IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/gnv/wpaper/unige185041.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Globalization 2.0: The Geopolitics of the US Exchange Stabilization Fund, 1934-1945

Author

Listed:
  • Flores Zendejas, Juan
  • Nodari, Gianandrea

Abstract

This paper adopts a historical perspective to examine the geopolitical dimensions of monetary policy, focusing on the 1930s. During this period, Stabilization Funds were established to promote exchange rate stability as nations abandoned the gold exchange standard. These entities intervened in foreign exchange markets and extended stabilization loans to other countries. This article analyzes the experience of the U.S. Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF), situating it within the broader context of global economic fragmentation and the formation of currency blocs. The analysis reveals that rivalries with foreign powers significantly influenced the outcomes of these loans, and the political conditions attached to them delineated the boundaries of the expanding "dollar bloc." The U.S. ESF emerged as a pivotal instrument, enabling the United States to secure trade markets while bolstering the war efforts of allied nations.

Suggested Citation

  • Flores Zendejas, Juan & Nodari, Gianandrea, 2025. "Globalization 2.0: The Geopolitics of the US Exchange Stabilization Fund, 1934-1945," Working Papers unige:185041, University of Geneva, Paul Bairoch Institute of Economic History.
    • Handle: RePEc:gnv:wpaper:unige:185041
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://luniarchidoc5.unige.ch/archive-ouverte/unige:185041/ATTACHMENT01
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David S. Jacks & Dennis Novy, 2020. "Trade Blocs and Trade Wars during the Interwar Period," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 15(1), pages 119-136, January.
    2. Ponticelli, Jacopo & Voth, Hans-Joachim, 2020. "Austerity and anarchy: Budget cuts and social unrest in Europe, 1919–2008," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(1), pages 1-19.
    3. Jonas Ljungberg & Anders Ögren, 2022. "Discipline or international balance: the choice of monetary systems in Europe," The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 218-245, March.
    4. Becker,William H. & McClenahan, Jr,William M., 2003. "The Market, the State, and the Export-Import Bank of the United States, 1934–2000," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521811439, Enero-Abr.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Röhrs, Sigrid & Winter, Christoph, 2017. "Reducing government debt in the presence of inequality," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 1-20.
    2. Marco Manacorda & Andrea Tesei, 2020. "Liberation Technology: Mobile Phones and Political Mobilization in Africa," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 88(2), pages 533-567, March.
    3. Hadzi-Vaskov Metodij & Pienknagura Samuel & Ricci Luca Antonio, 2023. "The Macroeconomic Impact of Social Unrest," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 23(2), pages 917-958, June.
    4. Waśniewski, Krzysztof, 2012. "Local governments’ fiscal policy as a factor of urban development – evidence from Poland," MPRA Paper 39176, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Bruno Caprettini & Hans-Joachim Voth, 2020. "Rage against the Machines: Labor-Saving Technology and Unrest in Industrializing England," American Economic Review: Insights, American Economic Association, vol. 2(3), pages 305-320, September.
    6. Mª del Mar Rubio-Varas & Joseba De la Torre, 2016. ""Spain - Eximbank's Billion Dollar Client": The Role of the US Financing the Spanish Nuclear Program," Documentos de Trabajo (DT-AEHE) 1603, Asociación Española de Historia Económica.
    7. Eric Melander & Martina Miotto, 2023. "Welfare Cuts and Crime: Evidence from the New Poor Law," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 133(651), pages 1248-1264.
    8. Vybhavi Balasundharam & Olivier Basdevant & Dalmacio Benicio & Andrew Ceber & Yujin Kim & Luca Mazzone & Hoda Selim & Yongzheng Yang, 2023. "Fiscal Consolidation: Taking Stock of Success Factors, Impact, and Design," IMF Working Papers 2023/063, International Monetary Fund.
    9. David M Higgins & Brian D Varian, 2021. "Britain’s Empire Marketing Board and the failure of soft trade policy, 1926–33 [Bringing another empire alive? The Empire Marketing Board and the construction of Dominion identity, 1926–1933]," European Review of Economic History, European Historical Economics Society, vol. 25(4), pages 780-805.
    10. Galofré-Vilà, Gregori & Meissner, Christopher M. & McKee, Martin & Stuckler, David, 2021. "Austerity and the Rise of the Nazi Party," The Journal of Economic History, Cambridge University Press, vol. 81(1), pages 81-113, March.
    11. Sergei Guriev & Elias Papaioannou, 2022. "The Political Economy of Populism," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 60(3), pages 753-832, September.
    12. Bernardo Guimaraes & Carlos Eduardo Ladeira, 2021. "The determinants of IMF fiscal conditionality: Economics or politics?," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(3), pages 1361-1399, November.
    13. Pushkar Pushp & Arbuda Sharma & Faisal Ahmed, 2024. "Flexibility in the WTO: Navigating the Dynamics of Multilateralism Using Grounded Theory," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 25(4), pages 805-823, December.
    14. Kris James Mitchener Author e-mail: kmitchener@scu.edu & Kirsten Wandschneider Author e-mail: kirsten.wandschneider@univie.ac.at & Kevin Hjortshøj O’Rourke Author e-mail: akevin.orourke@nyu.edu, 2021. "The Smoot-Hawley Trade War," Working Papers 20210061, New York University Abu Dhabi, Department of Social Science, revised Mar 2021.
    15. Takatoshi Ito & Kazumasa Iwata & Colin McKenzie & Shujiro Urata, 2020. "Trade Wars: Editors' Overview," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 15(1), pages 1-30, January.
    16. Geloso, Vincent & Kufenko, Vadim, 2019. "Can markets foster rebellion? The case of the 1837–38 rebellions in Lower Canada," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 263-287.
    17. Kris James Mitchener & Kevin Hjortshøj O'Rourke & Kirsten Wandschneider, 2022. "The Smoot-Hawley Trade War," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 132(647), pages 2500-2533.
    18. Mr. Giovanni Dell'Ariccia & Caio Ferreira & Nigel Jenkinson & Mr. Luc Laeven & Alberto Martin & Ms. Camelia Minoiu & Alex Popov, 2018. "Managing the Sovereign-Bank Nexus," IMF Departmental Papers / Policy Papers 2018/016, International Monetary Fund.
    19. Thorbecke, Willem & Chen, Chen & Salike, Nimesh, 2021. "China’s exports in a protectionist world," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    20. Vilde Lunnan Djuve & Carl Henrik Knutsen, 2024. "Economic crisis and regime transitions from within," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(3), pages 446-461, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Economic fragmentation; Great depression; Geopolitical competition; Currency crises; Dollar diplomacy;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • N12 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • N16 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • N22 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - U.S.; Canada: 1913-
    • N26 - Economic History - - Financial Markets and Institutions - - - Latin America; Caribbean
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration
    • F34 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - International Lending and Debt Problems
    • F36 - International Economics - - International Finance - - - Financial Aspects of Economic Integration
    • F53 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - International Agreements and Observance; International Organizations

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gnv:wpaper:unige:185041. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jean-Blaise Claivaz (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ihegech.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.