Dirty Secret of Early Modern Capitalism
Subtitle: The Global Reach of the Dutch Arms Trade, Warfare and Mercenaries
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Published: 2020
Language: eng
Number of pages: 160
ISBN-13: 9781138692886
Subjects: Capitalism; Netherlands, history
Description: "This book shows how the Dutch accumulation of great wealth was closely linked to their involvement in warfare. By charting Dutch activity across the globe, it explores Dutch participation in the international arms trade, and in wars both at home and abroad. In doing so, it ponders the issue of how capitalism has often historically thrived best when its practitioners are ruthless and ignore the human cost of their search for riches. This complicates the traditional Marxist understanding of capitalists as middle-class exploiters in arguing for a much greater agency among lower-class Dutch soldiers and sailors in their efforts to benefit from skills that were in high demand"--