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Autarchy, market disintegration, and health: the mortality and nutritional crisis in Nazi Germany, 1933-1937

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  • Baten, Jorg
  • Wagner, Andrea

Abstract

We compare trends in mortality, nutritional status and food supply to other living standard indicators for the early years of the Nazi period. We find that Germany experienced a substantial increase in mortality rates in most age groups in the mid-1930s, even relative to those of 1932, the worst year of the Great Depression. Expenditures on rearmament grew at the expense of public health measures. Food imports were curtailed, and prices of many agricultural products were controlled. There is ample evidence that this set of economic policies had an adverse effect on the health of the population.
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  • Baten, Jorg & Wagner, Andrea, 2003. "Autarchy, market disintegration, and health: the mortality and nutritional crisis in Nazi Germany, 1933-1937," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 1(1), pages 1-28, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:1:y:2003:i:1:p:1-28
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    1. Blum, Matthias & Strebel, Matthias, 2016. "Max Weber and the First World War: Protestant and Catholic living standards in Germany, 1915–1919," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 12(3), pages 699-719, September.
    2. Schwekendiek, Daniel, 2008. "The North Korean standard of living during the famine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(3), pages 596-608, February.
    3. Akbulut-Yuksel, Mevlude & Yuksel, Mutlu, 2017. "Heterogeneity in the long term health effects of warfare," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 27(PA), pages 126-136.
    4. Jörg Baten & Andreas Böhm, 2010. "Children's Height and Parental Unemployment: A Large‐Scale Anthropometric Study on Eastern Germany, 1994–2006," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 11(1), pages 1-24, February.
    5. Maria-Dolores, Ramon & Martínez Carrion, José Miguel, 2012. "The comovement between height and some economic development indicators in Spain," UMUFAE Economics Working Papers 26464, DIGITUM. Universidad de Murcia.
    6. Cámara, Antonio D. & Puche, Javier & Martínez-Carrión, José Miguel, 2021. "Assessing the effects of autarchic policies on the biological well-being: Analysis of deviations in cohort male height in the Valencian Community (Spain) during Francoist regime," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    7. Bassino, Jean-Pascal & Kato, Noriko, 2010. "Rich and slim, but relatively short Explaining the halt in the secular trend in Japan," CEI Working Paper Series 2010-5, Center for Economic Institutions, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    8. Matthias Blum, 2013. "War, food rationing, and socioeconomic inequality in Germany during the First World War," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 66(4), pages 1063-1083, November.
    9. Steckel, Richard H., 2009. "Heights and human welfare: Recent developments and new directions," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-23, January.
    10. Ayuda, María-Isabel & Puche-Gil, Javier, 2014. "Determinants of height and biological inequality in Mediterranean Spain, 1859–1967," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 15(C), pages 101-119.
    11. Robin Winkler, 2015. "Feast or Famine: The Welfare Impact of Food Price Controls in Nazi Germany," Economics Series Working Papers Number 136, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    12. María-Dolores, Ramón & Martínez-Carrión, José Miguel, 2011. "The relationship between height and economic development in Spain, 1850-1958," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 30-44, January.
    13. Becker, Charles M. & Urzhumova, Dina S., 2005. "Mortality recovery and stabilization in Kazakhstan, 1995-2001," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 3(1), pages 97-122, March.
    14. Jun, Seong Ho & Lewis, James B. & Schwekendiek, Daniel, 2017. "The biological standard of living in pre-modern Korea: Determinants of height of militia recruits during the Chosŏn dynasty," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 104-110.
    15. Blum, Matthias, 2011. "Government decisions before and during the First World War and the living standards in Germany during a drastic natural experiment," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 48(4), pages 556-567.
    16. Mackenbach, Johan P., 2013. "Political conditions and life expectancy in Europe, 1900–2008," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 134-146.
    17. Robin Winkler, 2015. "Feast or Famine: The Welfare Impact of Food Price Controls in Nazi Germany," Oxford Economic and Social History Working Papers _136, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    18. Thilo N. H. Albers & Charlotte Bartels & Moritz Schularick, 2020. "The Distribution of Wealth in Germany, 1895-2018," ECONtribute Policy Brief Series 001, University of Bonn and University of Cologne, Germany.
    19. Jörg Baten & Andreas Böhm, 2008. "Trends of Children’s Height and Parental Unemployment: A Large-Scale Anthropometric Study on Eastern Germany, 1994 – 2006," CESifo Working Paper Series 2189, CESifo.
    20. repec:bla:germec:v:11:y:2010:i::p:1-24 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Blum, Matthias & Hanley, Nicholas & McLaughlin, Eoin, 2013. "Genuine savings and future well-being in Germany, 1850-2000," Stirling Economics Discussion Papers 2013-13, University of Stirling, Division of Economics.

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