When Money Dies (written by Adam Fergusson) explores the devastating hyperinflation that occurred in Germany during the early 1920s. Fergusson uses a combination of historical research, personal accounts, and anecdotal evidence to paint a vivid picture of the social, economic, and political upheaval that resulted from this catastrophic event.
The book begins by describing the state of Germany after the First World War. When the country was left in ruins, with its economy in shambles and its people struggling to survive. The govenment, led by the Weimar Republic, was burdened with crippling debts and faced immense pressure from both foreign creditors and domestic political groups.
As a result, the government decided to print vast amounts of fiat money in order to finance its operations and pay off its debts. At first, this seemed to work. The economy began to recover, people had money to spend etc. However, as more and more money was printed, inflation began to spiral out of control.
Thus the value of the German mark began to plummet, and prices for goods and services skyrocketed. People soon found that their savings were worthless, and they had to spend their money as quickly as possible before it lost its value entirely. This led to a situation where people would rush to spend their money as soon as they received it, creating an economy that was chaotic and unpredictable.
The book describes many different ways in which hyperinflation affected the German society. People had to carry their money in wheelbarrows just to buy basic necessities, and prices for goods and services could change multiple times in a single day etc.
Because of this the Weimar Republic lost credibility in the eyes of the German people, who blamed the government for their economic problems. This created a fertile ground for extremist political groups, such as the Nazi Party, to gain support and eventually come to power.
Throughout the book, Fergusson emphasizes the human toll of hyperinflation. He describes the stories of ordinary Germans who lost everything and were forced to live in poverty and despair. He also highlights the heroic efforts of individuals who worked to mitigate the effects of hyperinflation, such as the people who set up barter networks or the government officials who tried to stabilize the currency.
So all in all, When Money Dies is a reminder of the dangers of hyperinflation and the problems all nations will suffer at some point, when they don't move to a Bitcoin Standard.