced (Krejci and Anna 8-9). Works Cited Crouzet, Francois. A History of the European Economy, 1000-2000: Edition illustrated. Virginia: University of Virginia Press, 2001. Print. Krejci, Jaroslav and Anna, Krejcova. Before the European Challenge: The Great Civilizations of Asia and the Middle East. London: SUNY Press, 1990. Print. Malanima, Paolo. Pre-Modern European Economy: One Thousand Years (10th-19th Centuries). New York: BRILL, 2009. Print. Vauchez, Andre, Dobson Richard and Lapidge, Michael. Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages: Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages. London: Routledge, 2000. Print. Read More