First to Worst? Downfall of Spain and France “Critics who claim that Europe’s wealth was built on the exploitation of people overseas have some justification, but the experiences of Spain and France demonstrate that exploitation alone was not enough. To build and sustain wealth, countries must be able to use wealth effectively.” Spain and France are two countries that mastered the art of using people overseas to benefit themselves, and gain power. But with …showed first 75 words of 1689 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1689 total…from an absence of banks, a lack of commercial intelligence, as well as a lack of efficient government planning. After looking at the fates suffered by both Spain and France because of an inability early on to make good financial decisions, I believe it is safe to agree with Spodek in his statement: “To build and sustain wealth, countries must be able to use wealth effectively.” Both of these nations did poorly in this area.