Morgenthau s legal background has largely been neglected in discussions of his place in the canon of ir theory. The morgenthau plan would have been put into effect in the western parts of germany and the eastern provinces taken away and parcelled out to other countries, their german populations driven out the ones that survived the rape and genocide. Knowing the condition of germany during the time of hitler, he concluded that the governing can do what they wish. Eisenhower who in the early 1960s ordered the assassination of patrice lamumba and henry c. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Morgenthau plan top secret program to prevent germany from starting a world war iii 1. This was the allies postwar policy that preceded the. In the russian parts, after the initial rapefestivals, stalinism would have of course been imposed.
Hans morgenthau, realism, and the scientific study of international politics by robert jervis a olitical science is a very trendy discipline. Marshall plan focus on the goal of preserving peace and the threat of rising tensions between. The evidence clearly shows that morgenthau was very aware that his plan could murder millions of civilians it shows he was quite willing to do this to achieve his goal of permanently destroying germany as a major power some direct quotes from a respected. Henry morgenthau was a leading american politician during the second world war.
Politics among nations by hans joachim morgenthau, hans j morgenthau, kenneth w thompson, 1985, knopf, distributed by random house edition, in english 6th ed. The struggle for power and peace, fifth edition, revised, new york. The morgenthau plan was used to disable germany not to cause war ever again postworld war i fulbrook 12. In the aftermath of war the plan was designed to completely destroy the german economy, enslave millions of her citizens, and exterminate as many as 20 million people. This requirement may be satisfied by phil 2 or any intermediate course devoted to central topics in moral and political philosophy numbered between phil 170172 or 174176. Morgenthaus six principles of political realism introduction hans j. Morgenthau has given his own account of his part in the shaping. Through the study of the plan s conception and implementation, this work shows how revenge and greed. Click on a datetime to view the file as it appeared at that time. The jew, morgenthaus plan was to reduce germany to a land of peasants and farmers after the second world war so that they could never arm themselves again. He played a major role in designing and financing the new deal. The morgenthau plan soviet influence on american postwar policy year.
Politics is governed by objective laws which have roots in human nature. Politics among nations work by morgenthau britannica. J 1 has witnessed the present restless activity in the ruhr or who has glanced at statistics. In this work, morgenthau maintained that politics is governed by distinct immutable laws of nature and that. John dietrich, who served six years in the defense intelligence agency, takes a hard, revisionist look at american policy toward germany after wwii in the morgenthau plan. Hans morgenthau germanamerican political scientist. This was, basically, a plan to starve millions of germans, mostly citizens, to death. This concepts name was later changed to become level of industry, where germanys production was to be severely limited but not completely. The most important part from a military strategy standpoint was the removal of germanys ability to wage war. Byrnes plan restatement of policy on germany and the marshall plan went the other way. Not only would the top general give the morgenthau plan his wholehearted support, but he would personally do his utmost to kill as many germanssoldiers and civiliansas he possibly could. Hans morgenthaus fourteen points a reading of politics among nations. Hans morgenthaus concept of the national interest first appeared, somewhat like thunder out of china, in the essay the primacy of the national interest as part of a forum in the spring 1949 issue of the american scholar titled the national interest and moral principles in foreign policy.
What would have happened if the morgenthau plan was used. Hans joachim morgenthau february 17, 1904 july 19, 1980 was one of the major twentiethcentury figures in the study of international relations. In 1944, morgenthau proposed a plan for postwar germany that became known as the morgenthau plan, which would strip germany of its industrial capacity so as to reduce the country to an. The morgenthauplan from the book germany is our problem year. The morgenthau plan, largely formulated by soviet agent harry dexter white and carrying the name of his boss, the secretary of the us treasury henry morgenthau, proposed the deindustrialisation of germany back to an agricultural economy and a regime of collective punishment for the entire german population. Change the argument that realism was only a critique of utopianism and create a theory that explained the relationship among states, illuminated the moral problem in statecraft, and provided a basis for. The new exhibit by the german artist anselm kiefer called morgenthau plan, on view at the gagosian gallery, is a cause to take a west chelsea trip and, for once, not be disappointed. Morgenthau was of jewish descent, and became very involved in the rescue of jews during the war. This research aims to show which purpose the morgenthau plan was conceived for at the end of the second world war and why it was withdrawn in 1947.
These together constitute the essence of his political realism. Marshall plan officially the economic recovery program the industrial production of germany should, as soon as possible and at all costs, be. A study of the postworld war tactics for the economic recovery of europe reveals the morgenthau plan and the marshall plan. This digitial collection represents one portion of the larger henry morgenthau, jr. The origins of the morgenthau plan planning for the second quebec conference octagon the second quebec conference, september 1116, 1944 immediate consequences of the quebec conference german reaction to the morgenthau plan joint chiefs of staff directive 1067 the economic consequences of the morgenthau plan food rationing.
Morgenthau was the only cabinet member invited to participate in the quebec conference, during which the. Richard edmonds, a morgenthau plan for europe counter. Globalization in the periphery as a morgenthau plan. This included the removal or destruction of all industrial plants and equipment in the. Hans morgenthau, in full hans joachim morgenthau, born february 17, 1904, coburg, germanydied july 19, 1980, new york, new york, u. If adopted, the morgenthau plan would have led to the death by starvation and pestilence of ten million germans in the first two years after the war ended, in addition to the one million who had perished in the saturation bombing and the three million killed in the enforced. The morgenthau plan was based on the assumption that the german.
On the other hand, the marshall plan was employed after the second world war in an aim to rebuild a week, war. The plan epitomised the term tatervolk perpetrator people, a concept that, in gross violation of all the norms of war, held the entire population responsible for the alleged crimes of its leadership. The morgenthau plan 19441945 hardcover march 2, 2010 by david irving author 4. Henry morgenthau may 11, 1891 february 6, 1967 was the jewish secretary of the treasury during the administration of franklin d. The idea of the plan was to transform germany into a preindustrial agricultural nation after their defeat in wwii. Hans morgenthau, realism, and the scientific study of. The morgenthau plan was conceived in 1944 by the u. After 1937, while still in charge of the treasury, he played the central role in financing united states participation in world war ii. In an age where every government policy is dissected for the slightest hint of scandal, where every hero is scrutinized for the most. Kennan and reinhold niebuhr, one of the three leading american realists of the postworld war. Morgenthau is among the most venerated scholars in the field of international relations. He pushed roosevelt to establish the war refugee board in 1944. May 11, 1891 february 6, 1967 was the united states secretary of the treasury during most of the administration of franklin d.
In 1948 morgenthau published politics among nations, a highly regarded study that presented what became commonly known as the classical realist approach to international politics. Morgenthau the subject of the future of germany was broached. It should be the aim of the allied forces to accomplish the complete demilitarization of germany in the shortest possible period of time after surrender. The morgenthau plan anselm kiefer view from a burrow. The morgenthau plan by the allied occupation of germany following world war ii was a. The morgenthau plan was designed to completely destroy the german economy, enslave millions of her citizens, and exterminate as many as 20 million people. David irvings facsimile record and commentary on the infamous american policy for germany. After hostilities officially ceased, what drove american policy towards germany in 19441949. The morgenthau plan was implemented, 38 although not in its most extreme version. Vierteljahrshefte fur zeitgeschichte, 1965, heft 4, s. Few books or articles are cited a decade, let alone a generation, after they are written. The plan epitomised the term tatervolk perpetrator people, a concept that, in gross violation of all the norms of war, held the entire population responsible for the alleged crimes. Political realism believes that politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature. Morgenthaus works belong to the tradition of realism in international relations theory, and he is usually considered, along with george f.
Had we implemented this plan, germanys deindustrialized economy would never have been able to support her population. Morgenthauplan, first proposed by united states secretary of the treasury henry morgenthau, jr. Roosevelt, financing the new deal that made the democratic party the majority and instigated the greatest devastation against the ethnic german people when he formulated the morgenthau plan post wwii. The morgenthau plan named after secretary of the treasury, henry morgenthau was created before germany surrendered, but after the writing was on the wall that germany was going to. Politics and economic theory in allied planning for peace, 19441945. It does so by offering a dynamic revisionist account of the nature of morgenthaus classical. Jewish recommended ethnic cleansing of germans morgenthau plan kaufman plan click for source article on morgenthau plan and kaufman plan morgenthau plan probable origin lies in soviet intelligence who harry dexter white worked for, and morgenthaus central crime was his continued advocacy of the plan. Writing about the ways of making peace, brad delong describes the 194445 debate between secretary of the treasury henry morgenthau and general george marshall that was carried onlargely below the surface, largely without explicit confrontation over the fate of postwar germany and notes the state and defense positions win entirely and utterly and. Student graduate school of international studies university of denver denver, co revised december 1999 introduction hans j. Morgenthau came up with the morgenthau plan to inflict collective punishment upon the german people following the end of the second world war.
Morgenthau, commonly accepted as the father of the realist paradigm within the field of international relations. That a prominent artist today can still take up a historically serious subject has become a sort of an anomaly, as much of contemporary art seems to be stuck in the irony mode. The morgenthau plan david irvings introduction to the morgenthau plan in 1986 david irving published in the german language a file of allied documents on the origins and history of the morgenthau plan. President franklin delano roosevelt and he was appointed roosevelts treasury secretary. This requirement may be satisfied by phil 60, phil 61, or an intermediate philosophy of science course numbered between phil 160169 moral and political philosophy. Other articles where politics among nations is discussed. Morgenthau has explained six principles of his realist theory. Essentially, the idea was the opposite of the marshall plan.
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