In the Maddison reading, I like to make a point of the first real world growth slowdown since the Great Depression. It says that 1973 was the year that everything really started slowing down with the exception of East Asia. I think this is directly linked to the US finally getting out of war. Essentially as soon as WWII finished up, Vietnam started. Just like we typically see with war, we had a great stimulated economy during the fighting and the demand goods and technological advances for our military and manufacturing processes.