If that doesn't work, you could always deport as many vulnerable members of the lowest stratum of society, so you couldn't work the factories even if you had the materials.
Have you just tried seizing all the wealth of the nation for you and your inner circle so when you do crash out you can at least move to a place that is ok??
This is the best advertisement for Victoria 3 (or other similar games). Now I want to get a game like this and experiment with messing with the economy.