Following the end of World War II, Europe went from a devastated and broken continent to a continent that had a population explosion and major economic growth. The 1950s and 60s were a time of great prosperity. People were working, raising families and war was the last thing on their minds, However there was a discontent that was occurring between the USSR and the United States. Many of the European nations did not want to get involved in “The Cold War” and tried to focus on the positive aspects in their countries. “The post- war economic ‘boom’ differed slightly in its timing from place to place, coming first in Germany and Britain and only a little later in France and Italy.”(Judt, 324) Some main factors of the economic growth were the
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The invention of the refrigerator was one of the many technological changes in the 1950s but when they were first invented the refrigerator was very expensive. In the late 50s a lot of European homeowners did not have refrigerators in their houses. Many felt that it was too expensive and that they were also skeptical about new technologies. Italy started to become a major producer of refrigerators in the 1950s, “In 1951 Italian factories made just 18,500 fridges; two decades later Italy was producing 5,247,000 fridges a year. (339)” The washing machine was another important technological invention, but it took a while to catch on; mostly for the same reasons as the refrigerator but with the exception that not a lot of countries in Europe had running water. When washing machines and refrigerators became cheaper the demand for them increased because more people wanted to have them in their homes now that it was affordable. Auto industries in Europe also saw incredibly economic growth. “Until the 1950s, the motor car was a luxury for most Europeans. (339)” With the creation of new jobs as well as a prosperous economy car ownership began to increase. More cars were accessible for Europeans, and they no longer had to rely on public transportation for traveling or
The invention of the refrigerator was one of the many technological changes in the 1950s but when they were first invented the refrigerator was very expensive. In the late 50s a lot of European homeowners did not have refrigerators in their houses. Many felt that it was too expensive and that they were also skeptical about new technologies. Italy started to become a major producer of refrigerators in the 1950s, “In 1951 Italian factories made just 18,500 fridges; two decades later Italy was producing 5,247,000 fridges a year. (339)” The washing machine was another important technological invention, but it took a while to catch on; mostly for the same reasons as the refrigerator but with the exception that not a lot of countries in Europe had running water. When washing machines and refrigerators became cheaper the demand for them increased because more people wanted to have them in their homes now that it was affordable. Auto industries in Europe also saw incredibly economic growth. “Until the 1950s, the motor car was a luxury for most Europeans. (339)” With the creation of new jobs as well as a prosperous economy car ownership began to increase. More cars were accessible for Europeans, and they no longer had to rely on public transportation for traveling or