The wartime power of central banks: Lessons from the Napoleonic era by Patrick O’Brien, Nuno Palma published by VOXEU (3/2022).
Special wartime monetary policies have successfully been used on numerous occasions throughout history. This column describes how the Bank of England played a decisive role in supporting the British economy during the French Wars of 1793-1815. Rapid increases in military expenditure during wartime were supported by liquid and low-inflation government financing as well as reputable management of debt levels. In this light, current sanctions on the Bank of Russia could lead to long-term changes to Russia’s economy and political system as well.
