“Population pressure” and development models for Southeastern Europe

This chapter describes the rise of the concept of overpopulation as the primary explanatory model for the analysis of Southeastern Europe’s economic and demographic situation. It examines exchanges between German and Southeastern European academics on the question of “population pressure” in Southeastern Europe, thereby shedding light on their differences of opinion concerning the economic solutions that should be adopted by Southeastern Europe’s agrarian states to solve their “overpopulation” problem. The chapter also traces the influence of völkisch thought on this debate.