Not just during but long after (well into the 1950s). People generally don't understand that Britain literally bankrupted herself holding out against Germany, then got to watch as the former Axis powers rebounded faster than they did.

[–] gmtom@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Less we bankrupted ourselves and more the Americans bankrupted us. America put a lot of effort in the early 20th century to undermining the influence of the BE and was far more concerned with building up west Germany as a barrier to the Soviets than they did with building back up allies like the UK and France.