This chapter explains the historical development of an internationalist conception of trade from Adam Smith to the 1930s. It then examines the establishment of GATT, initial reactions to the organization, and the early work of the secretariat. Efforts to establish what became GATT began during the war and involved British and American governments. The participation of other countries, including Australia, Canada, and India, also influenced the rules and purpose of GATT. The reaction to GATT showed that trade elicited divisive and polarized opinions, a trend that continued throughout its history. In its first few years, GATT had limited capabilities, but an effective secretariat led by Eric Wyndham White. This account revises the widely held view that British and American governments clashed over the postwar trade system. It challenges the belief that the USA created GATT. It shows that the GATT secretariat was proactive, committed to an internationalist trade agenda, and determined to maintain its independence.

The introduction situates GATT in relation to new approaches in international history and to political science literature on hegemony, trade and peace, the relationship between domestic and international spheres, and the agency of international organizations. It explains the main premise of the book – that trade is an essential component of global politics – and sets out the book s revisionist goals: to understand the role of international organizations in world affairs; rethink our understanding of the nature, drivers, and priorities of postwar international relations; and interrogate claims about the liberal global order that was established after the Second World War. Finally, it describes the four thematic case studies in the book: GATT in relation to the Cold War, the EEC and other regional trade agreements, development, and agriculture.