Résumé Il y a non pas une approche classique du prêteur en dernier ressort, mais des approches classiques du prêteur en dernier ressort. Elles sont successivement développées par Baring, Thornton, la Banking School, Bagehot et Hawtrey. Si ces approches convergent pour souligner que le prêteur en dernier ressort n’intervient qu’en faveur de banques illiquides mais solvables, elles divergent à propos du lien entre monnaie et crédit, de la politique du taux d’escompte, dans l’analyse des causes de son intervention et sur la nature de ce qu’il prête. En outre, Hawtrey a développé les bases de l’analyse du prêteur en dernier ressort international.

This paper traces R.G. Hawtrey's main contributions to the theory of the lender of last resort (LLR), both national and international (ILLR). This theory is a continuation of one of the traditions of the classical period, started by Henry Thornton, which differs in important points from that of Walter Bagehot. In their treatment of the classical concepts the authors partly depart from the interpretation of Thomas M. Humphrey, who considers that Thornton and Bagehot have basically the same approach about LLR. Hawtrey renewed Thonton's views and extended the concepts to new problems, including the ILLR. Hawtrey built a model of LLR in a dynamic macroeconomic model that includes the Cambridge market for cash balance and introduces the bases of a theory of ILLR, describing the sequence of twin crisis, exchange and banking crisis, thus explaining the difficulties for an ILLR to act on the currency market without taking the risks involved, in a situation completely different to the one faced on the money market by the national LLR.Hawtrey, Lender of Last resort, International Lender of Last resort, central bank, credit, twin crisis,

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