Economic Consequences of the War - West Germany''s Growth Miracle After 1945

The 'German Question' dominated much of modern European history. In 1945, Germany was defeated and conquered. Yet, the Second World War did not destroy the foundations of her economic power. Dr Tamás Vonyó revisits Germany's remarkable post-war revival, tracing its roots not to liberal economic reforms and the Marshall Plan, but to the legacies of the war that endowed Germany with an enhanced industrial base and an enlarged labour force. He also shows that Germany's liberal market economy was in reality an economy of regulated markets, controlled prices and extensive state intervention. Using quantitative analysis and drawing on a rich historiography that has remained, in large part, unknown outside of Germany, this book reassesses the role of economic policy and the importance of wartime legacies to explain the German growth miracle after 1945 and the sharply contrasting experiences of East and West Germany.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. The audit of defeat: initial conditions; 2. The economic geography of post-war dislocation; 3. Growth accounts for West German industry; 4. Made in Germany: the post-war export boom; 5. Managing the miracle: economic policy; Conclusions.

About the author

Tamás Vonyó is Assistant Professor of Economic History at Università Commerciale Luigi Bocconi, Milan. He has written extensively on economic growth in post-war Europe and Germany's economic development during the Second World War.

Summary

For many, Germany's post-war economic power was based on liberal market reforms and the Marshall Plan. This book disputes this old myth. Quantitative evidence shows instead how the re-emergence of Germany as a leading industrial power was founded in the Second World War itself and the conditions it left behind.

Product details

• Authors: Tamas Vonya, Tamas Vonyo, Tamas (Universit... Commerciale Luigi Bocco Vonyo, Tamas (Universit... Commerciale Luigi Bocconi Vonyo, Tamas (Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi Vonyo, Tamás Vonyó
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 28.02.2018
• EAN: 9781107128439
• ISBN: 978-1-107-12843-9
• No. of pages: 288
• Series: Cambridge Studies in Economic History: Second Series; Cambridge Studies in Economic; Cambridge Studies in Economic History - Second Series
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Social sciences, law, business > Business > General, dictionaries; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000, European History, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Economic History, Social & cultural history, Economic history, economic growth, Later 20th century c 1950 to c 1999, Social and cultural history, West Germany, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period)