The Economics of World War II: Six Great Powers in International Comparison

Studies in Macroeconomic History

by Mark Harrison (Editor), Hugh Rockoff (Contributor), Peter Howlett (Contributor)

This book, the result of an international collaborative project, provides a new quantitative view of the wartime economic experiences of six great powers: the UK, the United States, Germany, Italy, Japan and the USSR. A chapter is devoted to each country, while the introductory chapter presents a comparative overview. It aims to provide a text of statistical reference for those interested in international and comparative economic history, the history of World War II, the history of economic policy, and comparative economic systems.

Genres: History, Economics, World War II, War, Nonfiction, Military History

332 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ian Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this is a remarkable book. It examines the economic situation for the major participants in WW II with both a large amount of data (there are tables for all sorts of things, although on a Kindle you need a magnifying glass to read them) and there is a good analysis of them. What is quite surprising (at least for me) of the Axis, only Germany had a tolerable economic base, and it was strangely resource poor. Italy had less productive war capacity a year into its participation than before the war, and it was not through bombing. The German "economic miracle" following WW II was in part due to the foundation put in place by Hitler. No surprise that the US did well out of the war, and oddly, the USSR had its economic problems that lead to its collapse put in place during the pre-war and early war. This is a truly enlightening book, as long as you are interested in economics. Strongly recommended if you are interested in economic history.

[Tad · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's really more of a collection of 6 related moderate-length essays, tied together with some overview information. Each of the 6 major combatant nations of WWII (USA, UK, USSR, Italy, Germany, Japan) is given a very thorough treatment by economists regarding their economy leading up to, during, and in the aftermath of the conflict.

If you're a stats guy, this is your source. If you're looking for a dramatic read of WWII history, it's not. At it's heart, it's an economics book first and foremost, with a historic background. Do not approach this book thinking it's the other way around.

That said, the book is highly successful in what it's trying to do. If you like digging into the numbers like I do, and really getting into why the results on the battlefield inevitably turned out the way they did, this is your book.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike traditional war histories that focus on battles and strategy, this book dissects how economic strength—or weakness—shaped the fates of nations like Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, and Italy.

One of the book’s biggest strengths is its comparative approach. Each chapter, written by a different expert, provides a detailed examination of how these nations mobilized their resources, adapted their industries, and sustained military expenditures. The contrast between command economies like the Soviet Union and the more market-driven war efforts of the U.S. and Britain is particularly fascinating. The book also dispels myths—especially the idea that Germany’s war economy was hyper-efficient from the outset. In reality, it suffered from bureaucratic inefficiencies and misallocation of resources.

Harrison doesn’t just present numbers—he explains why some economies thrived under wartime conditions while others faltered. The U.S., for exmple, turned its vast industrial base into an unmatched war machine, while Japan’s resource constraints and overextension proved catastrophic. Italy’s economic woes, meanwhile, made it the weakest of the Axis powers, struggling to sustain prolonged conflict.

The book is rigorous but accessible to readers with an interest in economic history

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