Economic and Social History of Western Europe since 1945 An

<p>This is the ideal companion text to <i>A Political History of Western Europe Since 1945</i>. It is an introductory survey which explains how western Europe built up its postwar prosperity and is moving towards continental integration. Themes treated include: the origins of the EC; consumerism; youth culture and protest; immigration; the oil crisis and its aftermath; and the contrasting experience and expectations of the Nordic world and the Mediterranean south. The book ends with the consequences of Soviet collapse. Designed for general history students, it assumes no formal knowledge of economics, and is notably accessible and user-friendly in its approach.</p> Preface. 1. The Reconstruction Challenge: Western Europe, 1945-c.1952. 2. The Northern Industrial Core: Britain, France, and Germany 1945-c. 1960. 3. Contrasts on the Fringe: The Nordic Countries and the Mediterranean South 1945-1960. 4. Towards the European Economic Union 1945-1995. 5. The Society of Success: Consumerism, Youth Culture and Protest 1945-1970. 6. The New Europeans: Immigration, Immigrants and Their Descendants. 7. The New Climate of External Events: (1) The Oil Crisis, 1973, and (2) The Collapse of European Communism, 1989-1991. 8. National Problems and Progress: Germany, France and Britain since the 1960s. 9. The Benelux Countries: Modernisation through Association, 1945-1995. 10. Progress and Problems on the Western European Fringe since the 1960s. 11. Western European Society since 1970. 12. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.