Waging War and Building Peace (Paperback)

Leon Gooberman

ISBN 10: 1837722706 / ISBN 13: 9781837722709

Published by University of Wales Press, Wales, 2025

About this Item

Paperback. The British economy altered radically between 1934 and 1947. Some of the most dramatic changes were in Wales as its struggling private-sector-led economy was supplanted by one dominated by the state. Initial changes were barely noticeable as pre-war rearmament had little impact on its economy and labour market yet wartime demands for munitions and raw materials prompted the state to govern an all-encompassing mobilisation that upended its relations with business and eliminated unemployment. New factories employed many thousands of people, agriculture was modernised and metal manufacturing thrived, although coal mining remained mired in crisis. As the war ended, lessons learnt during the conflict helped guide the government as it reconverted the economy to peacetime while retaining a dominant role. This book is the first to fully set out and explore these linkages in Wales between government planning, workplaces and their employees. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781837722709

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Waging War and Building Peace (Paperback)
• Publisher: University of Wales Press, Wales
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1837722706
• ISBN 13: 9781837722709
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The war that changed everything: how government-led industry reshaped Wales’ future.

Between 1934 and 1947, Wales underwent a dramatic economic transformation. Once reliant on a struggling private sector, the nation saw its industries reorganized under government control as wartime demands reshaped the economy. Waging War and Building Peace is the first in-depth study of this period, outlining how state-led industrial mobilization eliminated unemployment, modernized agriculture, and expanded manufacturing while coal mining remained in crisis.

Leon Gooberman studies how wartime policies not only fueled production but also laid the groundwork for post-war economic planning, ensuring the state retained a dominant role even after the fighting ceased. This book traces the profound shifts that redefined industry, labor, and governance in Wales: from factory floors to government offices, offering a new perspective on a pivotal moment in the nation’s economic history.

About the Author

Leon Gooberman is a reader in employment relations and business history at Cardiff Business School.