Fighting the forces of gravity - Seapower and maritime trade between the 18th and 20th centuries

Ahmed Rahman

Explorations in Economic History, 2010, vol. 47, issue 1, 28-48

Abstract: How have large naval powers affected international commerce in history? Using a panel gravity model, we investigate the interactions of wars, alliances, naval power and trade from the 18th to mid-20th centuries. Striking an alliance with a naval power helps a country's interstate commerce. Fighting a naval power on the other hand limits a country's interstate commerce. Further, we split this effect on trade between an extensive effect (effect on a country's trade when fighting a naval power) and an intensive effect (effect of that power gaining more naval strength). We conclude that the intensive effect is a powerful one - large navies have historically been destroyers of trade when mobilized to combat.

Keywords: D74; F02; F10; F51; N40; N70; Trade; War; Naval; history (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:exehis:v:47:y:2010:i:1:p:28-48

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