A Discussion of the Differences in the Industrialisation of Belgium and the Netherlands from the 17th Century to the end of the 19th Century.

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Image and Heritage of the Low Countries                Nick Phillips

A Discussion of the Differences in the Industrialisation of Belgium and the Netherlands from the 17th Century to the end of the 19th Century

Introduction

The Industrial Revolution, which took place from the 17th century to the 19th century was a turning point in the development of the western world. Perhaps the birthplace of modern-day capitalism, it saw industry being taken out of the workshop and into the factory, with machines replacing manual craft work. The first country to industrialise was Great Britain in the 18th Century but the revolution spread to the rest of Europe in the early 19th century, with Belgium becoming the second.

The Netherlands Before the Industrial Revolution

By the end of the 1700’s the Dutch “Golden Age” of industrial and cultural dominance had long since ended. The Dutch nation was no longer able to compete internationally as a major trading and shipping country due to it’s low level of industrialisation, limited physical size and lack of resources. It didn’t help that it’s closest competitors were the more sizeable and resource-laden nations of England and France, who began to dominate. It’s other industries, such as the woollen industry based around Leyden and the silk industry were declining too, being much more popular at home than abroad. The most significant Dutch business was in the buying and selling of raw materials as opposed to manufacturing, although this suffered later on as nearly every European country began, (in an effort to develop their own industries), to impose high import and export taxes on good entering and leaving, making this trade un-economical. Despite attempts at encouraging autarky (the nationalistic reliance on a nation’s own resources and industry), the Dutch failed to stimulate an interest. This was partly due to Dutch manufacturer’s reluctance to adopt new technologies and methods of production from abroad, meaning their goods were usually significantly less advanced and more expensive than their foreign rival’s (and a large business in smuggling made them even more attractive). Perhaps the most successful Dutch sector was financial, Amsterdam held a lot of foreign money and became the “bank of Europe” for a while, with foreign governments and business’s eager to invest their money there.

Belgium Before the Industrial Revolution

The Belgian nation (at the time known as the Southern Netherlands) had been devastated by conflict throughout much of it’s history. Perhaps the most devastating to occur was the Spanish occupation for over 200 years from 1585 until 1794. Protestants were relentlessly persecuted in the name of Catholicism causing an exodus of skilled workers, Spanish mercenaries wrecked the land, and crippling taxes ruined the once-successful economies of the Brabant, Flanders and Walloon provinces. The nation’s most prosperous city, Antwerp, had it’s trade links ruined by the Dutch who blocked the mouth of the River Scheldt, it’s main gateway to the North Sea.

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However, things improved following the departure of the Spanish and the arrival of the conquering French. A new canal was built running from Mons to Conde which enabled coal to be transported to France, and a new set of docks were constructed in Antwerp. Investment in Flanders by the French was facilitated, partly in response to the good relations shown by the Flemish middle-class who spoke French.

The differences between the two nations as they entered the age of the industrial revolution were significant, and mostly resulting from the wars occurring between 1568 and 1714 (although the land in ...

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