Conventional wisdom in economic history suggests that conflict between countries can be enormously disruptive of economic activity, especially international trade. We study the effects of war on bilateral trade with available data extending back to 1870. Using the gravity model, we estimate the contemporaneous and lagged effects of wars on the trade of belligerent nations and neutrals, controlling for other determinants of trade as well as the possible effects of reverse causality. We find large and persistent impacts of wars on trade, on national income, and on global economic welfare. We also conduct a general equilibrium comparative statics exercise that indicates costs associated with lost trade might be at least as large as the conventionally measured "direct" costs of war, such as lost human capital, as illustrated by case studies of World War I and World War II.
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Paper provided by National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc in its series NBER Working Papers with number
11565.
Length: Date of creation: Aug 2005 Date of revision: Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:11565
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Find related papers by JEL classification: D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances F02 - International Economics - - General - - - International Economic Order; Noneconomic International Organizations;; Economic Integration and Globalization: General F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Country and Industry Studies of Trade H56 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - National Security and War N40 - Economic History - - Government, War, Law, and Regulation - - - General, International, or Comparative N70 - Economic History - - Economic History: Transport, International and Domestic Trade, Energy, and Other Services - - - General, International, or Comparative
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Kris James Mitchener & Marc Weidenmier, 2008.
"Trade and Empire,"
NBER Working Papers
13765, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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