The Morgenthau Plan : Soviet Influence on American Postwar Policy

After hostilities officially ceased, what drove American policy towards Germany in 1944-1949? While Soviet policies came under closer inspection, Western policies have rarely been subjected to critical review. This book deals with the Morgenthau Plan and its impact on American postwar planning. Conventional accounts of Western postwar policies occasionally mention the Morgenthau Plan, describing it as a plan developed in the Treasury Department designed to deindustrialize or "pastoralize" the German nation. These accounts are chiefly characterized by their brevity, at most admitting that "[it] and its temporary and partial adoption ... was an unfortunate but small chapter in American diplomatic history." Conventional accounts state that the Plan was adopted by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at the Second Quebec Conference in September 1944, and that, when President Roosevelt was informed of its impracticality, he immediately abandoned it and stated that he had initialed the plan "without much thought." Contrary to what is often reported in history books, the Morgenthau Plan had a major impact on post war planning. This book traces the role of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Roosevelt's Secretary of the Treasury, in the planning for the post war world, with close attention to the discussions leading up to the Second Quebec Conference where Winston Churchill's acceptance of the plan was obtained. It follows the devastating consequences of the policies based on the plan, and their contribution to the post war collapse of the European economy. Damning evidence shows that the Allies intentionally brought starvation and disease to large civilian populations. After hostilities officially ceased, what drove American policy towards Germany in 1944-1949? While Soviet policies came under closer inspection, Western policies have rarely been subjected to critical review. This book deals with the Morgenthau Plan and its impact on American postwar planning. Conventional accounts of Western postwar policies occasionally mention the Morgenthau Plan, describing it as a plan developed in the Treasury Department designed to deindustrialize or "pastoralize" the German nation. These accounts are chiefly characterized by their brevity, at most admitting that "[it] and its temporary and partial adoption ... was an unfortunate but small chapter in American diplomatic history." Conventional accounts state that the Plan was adopted by President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill at the Second Quebec Conference in September 1944, and that, when President Roosevelt was informed of its impracticality, he immediately abandoned it and stated that he had initialed the plan "without much thought." Contrary to what is often reported in history books, the Morgenthau Plan had a major impact on post war planning. This book traces the role of Henry Morgenthau, Jr., Roosevelt's Secretary of the Treasury, in the planning for the post war world, with close attention to the discussions leading up to the Second Quebec Conference where Winston Churchill's acceptance of the plan was obtained. It follows the devastating consequences of the policies based on the plan, and their contribution to the post war collapse of the European economy. Damning evidence shows that the Allies intentionally brought starvation and disease to large civilian populations. "This is a startling, important book which I hope will rattle the bones of the comfortable court historians of the USA, such as Stephen Ambrose, who have spent their careers shading and evading the truth that the world and their students deserve, and do not get."--James Bacque, Author of Other Losses and Crimes and Mercies (published by Little, Brown and Co.). John Dietrich holds a Masters Degree in International Relations and is an expert on post war conditions in Europe. Upon retiring from the US Army, he served in the Defense Intelligence Agency from 1985 until 1991 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"": 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: Soviet Influence on American Postwar Policy. Charting its origins, development and brief implementation, the author argues that the secretary of the treasury's plan for the demilitarization of Germany ""thoroughly reflected"" Roosevelt's opinions on postwar strategy (and that the president may have bribed Churchill to sign off on it); that the Soviet Union was the plan's sole beneficiary; and that the plan had far greater effects than anyone involved cared to admit. THE MORGENTHAU PLAN: Soviet Influence on American Postwar Policy......Page 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 10 INTRODUCTION......Page 14 1 THE ORIGINS OF THE MORGENTHAU PLAN......Page 30 2 PLANNING FOR THE SECOND QUEBEC CONFERENCE (OCTAGON)......Page 52 3 THE SECOND QUEBEC CONFERENCE (OCTAGON) SEPTEMBER 11-16, 1944......Page 60 4 THE IMMEDIATE CONSEQUENCE OF THE QUEBEC CONFERENCE......Page 74 5 GERMAN REACTION TO THE MORGENTHAU PLAN......Page 82 6 JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF DIRECTIVE 1067......Page 88 7 THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THE MORGENTHAU PLAN......Page 96 8 FOOD RATIONING......Page 114 9 ENFORCED/SLAVE LABOR......Page 132 10 THE ETHNIC “CLEANSING” OF EASTERN EUROPE......Page 150 11 CONCLUSION......Page 160 ENDNOTES......Page 174 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 202 Index......Page 208 The origins of the Morgenthau Plan Planning for the Second Quebec Conference (Octagon) The Second Quebec Conference, September 11-16, 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 Enforced/slave labor The ethnic "cleansing" of Eastern Europe.