4 Comments
User's avatar
Quy Ma's avatar

Another great read, Michael. I'm currently reading the chapter in The Silk Roads about Germany's pre-world war 2 ramp-up and the push eastward for resources. Your piece fills in the earlier chapter of the same story before ww1, and how they built the industrial machine that eventually needed all that feeding in the 20th century. Didn't know this! How coincidental that both landed on my reading list at the same time. Thank you!

Michael Magoon's avatar

Thanks for the comment. Glad that you enjoyed the article.

Mark Cohen's avatar

How much did the German approach towards the UK differ from China towards the U.S.? What role, if any, did theft, the role of the state, and intellectual property play? When did

the UK wake up and why or how? Was it too late when it did wake up?

Michael Magoon's avatar

Thanks for the question.

Copying nations that industrialized first is an essential step for every "catch-up' industrialization by other nations. China did it, but so did USA, Japan, South Korea and pretty much every nation that has industrialized.

I seriously doubt that the UK could have done anything to stop it. At best, they could delay it for a few years.