00:00July 1944. Amidst the chaos of a world at war, delegates from 44 allied nations gathered in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.
00:09The global financial system was fragmented, currencies unstable, and cooperation limited before this pivotal moment.
00:16World War II's devastation demanded a new order, a structured system to rebuild and prevent future economic collapse.
00:24The Bretton Woods Agreement established fixed exchange rates, pegging currencies to the U.S. dollar.
00:31The dollar, convertible to gold at $35 per ounce, became the linchpin of this new international monetary system.
00:38The International Monetary Fund, or IMF, was created to monitor exchange rates and provide crucial financial assistance.
00:46Alongside it, the World Bank emerged, tasked with financing reconstruction and fostering global development.
00:52This era solidified the U.S. dollar's dominance, propelling America to an economic superpower.
00:59Though the Bretton Woods system ended in 1971, its legacy of cooperation and institutions profoundly shaped modern global banking.