Figure 1.-- World War II was the largest and most cataclysmic war in human history. It was the first truly world war. There had earlier been devestation on a local level, but never as much destruction and loss of life on a global scle. And in contrast to World War I, it was civilians who suffered more than the military. The destruction and loss of life was on a scale never before exerienced by humanity. Economists believed thgat it would take a generation for Europe to recover. Actually it took less than a decade by wich time the populatiin were experiencing higher living standards than ever before. Not well understood, it was not the level of destruction that was the primary factor--this swas the Axis countries (Germany, Italy, and Japan). It was the policies adopted by the countries inviolved. Britain was not one of the most hravily danaged ciountries--but it was one of the slowest to recover. The Soviet Union and its new Eastern European Empire was a special case. It was not inly heavily damaged, bit its Communist policies mean that it was not only slow to recover, but lagged behind dynamic Western Europe and America. Here we children in desestated Germany during 1948. This was a year that West German authorities would adopt polices that led to the German Economic Miracle. Source: Bundesarchiv. Bild 183-2005-0803--519.

World War II was the largest and most cataclysmic war in human history. It was the first truly world war. There had earlier been devestation on a local level, but never as much destruction and loss of life on a global scle. And in contrast to World War I, it was civilians who suffered more than the military. The destruction and loss of life was on a scale never before exerienced by humanity. Europe was in deperate condition after the War. Again famine and starvatin was ony prevented by American food aid. Econonomists after the War believed that it might take Europe and other devestated countries a generation to recover. To the surpise of almost everyone, however, within only a few years an amazing recovery began, although it was highly varried. The immediate post-Wars years were very difficult. This began to change about 1948, in part because of American aid and in part by domestic policy ininitatives in each county. Most surprising of all was the starteling pace of recovry in Germany and Japan, countries with cities that were left piles of rubble and cinders after the War. There was also a rapid pace of recovery in Western Europe. We notice similar deveopments in Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway. Britain here lagged behind its European counterparts and in the post-War era, Britain declined from being the European country with the highest standard of living to one with relatively low per-capita income levels. Overall, the recovery however, would bring unprecedented prosperity to Europe. The countries not only recovered, but soared above pre-War profuction and prosperity levels. The major excption was Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe. The Soviets expected the economic benefits of Communism to propel living standards to unprecedented levels. Just the opposite proved the case as the European Economic Miracle left the Soviet Union and its Eastern European Empire far behind. This was, however, not immediately apparent to all as the Cold War Iron Curtain established by Stalin prevented a free flow of information. Leftists in the West continued to wax eloquently about worker and peasant paradices and many actually believed it. Also important to note is how the economies of the Asian economies fared. Japan with its capitalist ecinomy als enjoyed an economic miracle. India's task was different. Here the goal was development. After independence (1947) under Nehru's socialist policies desite the great optimism made little economic progress. And China under Mao's Communism, also intent on develoment, the econmy languished and actually suffered the greatest famine in world history.

Devestation

World War II (1939-45) was the largest and most cataclysmic war in human history. It was a long war, although not neaely the longest. It was the first truly world war. It began in Europe and spread from there. (If one does not include the early Japanese aggressions.) There had throughout history been devestation on a local level, but never as much destruction and loss of life on a global scle. More people were killed than ever before. And in contrast to World War I, it was civilians who suffered more than the military. This was abnormal, usually it is the soldiers who suffer most. There were enornous civilian casualties primarily because it was an actual Axis policy (primarily German and Japanese) to murder civilans in large numbers in horific killing operations. Civilians also were killed as a result illnesses or starvation--conditions created on purpose by the Axix--such as the NAZI Hunger Plab. Millions perished in concentration and skave labor camps. Jews were the most obvious victims, but non-Jews also perished in huge numbers. And long with that mass mirder was equally horfic destruction. And unlike World War I the devestation was not largely limited to the relativeky narrow band that scared northern France and southern Belgium--the Trench Line. The destruction and loss of life was on a scale never before exerienced by humanity. Whole cities were destroyed. The piles of rubble and glowing embers left by Allied bombers that had once been German and Japanese cities was the most obvious, but there was also widespread destructioin in major battkefield areas, especially Eastern Europe and Italy. Europe as a result was in deperate condition after the War. Again famine and starvation was ony prevented by American food aid. Econonomists after the War believed that it might take Europe and other devestated countries a generation to recover. To the surpise of almost everyone, however, within only a few years an amazing recovery began, although it was highly varried. The immediate post-Wars years were very difficult. This began to change about 1948, in part because of American aid and in part by domestic policy ininitatives in each county. Most surprising of all was the starteling pace of recovry in Germany and Japan, countries with cities that were left piles of rubble and cinders after the War.

Western Europe

There was an incredably rapid pace of recovery in Western Europe after the Western Allies broke with the Soviers and went ahead with a currency reform in occupied Germany. Various facors were involved: 1) the wealth generating power of capitalism, 2) Europeam integration, 3) the American security umbrella, 4) the Amerucan Marshal Plan, and 5) the energy and talent of the Europeans. We notice similar deveopments in Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Norway. Britain here lagged behind its European counterparts and in the post-War era, Britain declined from being the European country with the highest standard of living to one with relatively low per-capita income levels. Overall, the recovery however, would bring unprecedented prosperity to Europe. The countries not only recovered, but soared above pre-War production and prosperity levels.

Eastern Europe

Just the opposite proved the case as the European Economic Miracle left the Soviet Union and its Eastern European Empire far behind. The situation in Soviet-occupied Eastern Europe was very different. Stalin did not allow his Eastern European satellites partivcipate in the Marshal Plan. The Soviets expected the scientifically determined economic benefits of Communism to propel living standards to unprecedented levels. Of course wev know now that Coounism with its Socialist economy is a recipie for economic failure. It is why the Soviet Union failed andc why Communist China adopted a capitalist economy. This was, however, not immediately apparent to all as the Cold War Iron Curtain established by Stalin prevented a free flow of information. Leftists in the West continued to wax eloquently about worker and peasant paradices and many actually believed it.

Asia

Also important to note is how the economies of the Asian economies fared. Japan with its capitalist ecinomy also enjoyed an impressive economic miracle. Wihin only a few years the Japanese economy was functiining again and the Japanese living standard far exceeded what it had been before the War. India's task was different. Here the goal was development. After independence (1947) under Nehru's socialist policies desite the great optimism made little economic progress. And China under Mao's Communism, also intent on develoment, the economy languished and actually suffered the greatest famine in world history. Then the Asian Tigers (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) adopted capitalidt policies -- leading to spectactkar growth. Eventually Communist China amd India followed.

Created: 2:43 AM 8/20/2018
Last updated: 2:15 PM 12/8/2020