The Man Who Wasn’t There: Cordell Hull, Bretton Woods, and the Creation of the GATT

Abstract

This chapter argues that there were important antecedents to the Bretton Woods accords that were developed by individuals who, although they did not take part in the conference directly, were nevertheless of vital importance in making the Bretton Woods accords—and system—possible. The most important figure here was US Secretary of State Cordell Hull, whose commitment to the creation of a multilateral system of freer trade helped create the political and economic conditions needed to make the Bretton Woods Accords possible. Moreover, contrary to previous scholarship, this chapter argues that in spite of the much-publicized rivalry between Hull and Treasury Secretary Morgenthau, there was in fact a high level of cooperation between the two men and their respective departments leading up to the talks.