Conference jointly organized with Centre for Economic Policy (CEPR, London). The Program Committee was composed of Joachim Voth (CREI and UPF) and Alan M. Taylor (UC Davis and NBER).

War has long been regarded as the "father of all things". After the end of the Cold War and September 11, war is back on the agenda as a prime force in the macroeconomy.

The conference reassessed its destructiveness, impact on trade, and the consequences for technological and social change. The conference brought together economic theorists, political scientists, applied economists and economic historians from the US, the UK, Germany, Belgium, France, Sweden and Spain. It demonstrated the richness of recent research in the area and the potential for fruitful future work, especially of an interdisciplinary kind.