The great depression revisited.: Essays on the economics of the thirties

For a quarter of a century the industrial Western world has been living in the euphoria of continuous improvements in welfare, based on economic programming, increasing integration and terms of trade which favor indus­ trial countries and discriminate against agricultural regions. It is true that recessions have periodically recurred during these years : time and again, however, government intervention succeeded in reducing them to mere "in­ ventory cycles". In contrast with the twenties and thirties, when economic policy in the West focused on fighting unemployment and stimulating investment, the postwar period has been characterized by a permanent concern to curb inflationary pressure, which was partly due to full-employ­ ment. The present welfare economy has given rise to a growth of the pro­ pensity to consume such that public policy has often been constrained to limit consumption and stimulate saving. In this new framework it has perhaps been forgotten that today's welfare owes much to the lessons from the past. The bitter world crisis experience of the thirties in particular has exerted a fruitful and decisive influence upon the search for means to prevent, eliminate or soften the cyclical fluctuations which the process of economic growth involves. Forty years after the out­ break of the greatest economic crisis ever, it seems useful to draw up the balancesheet of the lessons learned from it. There exists a large literature about the depression of the thirties. Front Matter....Pages I-X Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The Great Crash of October, 1929....Pages 3-12 International Consequences of the Great Crisis....Pages 13-23 The Influence of the Great Depression on Economic Theory....Pages 24-42 Front Matter....Pages 43-43 Government Action against the Great Depression....Pages 45-58 Europe and the Great Crisis....Pages 59-68 The Depression and World Policy....Pages 69-75 Waiting for the World Revolution: Soviet Reactions to the Great Depression....Pages 76-87 Front Matter....Pages 89-89 Agriculture in the Great Depression. World Market Developments and European Protectionism....Pages 91-119 Agriculture in the Industrial Economies of the West during the Great Depression, with Special Reference to the United States....Pages 120-133 Business in the Great Depression....Pages 134-142 Front Matter....Pages 143-143 The United States and the Non-European Periphery during the Early Years of the Great Depression....Pages 145-181 Then Came the Great Depression Japan’s Interwar Years....Pages 182-211 The British Empire Economies in the Great Depression....Pages 212-235 The Impact of the Great Depression on Eastern Europe....Pages 236-245 Front Matter....Pages 247-247 Government, Labour and Trade Unions....Pages 249-257 Trade Unions and the World Economic Crisis....Pages 258-268 The Depression and the Intellectuals....Pages 269-278 Back Matter....Pages 279-290 Erickson, E. A. The Great Crash Of October, 1929.--coppé, A. International Consequences Of The Great Crisis.--eyskens, M. The Influence Of The Great Depression On Economic Theory.--born, K. E. Government Action Against The Great Depression.--baudhuin, F. Europe And The Great Crisis.--neré, J. The Depression And World Policy.--tikos, L. M. Waiting For The World Revolution: Soviet Reactions To The Great Depression.--tracy, M. Agriculture In The Great Depression.--rasmussen, W. D. And Porter J. M. Agriculture In The Industrial Economies Of The West During The Great Depression, With Special Reference To The United States.--jaeger, H. Business In The Great Depression.--fleisig, H. The United States And The Non-european Periphery During The Early Years Of The Great Depression.--yamamura, K. Then Came The Great Depression.--drummond, I. M. The British Empire Economies In The Great Depression.--rauspach, H. The Impact Of The Great Depression On Eastern Europe.--dhondt, J. Government, Labour, And Trade Unions.--wagenführ, R. And Voss, W. Trade Unions And The World Economic Crisis.--von Der Dunk, H. W. The Depression And The Intellectuals. Ed. By Herman Van Der Wee. Some Articles Have Been Translated From The Dutch. Includes Bibliographical References. Erickson, E. A. The great crash of October, 1929. Coppé, A. International consequences of the great crisis. Eyskens, M. The influence of the great depression on economic theory. Born, K. E. Government action against the great depression. Baudhuin, F. Europe and the great crisis. Neré, J. The depression and world policy. Tikos, L. M. Waiting for the world revolution: Soviet reactions to the great depression. Tracy, M. Agriculture in the great depression. Rasmussen, W. D. and Porter J. M. Agriculture in the industrial economies of the West during the great depression, with special reference to the United States. Jaeger, H. Business in the great depression. Fleisig, H. The United States and the non-European periphery during the early years of the great depression. Yamamura, K. Then came the great depression. Drummond, I. M. The British Empire economies in the great depression. Rauspach, H. The impact of the great depression on Eastern Europe. Dhondt, J. Government, labour, and trade unions. Wagenführ, R. and Voss, W. Trade unions and the world economic crisis. Von der Dunk, H. W. The depression and the intellectuals.