Sailing in uncharted waters: Four Dutch steamship companies during the First World War, 1914–1918
In: International Journal of Maritime History. Maritime Studies Research Unit: St. John's. ISSN 0843-8714; e-ISSN 2052-7756, more
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business accounts, company strategy, First World War, fleet expansion, merchant marine, Netherlands, profits |
| Abstract |
During the First World War, steamship companies based in neutral Holland were confronted by a number of very costly, war-related challenges. The conflict also brought unexpected windfalls: neutrality put these shipping firms in a unique position to profit from the worldwide disruption to global trade. In this article, I reconstruct thewartime balance sheets of four Dutch steamship companies, and relate my findings to an analysis of their wartime policies. My main conclusion is that these companies shared a remarkably similar fear of the post-War future which guided their wartime financial policies. By saving, expanding their fleet and improving their facilities, they desperatelytried to guard themselves against the prospect of renewed foreign competition after the War. |
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