Biographies of Frederick the Great generally emphasise the military and diplomatic events of his reign and neglect to discuss fully the significance of his economic policy.
In this series of essays Dr. Henderson deals with various aspects of the Prussian economy in Frederick the Great’s reign. He describes Frederick’s commercial policy, the reconstruction of Prussia after the Seven Years War and the state of the Prussian economy in 1780’s, showing that "alone among his contemporaries Frederick left his country with a far more flourishing economy than it had been when he ascended the throne". The role of the private entrepreneur in Prussia at this time is illustrated by surveys of the careers of the merchants Splitgerber and Gotzkowsky who promoted the expansion of Prussia’s armament, silk and porcelain industries. This book was first published in 1963.
Introduction… ix
{ensp}1. The Rise of the Metal and Armament Industries in Berlin and Brandenburg… 1
{ensp}2. The Rise of the Berlin Silk and Porcelain Industries… 17
{ensp}3. The Recovery of Prussia after the Seven Years War… 38
(i) Economic Consequences of the War… 38
(ii) The Berlin Commercial Crisis of 1763… 45
(iii) Administrative Reforms… 59
(iv) Financial Reforms… 65
(v) Reconstruction of the Devastated Provinces… 75
{ensp}4. Commercial Policy of Frederick the Great… 85
(i) Poland and Danzig… 85
(ii) Austria… 104
(iii) Saxony… 114
{ensp}5. The Prussian Economy in the 1780’s 123
(i) Population… 125
(ii) Agriculture… 128
(iii) Industry… 136
(iv) Commerce… 152
(v) Conclusion… 159
Maps… 167
{ensp}1. Prussia in the Reign of Frederick the Great… 168
{ensp}2. Prussia’s central provinces in 1786… 169
{ensp}3. Prussia’s Baltic provinces in 1786… 170
{ensp}4. Silesia … 171
{ensp}5. Western Provinces of Prussia in 1786… 172
{ensp}6. The County of Mark… 173
{ensp}7. Oder Land Reclamation Scheme… 174
{ensp}8. Oder, Warthe and Netze Reclamation Schemes… 175
{ensp}9. State Ironworks in the Malapane Region in the reign of Frederick the Great… 176
10. The Linen Industry of the Riesengebirge in the 18th Century… 177
11. Towns in the Central Part (Mittelmark) of Brandenburg where Woollen Cloth was produced in Frederick the Great’s Reign… 178
12. Danzig after the first Partition of Poland… 79
13. Textile Industries of the Electorate of Saxony in the 18th Century… 180
14. Centres of the Metal Industries in the Western Erzgebirge (Electorate of Saxony) in the 18th Century … 181
15. Poland before the first Partition in 1772… 182
Select Bibliography… 183
Index… 197
Biography
Henderson, W.O.
