Why Nations Fail

C
HAPTER
 8 : N
OT
 O
N
 O
UR
 T
URF
On the opposition to the printing press in the Ottoman
Empire, 
see 
Savage-Smith 
(2003) 
pp. 
656–59.
Comparative historical literacy comes from Easterlin
(1981).
Our discussion of political institutions of Spain follows
Thompson (1994a, 1994b). For evidence on the economic
decline of Spain over this period, see Nogal and Prados
de la Escosura (2007).
Our discussion of the impediments to economic
development in Austria-Hungary follows Blum (1943),
Freudenberger (1967), and Gross (1973). The quotation
from Maria Theresa comes from Freudenberger, p. 495. All
other quotations from Count Hartig and Francis I are from
Blum. Francis’s reply to the delegates from the Tyrol is
quoted from Jászi (1929), pp. 80–81. The comment of
Friedrich von Gentz to Robert Owen is also quoted from
Jászi (1929), p. 80. The experience of the Rothschilds in
Austria is discussed in chap. 2 of Corti (1928).
Our analysis of Russia follows Gerschenkron (1970). The
quotation from Kropotkin is from p. 60 of the 2009 edition
of his book. The conversation between Nicholas and
Mikhail is quoted from Saunders (1992), p. 117. Kankrin’s
quote on railways is in Owen (1991), pp. 15–16.
The speech by Nicholas to the manufacturers is
reproduced from Pintner 967), p. 100.
The quote from A. A. Zakrevskii is from Pintner (1967), p.
235.
On Admiral Zheng, see Dreyer (2007). The economic
history of early Modern China is covered by Myers and
Wang (2002). The quote from T’ang Chen is quoted from
Myers and Wang, pp. 564–65.
See Zewde (2002) for an overview of the relevant
Ethiopian history. The data on how extractive Ethiopia has
been historically come from Pankhurst (1961), as do all the
quotes we reproduce here.
Our description of Somali institutions and history follows
Lewis (1961, 2002). The 
heer
of the Hassan Ugaas is
reproduced on p.177 of Lewis (1961); our description of a

---

feud comes from chap. 8 of Lewis (1961), where he reports
many other examples. On the Kingdom of Taqali and
writing, see Ewald (1988).

---