World War II and the transformation of business systems

Was World War II a turning point or a hiatus in the evolution of business systems? What effects did the economic mobilization and wartime industrial demands have on combatant nations? These questions are addressed by an international group of business historians who examine the wartime legacy by tracing changes in technology and production resources, in production management systems, in finance and ownership, and finally in government and enterprise relationships.

The case studies included here give a detailed analysis of the wartime economies and industries of seven countries. For Japan, the United States, the USSR, and Italy, the experience of economic centralization or state intervention as well as the development of a technical foundation provided a prototype for postwar industries and policies. In Britain, Germany, and France, the war was a period of distortion and did not much alter existing systems.

Despite the abundance of academic research on the war and its significance in reshaping society and political life, surprisingly little has been published on the effects of the war on economic and business systems. This volume and its business-history approach based on archival records will serve as a catalyst for further research in this field.