An Environmental History of Knowledge and Politics

How can historical studies help us understand today's environmental crises? What events led humanity into the Anthropocene epoch? The history of forestry offers a particularly revealing lens through which to explore these questions. Since at least the mid-eighteenth century, environmental concerns and the commodification of forests-often driven by state interests-have gone hand in hand. The rise of forestry's standardized methodologies is not only a scientific development but also a global story of power, knowledge, and resource management. This book presents a Central European history of the Anthropocene, weaving together themes of nationalism, state socialism, war, and reconstruction to illuminate their deep entanglement with environmental change.