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 Tamas Vonyo 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.

This exploration of the statistical evidence on Germany's post-war reconstruction sheds new light on the foundations of German economic power.

About the Author
Tamas Vonyo is Assistant Professor of Economic History at Universita 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.

Reviews
'Tamas Vonyo carries out a major revision of the German Miracle. A detailed quantitative approach supports a nuanced interpretation. Reconstruction was delayed as war, destruction and dislocation was widespread and persistent. The resettlement of displaced population was critical for the recovery and fuelled productivity growth since the late 1950s, preceding the social contract and R&D investment.' Leandro Prados de la Escosura, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
'Vonyo's book is a most welcome enrichment to the history of West German economic recovery.' Armin Grunbacher, European History Quarterly



Book Information
ISBN 9781107568716
Author Tamas Vonyo
Format Paperback
Page Count 292
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 350g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 153mm * 15mm