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.
By:
Leon Gooberman
Imprint: University of Wales Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
ISBN: 9781837722709
ISBN 10: 1837722706
Series: Studies in Welsh History
Pages: 248
Publication Date: 15 October 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
ABBREVIATIONS INTRODUCTION 1 REARMAMENT AND ‘PHONEY WAR’, 1934–1940 Rearmament, 1934–1938 Crisis and War, 1938–1940 2 WARTIME MUNITIONS INDUSTRIES, 1940–1945 2.1 Governing production 2.2 Governing labour 2.3 Factories 3 WARTIME NATURAL RESOURCE INDUSTRIES, 1940–1945 3.1 Coal mining 3.2 Metal manufacturing 3.3 Agriculture 4 RECONSTRUCTION, 1943–1947 4.1 Secondary manufacturing 4.2 Natural resource industries CONCLUSION DATA APPENDIX BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX
Leon Gooberman is a reader in employment relations and business history at Cardiff Business School.
