2024/05/08 by Martin Almbjär · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Social Sciences · #European Political History Analysis #Historical Economic and Social Studies #Historical Influence and Diplomacy
paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/03585522.2024.2347879
openalex publication_date 2024/05/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
This article is about the creation of a Swedish network of consuls in Galicia during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Contrary to previous findings that show consuls with weak positions vis--vis the host authorities or the merchant community could do little to aid merchants and ships, the paper demonstrates that consuls could provide economic functions despite having no jurisdiction or official recognition from the receiving state. In contrast to those who view selfinterest as something that hindered consuls from executing economic functions, the paper demonstrates a synergy between self-interest and public goods. The paper also shows a growth in Swedish trade with Galicia, but it is unclear if the network members facilitated this development. Lastly, the article argues that the creation of the Swedish consular service, contrary to previous research, cannot be seen as driven by the Swedish central authorities with a mercantilistic agenda in mind. Instead, the process was rather dynamic and involved various actors and agendas.