When did Italy fully industrialize, did they even reach that stage?

[Sunforged General]

I read one source that as of the start of WWII in 1939, Italy was still only a "partially industrialized nation". Presumably because the northern half of the nation was somewhat industrialized, but the southern half was heavily agriculture focused. The industrial production numbers of Italy in WWII were certainly abysmal. They produced only 1/10th as many Aircraft as Germany, and only 1/20th as many tanks. Their naval production wasn't much better, for example they only produced 6 destroyers during the war, which is 1/4th as many as the USSR did, and thats considering the USSR put a very low priority on naval production.

Did Italy ever fully industrialize, or did they skip from partial industrialization, to the modern service oriented economies of today?

 

[Jopa79]

Crespi d’Adda.

 

[Abdul Goatherd]

I read one source that as of the start of WWII in 1939, Italy was still only a "partially industrialized nation". Presumably because the northern half of the nation was somewhat industrialized, but the southern half was heavily agriculture focused. The industrial production numbers of Italy in WWII were certainly abysmal. They produced only 1/10th as many Aircraft as Germany, and only 1/20th as many tanks. Their naval production wasn't much better, for example they only produced 6 destroyers during the war, which is 1/4th as many as the USSR did, and thats considering the USSR put a very low priority on naval production.

Did Italy ever fully industrialize, or did they skip from partial industrialization, to the modern service oriented economies of today?

Post-war, often divided into the 1953-63 "extensive" decade and the 1963-71 "intensive" decade. Although everyone likes to talk about the "economic miracle" in Germany and Japan post-war, Italy's post-war miracle was even greater.

 

[Denkt]

Northen Italy is actually richer than UK or France (GDP per capita), atleast last time I checked, while the Southern parts are much poorer. Bascially the country is very much economically divided.

 

[pithorr]

Northen Italy is actually richer than UK or France (GDP per capita), atleast last time I checked, while the Southern parts are much poorer. Bascially the country is very much economically divided.

Well, Southern England or Northern France are even reacher I suppose. Every country is economically divided in some kind

 

[Director]

From what I've seen, Italy was basically the equal of Japan in the rankings of industrialized nations. Italy re-equipped its armed forces in the 20s and early 30s and so was left with a lot of obsolete equipment they could not afford to replace, ten years later. That, and a lack of coal and oil, were Italy's chief economic problems.

Like Spain, Italy should have either extorted a huge price to join a side or stayed neutral.

 

[AjayAlcos]

From what I've seen, Italy was basically the equal of Japan in the rankings of industrialized nations. Italy re-equipped its armed forces in the 20s and early 30s and so was left with a lot of obsolete equipment they could not afford to replace, ten years later. That, and a lack of coal and oil, were Italy's chief economic problems.

Like Spain, Italy should have either extorted a huge price to join a side or stayed neutral.

Wasn't a lack of iron deposits also to blame (Elba & Sardinia being the only significant sources if I remember correctly) or at least ones not exploited due to not yet being discovered (like those in Libya for example).

 

[thinh3393]

Post-war, often divided into the 1953-63 "extensive" decade and the 1963-71 "intensive" decade. Although everyone likes to talk about the "economic miracle" in Germany and Japan post-war, Italy's post-war miracle was even greater.

Sound interesting. Where can I read more about this? In Wikipedia, Italy miracle is second in Europe, but not above Germany.

 

[Gordy]

Well, Southern England or Northern France are even reacher I suppose. Every country is economically divided in some kind

This is true but the difference in Italy is starker than anywhere else I can think of in Western Europe.

Northern Italy has a developed economy as good as anywhere else in Europe but Southern Italy is more like Eastern Europe.

 

[Denkt]

France and England seems to have more centralized economies than Italy or Germany.

 

[Kenttäharmaa]

https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/italy/

https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/m...53643.001.0001/acprof-9780198753643-chapter-6

https://historum.com/threads/why-did-italy-have-such-a-hard-time-industrializing.88254/

These might be of help. Tl;dr the NW of the country did industrialise, the south not so much. How much the south of the country industrialised after the war, I can't say, but I'd wager only the NW of Italy ever really looked like a proper industralised region before the transition to a service-based economy.

 

[Gordy]

https://www.erih.net/how-it-started/industrial-history-of-european-countries/italy/

https://www.oxfordscholarship.com/m...53643.001.0001/acprof-9780198753643-chapter-6

https://historum.com/threads/why-did-italy-have-such-a-hard-time-industrializing.88254/

These might be of help. Tl;dr the NW of the country did industrialise, the south not so much. How much the south of the country industrialised after the war, I can't say, but I'd wager only the NW of Italy ever really looked like a proper industralised region before the transition to a service-based economy.

A lot of the new industries that arose after WW2 were based in the centre of Italy. I don't think the South got much out of that era.

 

[HuzzButt]

Northern Italy has some of the most fascinating precision engineering industries. OMGA/Diereggi for example. During the 80's and 90's ELU had manufacturing in Italy, some of it was kept by Dewalt. Numerous companies in metal machining. Italy has managed to keep high quality craftsman dependent manufacturing alive whereas most of Europe has failed.
Whether it's a compressor, a radial arm saw or a precision lathe, Italy is a better bet than Germany.

Industialization isn't as interesting as skilled higg quality manufacturing.