ABSTRACT
The difference in background created syntheses that favored a series of choices that would not only logically lead in the direction of capitalism but that would also establish the means for its implementation. Although the Dutch flirted with the transition into modernity, they ultimately withdrew from the brink. In looking at the Netherlands, Maurice Dobb makes the powerful observation that "the launching of a country on the road towards capitalism is no guarantee that it will complete the journey." As the scale of production increased, the amounts of capital invested in industry grew enormously. The change in the patterns of production was dependent on the domestic market, which in turn was possible because of the relative ease of internal communications. Iron-working, brewing, and shipbuilding led the way, but refining, printing, and the production of glass, copper, brass, alum, and salt became prominent.
