Between 1848 and 1866 the Zollverein went through a series of momentous crises and the issue of commercial organization became increasingly politicized. Austro-Prussian rivalry, industrialization, and liberalism, created a tense atmosphere in which Britain had enormous influence. Using a wide range of German and British sources this study shows how Britain, blindfolded by doctrinaire Free Trade and institutional inadequacy, failed to grasp the connotations...