The Papers of George Catlett Marshall: "The Whole World Hangs in the Balance," January 8, 1947-September 30, 1949

by George Catlett Marshall, Larry I. Bland (Editor), Mark A. Stoler (Editor), Sharon Ritenour Stevens (Editor), Daniel D. Holt (Editor)

Overview

George Catlett Marshall's significant foreign policy achievements as secretary of state included the Marshall Plan, a daring effort to aid post–World War II European recovery.

Winner, Arthur S. Link-Warren F. Kuehl Prize for Documentary Editing, Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations

George Catlett Marshall’s two years as secretary of state, from January 1947 to January 1949, remain among the most eventful in the history of both the State Department and American foreign policy in general. The period covered in volume 6 of The Papers of George Catlett Marshall saw the formal break between the United States and its Soviet wartime ally and the beginning of the cold war; civil wars in Greece and China; decolonization and independence for India, Pakistan, and Israel; the Truman Doctrine; the Marshall Plan; the Berlin blockade and airlift; the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and the Organization of American States.

Secretary of State Marshall played a pivotal role in the transformation of American relations with the rest of the world during these years. Not only was he President Harry S Truman’s key adviser in foreign affairs, he also proposed the European Recovery Program that bears his name. Implementing this and other U.S. foreign policies required attendance at a large number of international conferences in 1947 and 1948 and an even larger number of Senate and House committee hearings. His testimony at these hearings—and his close relations with legislative leaders—proved crucial to establishing the extraordinary bipartisan congressional approval of his proposals, and so, too, did his numerous public appearances to cultivate broad public support for his programs. Marshall retired at the beginning of 1949, but his respite from public service would be short-lived.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421407920
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	02/27/2013
Series:	The Papers of George Catlett Marshall , #6
Pages:	880
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.90(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Larry I. Bland was editor of the Marshall Papers Project until his death in 2007. The Marshall Papers are published under the auspices of the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia.

Mark A. Stoler has been the editor of The Marshall Papers since 2008. The Marshall Papers are published under the auspices of the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia.

Sharon Ritenour Stevens is associate editor of The Marshall Papers. The Marshall Papers are published under the auspices of the George C. Marshall Foundation in Lexington, Virginia.

Daniel D. Holt has been managing editor since 2008.

Read an Excerpt

“We have had a cessation of hostilities, but we have no genuine peace. Here at home we are in a state of transition between a war and peace economy. In Europe and Asia fear and famine still prevail. Power relationships are in a state of flux. Order has yet to be brought out of confusion. Peace has yet to be secured. And how this is accomplished will depend very much upon the American people.”—Speech at Princeton University, February 22, 1947

“Whether we like it or not, we find ourselves, our Nation, in a world position of vast responsibility. We can act for our own good by acting for the world’s good.”—Statement to a Joint Meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations and the House Foreign Affairs Committees, November 10, 1947

“There is no blinking the fact that this country now stands at a turning point in its relations to its traditional friends among the nations of the old world. Either it must finish the task of assisting these countries to adjust themselves to the changed demands of a new age, or it must reconcile itself to seeing them move in directions which are consistent neither with their own traditions nor with those of this country. In this latter case, the United States would be faced with a radical alteration of its own position in the world. I ask you to consider most carefully the implication of such a development for the future prosperity and security of our country.”—Speech to the Governors’ Conference, July 14, 1947

“Unfortunately, critical situations are not confined to Europe. They exist in the Middle East, in Indonesia, in China—and we cannot ignore Latin America, or our direct responsibilities in Japan and Korea. Therefore, very important decisions must be made by our Government as to exactly what we should do to meet these various crises. Our means are not unlimited—we must not spend our efforts unwisely.”—Speech at the University of California at Berkeley, March 19, 1948

“It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace. Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos.”— Speech at Harvard University, June 5, 1947

“We cannot ignore the factor of time involved here. The recovery of Europe has been far slower than had been expected. Disintegrating forces are becoming evident. The patient is sinking while the doctors deliberate. So I believe that action cannot await compromise through exhaustion. New issues arise daily. Whatever action is possible to meet these pressing problems must be taken without delay.”—Radio Address, April 28, 1947

Table of Contents

Preface
Guide to Editorial Policies
Illustrations
Chronology: January 8, 1947–September 30, 1949
Into the Fire: January 8 – June 30, 1947
A Turning Point: July 1–December 31, 1947
Under the Cross Fire: January 1 – June 30, 1948
Peace with Justice: July 2–December 27, 1948
A Free Agent: January 3 –September 29, 1949
Appendix: Published Congressional Testimony of George C. Marshall, 1947 –1949
Charts and Maps
Glossary
Index

Editorial Reviews

The edited volumes of Marshall's papers have always enjoyed the reputation for superb editorship and clarity. Stoler and his team deserve credit for maintaining the high quality of the previous five volumes. Readers anxiously await the seventh—and final—volume in the series.
—COL Cole C. Kingseed, USA Ret., Army

This book, like others in the series, will be of great value to scholars of twentieth-century U.S. history. The editor’s masterly work in selecting, organizing, and annotating the documents provides valuable context and helpful references to other resources.
—Brian Madison Jones, Journal of American History

It is hard for people today to appreciate the unique stature Marshall achieved in his own time. If they wish to try, they could not do better than to begin with these papers.
—Journal of Military History

Almost every document the editors include is fascinating in itself, largely because of the vigor of Marshall's mind and his eye for detail.
—Times Literary Supplement

From the Publisher

Almost every document the editors include is fascinating in itself, largely because of the vigor of Marshall's mind and his eye for detail.

Times Literary Supplement

This book, like others in the series, will be of great value to scholars of twentieth-century U.S. history. The editor’s masterly work in selecting, organizing, and annotating the documents provides valuable context and helpful references to other resources.

Journal of American History - Brian Madison Jones

It is hard for people today to appreciate the unique stature Marshall achieved in his own time. If they wish to try, they could not do better than to begin with these papers.

Journal of Military History

The edited volumes of Marshall's papers have always enjoyed the reputation for superb editorship and clarity. Stoler and his team deserve credit for maintaining the high quality of the previous five volumes. Readers anxiously await the seventh—and final—volume in the series.

Army - COL Cole C. Kingseed