The Rise and Fall of the 'World Economy' in Weimar Germany.

This article examines the role of German business representatives from the Weimar Republic in the 1927 World Economic Conference organized by the League of Nations, focusing on how the concept of the "World Economy" was used to advance their domestic influence. While recent scholarship highlights the emergence of a transnational culture of economic experts during the interwar period, the article argues that German delegates leveraged their international participation primarily to enhance their standing within national federations and government circles. The initial prominence of the World Economy as a policy focus waned when the conference's recommendations, especially on customs and tariff policies, failed to be implemented by national governments, leading German business leaders to shift attention toward regional customs unions and cartel agreements. The study underscores that the transnational engagement of Weimar economic actors was deeply intertwined with domestic political and economic contexts rather than representing a purely autonomous international technocratic cooperation.