Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785
The cattle disease rinderpest devastated Europe throughout the eighteenth century. The practice of preventative slaughter, or stamping out, has been seen as the most effective method of containing the disease. Historians frame this strategy as a measure of the effectiveness of centralized bureaucrac...
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| Language: | English |
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2018-01-01
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| Series: | Tijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis |
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| Online Access: | https://tseg.nl/article/view/8229 |
| _version_ | 1818199087712829440 |
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| author | Filip Van Roosbroeck Adam Sundberg |
| author_facet | Filip Van Roosbroeck Adam Sundberg |
| author_sort | Filip Van Roosbroeck |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The cattle disease rinderpest devastated Europe throughout the eighteenth century. The practice of preventative slaughter, or stamping out, has been seen as the most effective method of containing the disease. Historians frame this strategy as a measure of the effectiveness of centralized bureaucracy in handling epidemic outbreaks. The Austrian Netherlands, which enacted a stamping out policy during the rinderpest epidemic of 1769-1785, is often cast opposite the decentralized Dutch Republic, which did not. That mortality was more severe in Holland than in Flanders is interpreted as a consequence of this difference. This article compares the disease management of Flanders and South Holland as well as the differential mortality of cattle in the initial years of the outbreak. We argue that stamping out should not be used as the standard for evaluating effective management. Both South Holland and Flanders relied on a high degree of state intervention. No strategies were universally effective. Explanations must be sought in regional socio-ecological structures. Rather than a consequence of state action or inaction, rinderpest mortality responded to the movement of cattle for pasturing and trade, structural differences in land use, and the resultant divergences in agricultural practices and herd management. Rather than state intervention, extensive commercial cattleholding explains the highly variable mortality. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1572-1701 2468-9068 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:16:12Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-c5da079a51a24d5a81e8289afc09e6e42022-12-22T00:41:48Zengopenjournals.nlTijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis1572-17012468-90682018-01-01143Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785Filip Van Roosbroeck0Adam Sundberg1University of AntwerpCreighton University in Omaha, USAThe cattle disease rinderpest devastated Europe throughout the eighteenth century. The practice of preventative slaughter, or stamping out, has been seen as the most effective method of containing the disease. Historians frame this strategy as a measure of the effectiveness of centralized bureaucracy in handling epidemic outbreaks. The Austrian Netherlands, which enacted a stamping out policy during the rinderpest epidemic of 1769-1785, is often cast opposite the decentralized Dutch Republic, which did not. That mortality was more severe in Holland than in Flanders is interpreted as a consequence of this difference. This article compares the disease management of Flanders and South Holland as well as the differential mortality of cattle in the initial years of the outbreak. We argue that stamping out should not be used as the standard for evaluating effective management. Both South Holland and Flanders relied on a high degree of state intervention. No strategies were universally effective. Explanations must be sought in regional socio-ecological structures. Rather than a consequence of state action or inaction, rinderpest mortality responded to the movement of cattle for pasturing and trade, structural differences in land use, and the resultant divergences in agricultural practices and herd management. Rather than state intervention, extensive commercial cattleholding explains the highly variable mortality.https://tseg.nl/article/view/8229rinderpesteighteenth centuryregional economydisaster policy |
| spellingShingle | Filip Van Roosbroeck Adam Sundberg Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 Tijdschrift voor Sociale en Economische Geschiedenis rinderpest eighteenth century regional economy disaster policy |
| title | Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 |
| title_full | Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 |
| title_fullStr | Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 |
| title_short | Culling the Herds? Regional Divergences in Rinderpest Mortality in Flanders and South Holland, 1769-1785 |
| title_sort | culling the herds regional divergences in rinderpest mortality in flanders and south holland 1769 1785 |
| topic | rinderpest eighteenth century regional economy disaster policy |
| url | https://tseg.nl/article/view/8229 |
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