The Rebirth of the West: Americanization of the Democratic World, 1945-1958 - Hardcover

When World War II ended, Europe lay prostrate. Millions had been killed; tens of millions more were destitute or had fled. Hunger, deprivation, misery and hatred characterized the continent. Acute economic, political and social problems seemed insoluable. Yet the years following World War II witnessed perhaps the greatest success story in Western history - the European democracies recovered in a series of economic miracles. Apart from the determination of the peoples themselves, a key factor in the success was the deep involvement of the United States. The US provided dollars and ideas and profoundly influenced education, research, technology, business and art. Europe in effect was partially Americanized. This book is a broad, narrative account of western society during this extraordinary and formative period - political, economic, social, cultural, and scientific - and shows how each is interlinked. In addition to providing an interpretive synthesis of the vast literature on the subject, the authors make an original contribution both to the history of present times, and to the continuing debate about the future of the Western world.