What does the Hansa, a confederation of trade guilds in the Middle Ages, teach us about the modern middle class? How did the modern state evolve to take on so many roles in a country’s economy? Find out in this week’s episode of Baggage Allowance.

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Continuing from the previous episode, I go into more detail about the conversation I had with my Japanese host at Mt. Fuji about the Meiji restoration. This experience forced me to re-imagine not only Japanese history, but the history of Europe as well.

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