An Economic History of Twentieth-Century Europe

'An Economic History of Twentieth-Century Europe represents a tour de force that only a scholar with the broad intellectual interests, ambition, and experience of Professor Berend could have undertaken. The twentieth century appears as a long and dramatic journey between two globalization episodes in which dramatic social experiments were carried out and material progress and well-being reached the highest levels ever.' Leandro Prados-de-la-Escosura, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

'This revised and updated edition of an already classic book takes the reader through to Europe's best and worst of all centuries. Unprecedented wealth and unprecedented barbarity are put into an economic perspective, against a broad intellectual and institutional background. A must-read at a critical juncture of Europe's history.' Gianni Toniolo, Guido Carli Free International University for Social Studies

Professor Ivan T. Berend is the author of more than thirty books, many of which have been translated and published all over the world. His first edition of An Economic History of Europe was published in thirteen countries. Berend's life experience has helped him to understand twentieth-century European history. He was born and lived under the authoritarian Horthy regime in Hungary, survived the Nazi concentration camp in Dachau and experienced the communist regime in post-war Hungary, as well as working on its reform and regime change. He also chaired the committee that worked out the first privatization and marketization plan for Hungary in 1989. He has 66 years teaching experience in Hungary, Britain and the United States and was a fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the British Academy, the Academia Europea, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Hungarian and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, as well as being an honorary doctor of Glasgow University, St John's University (USA), and Janus Pannonius University (Hungary). In 2005, Berend received the Gold Medal of the German Suedosteuropa Gesellshaft for life-time achievement in research on Southeast Europe.

Introduction; 1. Europe's laissez-faire system and its impact before World War I; 2. Decline of laissez-faire and the rise of the regulated market system; 3. Economic dirigisme in authoritarian-fascist regimes; 4. The centrally planned economic system; 5. Managed social-market system in an integrating post-World War II Western Europe; 6. Globalization: return to laissez-faire?; Bibliography; Index.