The war that changed everything: how government-led industry reshaped Wales’ future.

Between 1934 and 1947, Wales underwent a dramatic economic transformation. Once reliant on a struggling private sector, the nation saw its industries reorganized under government control as wartime demands reshaped the economy. Waging War and Building Peace is the first in-depth study of this period, outlining how state-led industrial mobilization eliminated unemployment, modernized agriculture, and expanded manufacturing while coal mining remained in crisis.

Leon Gooberman studies how wartime policies not only fueled production but also laid the groundwork for post-war economic planning, ensuring the state retained a dominant role even after the fighting ceased. This book traces the profound shifts that redefined industry, labor, and governance in Wales: from factory floors to government offices, offering a new perspective on a pivotal moment in the nation’s economic history.