The Economic Policy That Made the Peace Of Westphalia

The article, "The Economic Policy That Made the Peace of Westphalia", discusses the economic and political policies of Cardinal Jules Mazarin and Jean-Baptiste Colbert in 17th-century France. The piece argues that their approach to economic development, centred on the principle of "the Advantage of the other", was crucial to ending the Thirty Years' War and establishing the era of sovereign nation-states. This principle, the article asserts, was based on the idea that each nation should strive for the mutual benefit of all, and that by promoting economic growth and infrastructure development, conflict could be minimized. The article specifically examines Colbert's reforms, including his establishment of protectionist measures for French manufacturing, his investment in infrastructure projects, and his creation of the Royal Academy of Sciences. The piece also provides a detailed account of Pierre-Paul Riquet's construction of the Languedoc Canal, which serves as an exemplar of Colbert's vision for economic development and the power of "the Advantage of the other" principle.

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