A Catholic Cold War : Edmund A. Walsh, S.J., and the politics of American Catholic anticommunism

This book is the first biography in 42 years of the priest and educator whom historians have called “the most important anticommunist in the country.” Edmund A. Walsh, as dean of Georgetown College and founder in 1919 of its School of Foreign Service, is one of the most influential Catholic figures of the 20th century. Soon after the birth of the Bolshevik state, he directed the Papal Relief Mission in the Soviet Union, starting a lifelong immersion in Soviet and Communist affairs. He also established a Jesuit college in Baghdad, and served as a consultant to the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal. A pioneer in the new science of geopolitics, Walsh became one of Truman’s most trusted advisers on Soviet strategy. He wrote four books, dozens of articles, and gave thousands of speeches on the moral and political threat of Soviet Communism in America. Although he died in 1956, Walsh left an indelible imprint on the ideology and practical politics of Cold War Washington, moving easily outside the traditional boundaries of American Catholic life and becoming, in the words of one historian, “practically an institution by himself.” Few priests, indeed few Catholics, played so large a role in shaping American foreign policy in the 20th century. "This book is the first biography in 42 years of the priest and educator who became one of the most important political forces in America's Cold War against communism." "Edmund A. Walsh, as dean of Georgetown College and founder in 1919 of its School of Foreign service, is one of the most influential Catholic figures of the twentieth century. Soon after the birth of the Bolshevik state in 1917, he directed the Papal Relief Mission in the Soviet Union, starting a lifelong immersion in Soviet and Communist affairs. He also established a Jesuit college in Baghdad and served after World War II as a consultant to the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal." "A pioneer in the new science of geopolitics, Walsh quickly became one of Truman's most trusted advisers on Soviet strategy. He wrote four books, dozens of articles, and gave thousands of speeches on the moral and political threat to America of Soviet Communism. Although he died in 1956, Walsh left an indelible imprint on the ideology and practical politics of Cold War Washington, moving easily outside the traditional boundaries of American Catholic life, in the words of one historian, "practically an institution by himself." Few priests, indeed few Catholics, played so large a role in shaping American foreign policy in the twentieth century." "Detailed, balanced, and revealing, A Catholic Cold War describes a little-known chapter in the history of American religious and political life in the Twentieth century. Drawing on a wealth of primary sources, Patrick McNamara not only brings to life an extraordinary personality, He also deepens our understanding of the unique political role played on the national stage by Catholics and their Church as they came of age during some of the most conflicted decades of the American century."--BOOK JACKET This book is the first biography in 42 years of the priest and educator who became one of the most important political forces in America's Cold War against communism.Edmund A. Walsh, as dean of Georgetown College and founder in 1919 of its School of Foreign Service, is one of the most influential Catholic figures of the twentieth century. Soon after the birth of the Bolshevik state in 1917, he directed the Papal Relief Mission in the Soviet Union, starting a lifelong immersion in Soviet and Communist affairs. He also established a Jesuit college in Baghdad and served after World War II as a consultant to the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal.A pioneer in the new science of geopolitics, Walsh quickly became one of Truman's most trusted advisers on Soviet strategy. He wrote four books, dozens of articles, and gave thousands of speeches on the moral and political threat to America of Soviet Communism. Although he died in 1956, Walsh left an indelible imprint on the ideology and practical politics of Cold War Washington, moving easily outside the traditional boundaries of American Catholic life, in the words of one historian, "practically an institution by himself." Few priests, indeed few Catholics, played so large a role in shaping American foreign policy in the twentieth century.Detailed, balanced, and revealing, A Catholic Cold War describes a little-known chapter in the history of American religious and political life in the twentieth century. Drawing freshly on a wealth of primary sources, Patrick McNamara not only brings to life an extraordinary personality. He also deepens our understanding of the unique political role played on the national stage by Catholics and their Church as they came of age during some of the most conflicted decades of the American century.
This book is the first biography in 42 years of the priest and educator whomhistorians have called the most important anticommunist in the country.Edmund A. Walsh, as dean of Georgetown College and founder in 1919 of itsSchool of Foreign Service, is one of the most influential Catholic figures of the20th century. Soon after the birth of the Bolshevik state, he directed the PapalRelief Mission in the Soviet Union, starting a lifelong immersion in Soviet andCommunist affairs. He also established a Jesuit college in Baghdad, and servedas a consultant to the Nuremberg War Crimes Tribunal.A pioneer in the new science of geopolitics, Walsh became one of Truman's mosttrusted advisers on Soviet strategy. He wrote four books, dozens of articles, andgave thousands of speeches on the moral and political threat of Soviet Communismin America. Although he died in 1956, Walsh left an indelible imprint on theideology and practical politics of Cold War Washington, moving easily outside thetraditional boundaries of American Catholic life and becoming, in the words of onehistorian, practically an institution by himself.Few priests, indeed few Catholics,played so large a role in shaping American foreign policy in the 20th century. Contents Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1 Edmund A. Walsh: Bostonian, Jesuit, Activist, and Educator 2 ‘‘What Think Ye of Russia?’’: Walsh and Catholic Anticommunism in the 1920s 3 ‘‘The Two Standards’’: Walsh and American Catholic Anticommunisms, 1929–41 4 ‘‘An American Geopolitics’’:Walsh andWartime Catholic Anticommunism, 1941–45 5 ‘‘The Spiritual and Material Menace Threatening the Present Generation’’: Walsh and Catholic Anticommunism in the Cold War, 1946–56 Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index Detailed, balanced, and revealing, A Catholic Cold War describes a little-known chapter in the history of American religious and political life in the twentieth century. Drawing freshly on a wealth of primary sources, Patrick McNamara not only brings to life an extraordinary personality. He also deepens our understanding of the unique political role played on the national stage by Catholics and their Church as they came of age during some of the most conflicted decades of the American century. Book jacket Edmund A. Walsh : Bostonian, Jesuit, activist, and educator "What think ye of Russia?": Walsh and Catholic anticommunism in the 1920s "The two standards" : Walsh and American Catholic anticommunisms, 1929-41 "An American geopolitics" : Walsh and wartime Catholic anticommunism, 1941-45 "The spiritual and material menace threatening the present generation" : Walsh and Catholic anticommunism in the Cold War, 1946-56.