Recovery and Development in the European Periphery (1945-1960)

Die Jahrzehnte nach dem 2. Weltkrieg brachten weiten Teilen Europas ein starkes wirtschaftliches Wachstum, welches die Produktionssysteme radikal verändert und den Lebensstandard der Bevölkerungen verbessert hat. Dies kam dank einer spezifischen Verknüpfung von freiem Spiel der wirtschaftlichen Kräfte und regulierendem Eingriff seitens des Staates zustande, die von Land zu Land ganz unterschiedliche Formen annahm. Dieser Band möchte verifizieren, wie diese Dynamiken in geografischen Gebieten zustande kamen, die sich im Vergleich zum wirtschaftlich starken Kern des Kontinents in gewisser Weise als "Randgebiete" definieren lassen. Es werden Planwirtschaften wie Polen, Ungarn und Jugoslawien analysiert und deren Abschneiden in Sachen Einkommen und Strukturwandel mit den Daten Westeuropas verglichen. Parallel dazu werden eher strukturschwache westeuropäische Regionen wie das ländliche Spanien, Süditalien oder der Alpenraum betrachtet. Im Hinblick auf wesentliche Fragen wie die Auswirkungen verschiedener wirtschaftlicher Regulierungssysteme, die Effizienz des öffentlichen Eingriffs und die Rolle der Institutionen ergibt der Vergleich einige interessante Ergebnisse.

For most of Europe, the decades following World War II were a period of strong economic growth that deeply modified the characteristics of the systems of production and improved the living conditions of the population. This came about due to a specific combination of free play of the economic forces and the regulatory intervention of the state, which differed from country to country. This book aims at verifying how such dynamics came about in geographic areas that in a certain way might be called "peripheral" with respect to the continent's economically stronger core. Planned economies such as Poland, Hungary, and Yugoslavia are thus analyzed and their performances in terms of income and structural transformation are compared to Western Europe. In parallel, a number of essays deal with areas that have certain structural weaknesses such as rural Spain, southern Italy, and the Alpine area. Several interesting elements emerge from this comparison, regarding certain crucial questions such as the impact of different economic regulatory systems, the efficiency of public intervention, and the role of the institutions.

Inhalt: A. Bonoldi / A. Leonardi, Introduction - V. Zamagni, Institutional Innovations and Economic Growth in Europe in the Post-World War II Era - P. Csillik / T. Tarjan, Reconstruction Paths in Europe between 1945-1970. Planned and Market Economies Compared - I. Bi?ani?, Reconstruction and Resumption of Development in the Yugoslav Republics after World War II - E. Ritrovato, Post-War Recovery in the South of Italy. Dishomogeneous Development and Regional Differences - F. Mathis, Occupation and Economic Development. Eastern and Western Austria in a Comparative Perspective - E. Clar / F. Collantes, Rural Spain during the Franco Regime (1939-1975) - A. Bonoldi, A Farewell to Marginality. Development Paths in the Italian Alpine Provinces since World War II - P. Cafaro / A. Locatelli, Marginal in Strong Areas. The "Mediocredito Regionale Lombardo" and the Organisational Structure of the Medium-Term Corporate Lending Banks under the Guidance of Giordano Dell'Amore - A. Leonardi, Industrial Credit and Special Banks in Relaunching the Italian Banking System after World War II - S. Goglio, Local Credit and Territorial Development. General Aspects and the Italian Experience - M. Rieder, On the Boundary of Western Europe. The Marshall Plan and Economic Development in Bavaria - C. Lorandini, Mediocredito Trentino-Alto Adige and its Role in Promoting Entrepreneurship in Trentino and South Tyrol (1954-1972) - A. Surdej, Recovery and Growth in Poland after World War II - A. Cova, Concluding Remarks - Bibliography