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Bretton Woods

Senior US Treasury official, Harry Dexter White, (left) and economist, John Maynard Keynes, at Bretton Woods in 1944.

The dominant figures of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference - Senior US Treasury official, Harry Dexter White, (left) and economist, John Maynard Keynes.
©International Monetary Fund

The Bretton Woods system was an international monetary system. It was set up to regulate and stabilise monetary and commercial relations between its member states at the end of the Second World War, and lasted until the early 1970s.

Related documents

International Monetary Fund and World Bank

Cabinet Conclusion 1. United Nations Reconstruction and Development Bank. 28 June 1944 (PDF, 1.237MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. International Monetary Fund. 25 January 1945 (PDF, 1.733MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Proposed United Nations Bank for reconstruction and Development. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 20 June 1944 (PDF, 0.760MB)

Bretton Woods conference

Cabinet Memorandum. Currency Talks at Washington: Exchange Stability. Note by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 2 October 1943 (PDF, 1.999MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Anglo-American Discussions under Article VII. Note by the Minister of State. 5 February 1944 (PDF, 3.768MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Washington Conversations on Article VII. Memorandum by the Minister of State. 7 February 1944 (PDF, 9.447MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Discussions under Article VII of the Mutual Aid Agreement. Report from the Committee on External Economic Policy. 18 February 1944 (PDF, 2.117MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Bretton Woods Conference. 22 January 1945 (PDF, 0.665MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Ratification of Bretton Woods Agreements. 3 December 1945 (PDF, 2.718MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 6. Exchange Control Bill. 4 November 1946 (PDF, 1.893MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Exchange Control Bill. 7 November 1946 (PDF, 1.347MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Bretton Woods Agreements Bill. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 30 November 1945 (PDF, 1.673MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Exchange Control Bill. Memorandum by the Solicitor-General. 31 October 1946 (PDF, 0.533MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Exchange Control Bill. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 31 October 1946 (PDF, 9.441MB)

Bretton Woods System in practice

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Balance of Payments. 17 August 1947 (PDF, 1.465MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Balance of Payments. Memorandum by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. 16 August 1947 (PDF, 1.230MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Balance of Payments. 19 August 1947 (PDF, 0.763MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. Balance of Payments. 20 August 1947 (PDF, 0.644MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. Balance of Payments. 25 August 1947 (PDF, 2.504MB)

Cabinet Conclusions 2 & 3. Meeting of Commonwealth finance Ministers & The Economic Situation. 25 July 1949 (PDF, 1.621MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. The Economic Situation. 17 September 1949 (PDF, 2.266MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Dollar Situation. Memorandum by the Prime Minister. 21 July 1949 (PDF, 0.697MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. The Economic Situation. Memorandum by the Lord President of the Council. 21 July 1949 (PDF, 1.046MB)

Demise of Bretton Woods

Cabinet Conclusion 4. Economic Situation. 21 November 1967 (PDF, 3.306MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 3. Economic Situation. 23 November 1967 (PDF, 2.727MB)

Cabinet Memorandum. Economic Situation. Note by the Secretary of the Cabinet. 20 November 1967 (PDF, 0.625MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. International Monetary Situation. 16 August 1971 (PDF, 1.162MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 1. International Monetary Situation. 2 September 1971 (PDF, 1.192MB)

Cabinet Conclusion 2. International Monetary Situation. 9 September 1971 (PDF, 0.771MB)

Search using Gold standard Bretton Woods International Monetary Fund

Further reading

Tew, B., The Evolution of the International Monetary System, 1945-85 (London: Hutchinson, 1985)

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