Walter broadens the scope of impressive recent German investigations of German–Latin American relations with an exhaustive, pathbreaking, but clumsy, study of economic and social ramifications of German trade enterprise in Venezuela. Detailed discussions of key commercial transactions are especially informative.
Regrettably, Walter’s presentation offers meager intellectual stimulus. Perhaps the study’s fundamental weaknesses relate to an exaggerated adhesion to inductive methodology (p. 19). One of its flaws is a fumbling integration of its findings. For instance, scrutinies of obviously connected topics tend to be isolated from each other, ranging from Venezuela’s political evolution and overall economic development to, more specifically, happenings in agriculture, trade, transport, finance, legal foreign trade, and smuggling and piracy. Furthermore, lengthy quotations and a painstaking delving into German currency and coinage practices are essentially superfluous. Rambling narratives of the activities of German merchants and their supportive consuls could be synthesized more meaningfully, with a tighter focus upon the dynamics of German business enterprise. Finally, the study is confined to a needlessly narrow perspective by a disregard for enticing comparisons with other studies of German trade relations elsewhere in Latin America.
Walter does bring out that relatively few German businessmen tended to be industrious, dependable, highly respected, uniquely flexible in their marketing practices, and sensitive to the needs and respectful of the customs of their Venezuelan clients. They were, however, thoroughly conversant with their merchandise and provided unusually attractive credit facilities.
Beyond this, Walter elucidates how German merchants replaced dominant British traders. He calls attention also to transitions among Germans in Venezuela from military to business, social, or political concerns. For example, an aristocratic officer who originated from British Hanover served under Bolívar, became closely associated with General Páez, and emerged eventually as both a leading Venezuelan general and sugar planter.
Walter’s scholarly monograph is based largely upon German and Venezuelan archival materials, newspapers, and secondary works. Bibliographical commentaries, footnotes, and statistical tables are helpful indeed.
