Re: [Leica] Country of origin

[Simon Stevens <simon@camera-craftsman.com>]

>Incidentaly, do you think it a
>coincidance that the two axis powers of Japan and Germany at war with
>virtually the whole world and despite defeat they picked themselves up

Alan:

You might also notice that both were occupied after the war. "Pick[ing]
themselves up" therefore included a lot of help in the form of the
Marshall Plan, other cash transfers (for example, US troop spending
which I imagine helped keep the German optical industy afloat) and, of
course, the US defense umbrella. Both Germany and Japan also had their
constitutions pretty much dictated in the form of the German Basic Law
and
the equally US-written Japanese peace Constitution. They also had their
new goverments 'midwifed' by people like General Marshall, General Clay
and John J. McCloy. This stable political foundation probably had more
than a little to do with their post war success.

This doesn't detract from the hard work and industry of both their
people, but these weren't solo efforts by any means. As a point of
comparison you might like to look at the very different story of the
DDR. Same people; different occupying army.

Simon Stevens