Universal Banking in the Twentieth Century: Finance, Industry and the State in North and Central Europe

This volume addresses aspects of banking in 20th-century European market economies. It examines the historical role of banks in using domestic and foreign financial resources, showing how from the 1880s onwards, banks became an integral part of the capital market in continental Europe. The study analyzes the relationship between banks and industry, and the impacts on inflation and the crisis-prone interwar period. Comparative and quantitative methods reveal differences between the countries of North and Central Europe, with particular regard paid to the degree of state intervention in individual economies. The contributors explore networks of interlocking dictatorships and the effectiveness of banking legislation.