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Introduction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

Raymond G. Stokes
Affiliation:
University of Glasgow
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Summary

This book starts with what seems an uncontroversial observation: in spite of impressive economic and technological successes through the first four decades of the twentieth century, it became abundantly clear by 1945 that the German and Japanese brands of capitalism had not worked out very well. Both countries had industrialised more or less effectively. But they remained relatively poor compared with Britain and the United States. They also suffered from extreme social tensions. These factors were both cause and effect of the countries entangling themselves in a war that they could not win, and which made their social and economic situations horrendous, at least initially. Yet, in stark contrast, from the early 1950s onwards, German and Japanese forms of capitalism have played out surprisingly well, with increasing levels of wealth, which was distributed more equitably, and substantially eased social tensions, all of this without any bellicose behaviour. What is more, this remarkable performance has been sustained over an extraordinarily long period of time. The primary question posed in this book, then, is this: Why, in general, have things worked out so much better the second time around? The chapters that follow seek to provide an answer to that simple question.

Type
Chapter
Information
Ruins to Riches
The Economic Resurgence of Germany and Japan after 1945
, pp. 1 - 10
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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  • Introduction
  • Raymond G. Stokes, University of Glasgow
  • Book: Ruins to Riches
  • Online publication: 12 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009083669.001
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  • Introduction
  • Raymond G. Stokes, University of Glasgow
  • Book: Ruins to Riches
  • Online publication: 12 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009083669.001
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Introduction
  • Raymond G. Stokes, University of Glasgow
  • Book: Ruins to Riches
  • Online publication: 12 April 2024
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009083669.001
Available formats
×