Why was Keynes not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize after writing The Economic Consequences of the Peace?*

Abstract

AbstractJohn Maynard Keynes became famous with The Economic Consequences of the Peace published in 1919, a harsh critique of the Versailles peace treaty. As a consequence, Keynes was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1922, 1923, and 1924, and evaluated in advisory reports for the Nobel Committee of the Norwegian parliament. This paper summarizes these appreciative reports. The appraiser even informed Keynes that he was “one of the foremost candidates proposed for the Nobel Peace Prize”. Still, the Prize was not awarded to him. This paper ends with a speculative answer to why the Prize was not given to Keynes.