The Rhine and European security in the long nineteenth century : making lifelines from frontlines / Joep Schenk.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction: Making lifelines from frontlines -- 1. Securing freedom of navigation: A revolutionary fight against a barbaric past (1789–1813) -- 2. The balance of power and the system of commerce before and after Vienna (1814–1815) -- 3. On behalf of the common good: Dutch-Prussian rivalry in and outside the CCNR (1816–1831) -- 4. A river, a legislator: The origins of a riverine knowledge system in the 1830s -- 5. Between radicals and experts: Consolidating a Rhine expert regime in the 1840s to 1860s -- 6. Running an international organisation in the context of increasing national power politics (1860–1900)

"Throughout history rivers have always been a source of life and of conflict. This book investigates the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine's (CCNR) efforts to secure the principle of freedom of navigation on Europe's prime river. In showing how security-prosperity considerations were a driving force in the unfolding of Europe's prime river in the nineteenth century, it is of interest to scholars of politics and history, including the history of international relations, European history, transnational history and the history of security, as well as those with an interest in current themes and debates about transboundary water governance"-- Provided by publisher.