Wanderlust World Wanderlust World 1945: Europe's cities were rubble, economies shattered, populations displaced. By 1970: "Trente Glorieuses" — 30 years of 4–5% annual growth. Eight pillars made it happen.
$13.3B (≈$150B today) 1948–52. Not just cash: required cross-border coordination (OEEC precursor), trade liberalization, modernization plans. France's Monnet Plan, Germany's social market — all Marshall-aligned.
Schuman Declaration: pool coal/steel (war industries) under supranational authority. Six founders (BE, FR, IT, LU, NL, WG). Customs union → common market → free movement of goods, labor, capital. Tariff walls fell; specialization rose.
Rebuilding wasn't restoration — it was upgrading. Modern highways (autobahnen, autoroutes), standardized rail gauge, deepwater ports (Rotterdam, Marseille), grid electrification. Public investment averaged 4–6% GDP/yr.
France: nuclear (CEA), aerospace (Sud Aviation → Airbus), autos (Renault, Peugeot). Germany: chemicals (BASF, Hoechst), machine tools, autos (VW, Daimler). Italy: ENI (oil), Fiat, Olivetti. UK: aerospace, pharma. State guided; markets executed.
Beveridge (UK), Bismarck (DE) models expanded: universal health, pensions, unemployment, housing, education. Labor peace (codetermination in DE, national agreements in SE/AT) bought productivity. "Rhenish capitalism" — stakeholders > shareholders.
Pent-up demand + rising wages + installment credit = durable goods boom (cars, appliances, TVs). Household savings rates high (10–15%) funded investment. Virtuous cycle.
EEC internal trade grew 6× (1958–70). External: GATT rounds (Kennedy, Tokyo) cut global tariffs. Europe became world's largest exporter.
NATO (1949) + US troops (300K+ in W. Germany) = defense spending 2–3% GDP vs. 8–10% for USSR. Freed fiscal space for investment. Political stability enabled long-term planning.
No single factor. Marshall seed + EEC soil + industrial policy water + social contract sun + US security fence = forest. By 1973 (oil shock), the model hit limits — but the foundation held.