SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The 1930s was a decade of world depression, followed by turmoil with a devastating world war. The last decade of the century witnessed equally dramatic events, including the collapse of the so-called Socialist Bloc. This collapse of a geopolitical bloc ushered in a period of spectacular and appalling economic chaos, which at the end of the century continued to wax and wane. This volume has considered in detail two countries which have tried to manage their economies to avoid such chaos, Cuba and Vietnam. Looking back at the contributions, one can ask, are there lessons to be learned from the experience of these two countries?