Lever of Empire
Book description
This book, the first full account of Japan's financial history and the Japanese gold standard in the pivotal years before World War II, provides a new perspective on the global political dynamics of the era by placing Japan, rather than Europe, at the center of the story. Focusing on the…
Why read it?
1 author picked Lever of Empire as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
Britain, America, and France collectively adopted deflationary policies after 1920 to reestablish the gold standard at the pre-World-War-I parity. Japan's government joined in. The ensuing Japanese deflation retarded growth, produced widespread economic hardship, precipitated a banking crisis in 1927, and ultimately contributed to the sharp swing in Japan's politics towards fascistic, right-wing reactionaries, punctuated with an exclamation mark by the “Manchuria incident” of 1931. Metzler describes in granular detail this historical arc, with special attention to the key persons—including Innoue Junnosuke, Takahashi Korekiyo, and Thomas W. Lamont—and their own written justifications or critiques for the policies they or others implemented.…
From David's list on captivating Japanese history.
Want books like Lever of Empire?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Lever of Empire.
Browse books like Lever of Empire
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in Japan, the gold standard, and monetary policy?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Japan, the gold standard, and monetary policy.