Bretton Woods: A Global Perspective

Abstract

The historiography of the Bretton Woods conference of July 1944 is dominated by the personal clash between the principal negotiators, Harry Dexter White of the United States and John Maynard Keynes of Britain. Their contest over different blueprints for the structure of post-war economic and financial management was set in the context of American designs to dismantle the protective measures of the British imperial system and pave the way toward a US-led world order. Yet 42 other nations were also present at the conference. This book examines Bretton Woods as a seminal moment in international diplomacy, with new partners and players expressing their demands on the global stage. Six themes are explored: North–South relations, Rooseveltian ideals, policy coalitions, public and private interests, key personalities, and trade.