Abstract

This article examines how the cold war influenced the conduct of banking business in Eastern Europe, by focusing on the case of Barclays’, Paribas’, and Société Générale’s involvement in Poland from the 1950s to the 1980s. Based on archival evidence, this article illustrates the multiple facets of banking in a period of all-level confrontation between two systems: search of new business opportunities; facilitation of East-West trade; contribution to foreign policy goals; ill-preparation to new country risks. The article argues that these banks increasingly relied on Western European governments’ desire to pursue a process of relaxation of cold war tensions towards the Eastern European countries, known as détente, taking place since the late 1960s.

摘要

本文着眼于1950年代至1980年代巴克莱，帕里巴斯和法国兴业银行在波兰的涉入案例，探讨了冷战如何影响东欧的银行业务。基于档案证据，本文说明了在两个系统之间的全面对抗期间，银行业的多个方面：寻找新的商机；促进东西方贸易；对外交政策目标的贡献；对新国家风险的准备不足。文章认为，这些银行越来越依赖西欧各国政府的意愿，以寻求缓和自1960年代末以来对东欧国家的冷战紧张局势的进程。