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After the war it was possible for this sort of scenario to work. A type of anarchy did exist to make this possible.
If we loosened the strings in today's circumstances I fear the "big boys" would simply take over. It would not be anarchy,
it would be a slaughter of innocents!!
Unions and their political offshoots arose to fight the unfair, and unnecessary, practices of the companies and their bosses.
In more recent times the results of unfettered industrial practices have forced governments to act in order to protect the
environment.
Now if thtat means Market regulation, then I am all for it!!!
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For the first few years after the war Germany had very slow development. However, the US became extremely worried about communism and decided that Europe would make a good bulwark. So the Marshall plan was devised pouring money into the destroyed industrial areas. There was the secondary subsidy of allied troops being stationed there and spending hard currency. It also served to thumb the western nose at the eastern bloc by setting it up as a role model for capitalism versus communism.
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Yes , the Marshall plan and a similar type of plan in Japan were responsible for the rapid recovery and expansion of both economies after the war.
In some ways Germany was advantaged by the fact that it had to start virtually from scratch with manufacturing. Much of their capability had been utterly
destroyed by allied bombing and the Russians simply removed whatever they could and carted it off to Russia.
To get rolling the Germans needed new machinery and this meant more modern machinery and methods. Contrast this with the older and well protected machinery in Britain.
Both japan and Germany had very industrious populations also, and this no doubt helped their efforts.
The USA was an entirely different case. It was the only nation that came out of the war richer than it went into it. It's massive industrial capacity was unscathed by the war.
In fact, as a supplier to other nations, the war actually pushed the expansion and modernization of the US economy and means of production. They were the only nation in a position to take full advantage of the situation in peacetime.
Complicating Britain's effforts was it's desire to cling onto empire, but we won't go there.
