Europe's Postwar Recovery

This book reassesses Western Europe's miraculous economic recovery from World War II, exposing the role of international institutions.

Barry Eichengreen (Edited by)

9780521030786, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 January 2007

368 pages, 37 b/w illus. 57 tables
22.8 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm, 0.547 kg

"...the volume provides a good overview on contemporary research. As such, it should find a wide readership among economic historians, economists, political historians, and political scientists. Moreover, the book contains some real treasures that make it indispensable for the specialist." Journal of Economic History

Western Europe's recovery from World War II was nothing short of miraculous. From the chaos of the war and the crisis of 1947, Europe moved directly to the most rapid quarter-century of economic growth in her history. The contributors to this volume seek to identify the sources of this singularly successful recovery. That all European countries shared in the miracle suggests that its roots may lie at the international level. The chapters therefore focus on the role played by international institutions - the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the European Coal and Steel Community, the European Payments Union, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade - and weigh the relative importance of domestic and international factors in Europe's postwar recovery. This book will be of interest to students of modern European history and to economists interested in economic growth, European economic integration, and reform of the Bretton Woods institutions.

List of contributors
Preface
Part I. Introduction and Survey: 1. Mainsprings of economic recovery in post-war Europe Barry Eichengreen
Part II. The Marshall Plan: 2. The Marshall Plan reconsidered Lucrezia Reichlin
3. Influencing aid recipients: Marshall Plan lessons for contemporary aid donors Chiarella Esposito
Part III. Other International Intitiatives: 4. The IMF and the creation of the Bretton Woods System, 1944–58 Harold James
5. The GATT's contribution to economic recovery in post-war Western Europe Douglas A. Irwin
6. The European Coal and Steel Community: an object lesson? John Gillingham
7. The European Payments Union: an efficient mechanism for rebuilding Europe's trade? Barry Eichengreen
Part IV. Country Studies: 8. Germany and the political economy of the Marshall Plan, 1947–52: a re-revisionist view Helge Berger and Albrecht Ritschl
9. 'You've never had it so good?': British economic policy and performance, 1945–60 N. F. R. Crafts
10. 'Belgian miracle' to slow growth: the impact of the Marshall Plan and the European Payments Union Isabelle Cassiers
11. France: real and monetary aspects of exchange rate policy under the Fourth Republic Gilles Saint-Paul
Part V. Synthesis: 12. Post-war Germany in the European context: domestic and external determinants of growth Holger C. Wolf
Index.

Subject Areas: Development economics & emerging economies [KCM]