Railways and the Formation of the Italian State in the Nineteenth Century

by Albert Schram

Overview

This book relates the history of Italian railways and their relation with the Italian state from the 1840s, when the first lines were constructed, until nationalization in 1905. The effects of railway legislation are assessed, and various socio-economic indicators for the Italian regions are analyzed. It is shown that railways contributed little to the economic unification of Italy, and that any positive effects were felt mostly in the twentieth century. During the nineteenth century and the process of unification, it is argued that railways had a pernicious and divisive influence on Italian political life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521571593
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/30/1997
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Italian History and Culture
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.34(w) x 9.29(h) x 0.79(d)

About the Author

Albert Schram is a Researcher at the School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University.

Table of Contents

List of illustrations; List of tables; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. The history of railways; 2. Railways and the Italian state in the nineteenth century; 3. Railway building in Italy; 4. Railway traffic; 5. Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This very succinct and persuasive account of railway development in the second half of the 19th century validates an older view that the economic impact of the railroads was substantially less than had been predicted." Choice

"This welcome addition to the growing English-language literature on nineteenth-century Italy brings together a great deal of material on the interrelations of the State, the railways, and the economy." Stefano Fenoaltea, Jrnl of Eco Hist

"...this volume is an excellent survey about the transport history of the nineteenth century." Stefano Maggi, American Historical Review

From the Publisher