From Miracle to Bubble — Japan, America, and the Plaza Accord Post-WWII Economic Overview and Japan’s Rise (1945–1970) Global Economic Context After World War II As we read in the previous chapters America was by far the manufacturing hub post world war 2. From cars to electronics everythign was built by America.Detroit an American city, today a shadow of its fomrer self was the 5th biggest city in the US, heavily manufacturing-oriented. The decline of Detroit alone shows how far the others came in manufacturing adn how much slower America became in manufacturing. What was the the world economy like during then? Bretton Woods (1944): The US acquired much of the world's gold from the 1930s and had the largest reserves of gold in the world. In 1944, the US held over 2,200 tonnes of gold, a significant portion of the world's supply, and was by far the largest gold holder, with France and Germany being the next-largest holders with around 800-900...