Turd removed from the sewer

[Old Greg]

While the Germans had the acrimony of losing WW2, they were demilitarised, giving them a massive financial advantage of not having to worry about armed forces spending and could therefore concentrate on industrial efforts instead. Instead we ended up heavily unionised and outputting the Morris Marina and MG Maestro.

They were also massively deindustrialised and large amounts of intellectual property confiscated.

[LondonManc]

They were also massively deindustrialised and large amounts of intellectual property confiscated.

Which also meant that they had the benefit of a greenfield site rather than the Victorian/Georgian imperialist "we're the best" mindset. We were in a position of triumphalism, debt and complacency.

[shaunbhoy]

Whilst we are on the subject of turd removal, anybody heard from sas lately?

Is he still attempting to ingratiate himself to Portuguese hill-bumpkins?

[BlasterBates]

While the Germans had the acrimony of losing WW2, they were demilitarised, giving them a massive financial advantage of not having to worry about armed forces spending and could therefore concentrate on industrial efforts instead. Instead we ended up heavily unionised and outputting the Morris Marina and MG Maestro.

Where do you get that from, that is complete nonsense or do you mean the period where Germany was just a load of ruins.

The other myth about Germany getting more from the Marshall plan sounds better

[LondonManc]

Where do you get that from, that is complete nonsense or do you mean the period where Germany was just a load of ruins.

The other myth about Germany getting more from the Marshall plan sounds better

The Potsdam Agreement mainly.

[BlasterBates]

The Potsdam Agreement mainly.

Yes they were demilitarised initially and their factories were also dismantled and moved to allied countries, but in the 1950's they moved on.

So presumably you're suggesting that a couple of years in the 1950's when the Germans had rebuilt some of their factories and didn't have any military spending is the reason for their success over the following 60 years.

The UK dismantled German factories up until 1950. Surely getting "free" machines should have meant the UK would have a thriving industry.

[Old Greg]

Yes they were demilitarised initially and their factories were also dismantled and moved to allied countries, but in the 1950's they moved on.

So presumably you're suggesting that a couple of years in the 1950's when the Germans had rebuilt some of their factories and didn't have any military spending is the reason for their success over the following 60 years.

The UK dismantled German factories up until 1950. Surely getting "free" machines should have meant the UK would have a thriving industry.

Not just that. There was also the establishment of the Saar protectorate, and post its reunification with Germany, French rights to extract coal until 1981.

[LondonManc]

Yes they were demilitarised initially and their factories were also dismantled and moved to allied countries, but in the 1950's they moved on.

So presumably you're suggesting that a couple of years in the 1950's when the Germans had rebuilt some of their factories and didn't have any military spending is the reason for their success over the following 60 years.

The UK dismantled German factories up until 1950. Surely getting "free" machines should have meant the UK would have a thriving industry.

I'm suggesting that they had a reset and with new ideas coming in (no incumbent government for obvious reasons...) felt that with the nuclear age now upon us (them) then WW3 would be end of the world. Have a look at what we'd have saved if we hadn't had any defence spending since 1945.