European Economic Transitions
Economic Transitions for the European States After 1945 The greatest challenge for Germany after World War II was economics. Nothing remained of Germany except rubble and graves. It was impossible for the Germans go get food and clean drinking water. It was even more impossible for the Germans to find paying jobs. In addition to this Germany also had on its hands four million refugees and prisoners to feed that it did not have in 1939. In 1939 Germany could only produce 70 to 85 percent of its food now it had another four million to feed. The Soviet Union occupied most of Germany's prime agricultural land and not much of the food produced went to Germany. After the war German industry was limited to what and how much of certain goods could be produced. German factories were dismantled for payment in war reparations. In the east, industries were nationalized and utilities were socialized. The Soviets sucked the life out of East Germany by setting up so-called joint stock companies, which enabled the Communists to control production and sales of goods produced. In 1948, a currency reform and the money given to them by the Marshall Plan saved West Germany. This helped lay a basis for West German economy.
Clothes were still rationed until 1949 and food rationing did not completely end until 1954. British industries made a rapid recovery and the shipping fleet was enlarged through an active building program. This was a set of guidelines and goals set for the French industries. The Marshall Plan was a major help to the European countries in reaching this goal. Britain also had a crisis in foreign trade. After World War II Italy discovered that she possessed rich deposits of methane gas and some oil deposits. Even though there was an increase in exports there was still an unfavorable balance of trade. The six industries that this plan included were coal, power, steel, cement, agricultural machinery, and transportation. This was made necessary because of the excess of imports over exports, which had come because of the need to replace wartime losses and machinery. This forced Britain to cut back in military commitments and expenditures. World War II just made Italy's situation worse.
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