The Economic History Podcast

Bretton Woods 50 Years On

May 19, 2021 Episode 22

Today, we meet Prof. Eric Monnet of the Paris School of Economics and discuss the monetary system that emerged after World War II- Bretton Woods. After covering how it theoretically operated, Eric takes us through the details of how it functioned in reality. We look at the nostalgia for gold amongst some central bankers, the co-operation that distinguished the BW system from the Gold exchange standard and consider new interpretations on the underlying causes of the system's ultimate demise.