I agree with all you say, and I am certainly not saying the European powers are in any way as influential as in the age of imperialism, as they certainly have not appeared to be so, but in economic terms at least, the main Western European countries should not and could not have become total backwaters. After the depression, they would have at least moderately grown, not as fast as during the actual postwar period, but at least at the rhythm which prevailed before the Great War, that is, 1-2% yearly.