Originally published in 1978, this book goes beyond conventional studies of economic history to discuss wider political and social questions pertinent to the development of the German political economy of the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The interaction between economic development and social structure played a unique and extremely important role in the development of 19 th century Germany and accounts for the distinct manner in which German society developed during this period. This book examines the origins and nature of the German industrial revolution, and effects of the Zollverein on economic growth and national unity, and the critical role of railway building.