Advocate for the Doomed

James G. Mcdonald

Description

An inside look at the early history of the Nazi regime and the indifferent response of world leaders to Nazi persecution of German Jews

Watch a clip from the related documentary: A Voice Among the Silent: The Legacy of James G. McDonald

The private diary of James G. McDonald (1886–1964) offers a unique and hitherto unknown source on the early history of the Nazi regime and the Roosevelt administration's reactions to Nazi persecution of German Jews. Considered for the post of U.S. ambassador to Germany at the start of FDR's presidency, McDonald traveled to Germany in 1932 and met with Hitler soon after the Nazis came to power. Fearing Nazi intentions to remove or destroy Jews in Germany, in 1933 he became League of Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and sought aid from the international community to resettle outside the Reich Jews and others persecuted there. In late 1935 he resigned in protest at the lack of support for his work.

This is the eagerly awaited first of a projected three-volume work that will significantly revise the ways that scholars and the world view the antecedents of the Holocaust, the Shoah itself, and its aftermath.

Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Young Man from Indiana by Barbara McDonald Stewart
1. Foreshadowing: Summer-Fall 1932
2. The Nazi Revolution: Winter 1932-Spring 1933
3. American Reactions: Late April-May 1933
4. Alerting Others: June-August 1933
5. Lobbying for League Action: September 1933
6. High Commissioner: October 1933
7. A Bridge from Lausanne to Berlin: November 1933
8. Proposal for a Corporation: December 1933
9. Washington's Views: January 1934
10. Testing Germany/Family Crisis: February 1934
11. Raising Funds: March 1934
12. The "Jewish Question" in Europe: April 1934
13. Emigration Options?: May 1934
14. Turn for the Worse: June 1934
15. Visit to the Saar: July 1934
16. The League Keeps its Distance: August 1934
17. The Climate in Geneva: September 1934
18. Criticism is Easy: October 1934
19. Grand Tour: November 1934
20. Home Leave: December 1934
21. The Catholic Connection: January 1935
22. A Diplomatic Maneuver: February 1935
23. Brazil: March 1935
24. South American Survey: April 1935
25. Regret and Relief: May 1935
26. Downsizing: June 1935
27. Liquidation Plans: July 1935
Conclusion by Richard Breitman
Index

Sujets

• 20th Century
• Jewish Studies
• Political
• Modern
• Holocaust
• HISTORY
• Lettres et linguistique
• Segunda Guerra Mundial
• The Holocaust
• Biography
• Modern history
• General officer
• World War II
• Politics
• General
• Autobiography
• Obermodern-Zutzendorf
• Holocauste
• Seconde Guerre mondiale

Informations

• Publié par: Indiana University Press
• Date de parution: 25 avril 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780253027979
• Langue: English

Extrait

Advocate for the Doomed
 
Portrait photo of James G. McDonald, 1933. USHMM/McDonald Family.
Advocate for the Doomed
 
T HE D IARIES AND P APERS of James G. McDonald
1932–1935
 
EDITED BY Richard Breitman , Barbara McDonald Stewart , and Severin Hochberg
INDIANA UNIVERSITY PRESS BLOOMINGTON AND INDIANAPOLIS
 
PUBLISHED IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE UNITED STATES HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL MUSEUM WASHINGTON, D.C.
The assertions, arguments, and conclusions contained herein are those of the author and the volume editors. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum or the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
 
This book is a publication of
 
Indiana University Press 601 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404-3797 USA
 
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©2007 by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum All rights reserved
 
No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. The Association of American University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions constitutes the only exception to this prohibition.
 
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
 
Manufactured in the United States of America
 
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 
McDonald, James G. (James Grover), 1886–1964.     Advocate for the doomed /James G. McDonald ; edited by Richard Breitman, Barbara McDonald Stewart, and Severin Hochberg.           v. cm.     “Published in association with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Washington, D.C.”     Includes bibliographical references and index.     Contents: v. 1. The diaries and papers of James G. McDonald, 1932–1935.     ISBN-13: 978-0-253-34862-3 (cloth : alk. paper)     ISBN-10: 0-253-34862-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. McDonald, James G. (James Grover), 1886–1964—Diaries. 2. McDonald, James G. (James Grover), 1886–1964—Archives. 3. Diplomats—United States—Diaries. 4. Diplomats—United States—Archives. 5. High Commission for Refugees (Jewish and Other) Coming from Germany—Biography. 6. Humanitarianism—History—20th century—Sources. 7. World War, 1939—1945—Refugees—Sources 8. Antisemitism—History—20th century—Sources. 9. Germany—History—1933–1945—Sources. 10. National socialism—Germany—History—20th century—Sources. I. Breitman, Richard, date II. Stewart, Barbara McDonald, date III. Hochberg, Severin. IV. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. V Title.     E748.M1475A3 2007     327.2092—dc22
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T O R OBERT D EROSIER , W ILLIAM E. L EUCHTENBURG, AND R OBERT J. S CALLY
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Introduction: Young Man from Indiana by Barbara McDonald Stewart
  1. Summer–Fall 1932: Foreshadowing
  2. Winter 1932–Spring 1933: The Nazi Revolution
  3. Late April–May 1933: American Reactions
  4. June–August 1933: Alerting Others
  5. September 1933: Lobbying for League Action
  6. October 1933: High Commissioner
  7. November 1933: A Bridge from Lausanne to Berlin
  8. December 1933: Proposal for a Corporation
  9. January 1934: Washington’s Views
10. February 1934: Testing Germany/Family Crisis
11. March 1934: Raising Funds
12. April 1934: The “Jewish Question” in Europe
13. May 1934: Emigration Options?
14. June 1934: Turn for the Worse
15. July 1934: Visit to the Saar
16. August 1934: The League Keeps Its Distance
17. September 1934: The Climate in Geneva
18. October 1934: Criticism Is Easy
19. November 1934: Grand Tour
20. December 1934: A Request to the President
21. January 1935: The Catholic Connection
22. February 1935: A Diplomatic Maneuver
23. March 1935: Brazil
24. April 1935: South American Survey
25. May 1935: Regret and Relief
26. June 1935: Downsizing
27. July 1935: Liquidation Plans
Conclusion by Richard Breitman
INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Even with three active co-editors, a project this big and this complicated needed the assistance of many other brains, hands, and eyes. None of those who helped us are responsible for errors or remaining difficulties, but they certainly deserve much of the credit for the positive elements.
Stephen Mize made this diary materialize in potentially publishable form. Having tracked down its component parts and, just as important, brought the McDonald families into the effort, fortunately he did not relinquish his role. He served as an essential member of our research group, showing discernment about what would or would not work in the way of annotations and additions. He helped with the editing, and he also took particular responsibility for photographs. We could not have managed without him. Benton Arnovitz, director of Academic Publications at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM), steered this effort from the stage of idea all the way to publication, offering judicious advice, nuggets from his experience, and occasional editing along the way. Janet Rabinowitch at Indiana University Press expressed enthusiasm for this diary from the beginning and fortunately did not let its size deter her or the press from publishing it in proper form.
Janet McDonald Barrett, Vale Barrett, Halsey V. Barrett, and Patricia Sugrue Ketchum provided invaluable information resolving many historical mysteries, culminating in the donation of the McDonald diary to the USHMM.
Sara Bloomfield, director of the USHMM, had the vision to see the importance of James G. McDonald to the USHMM, and she made this diary a museum priority. Paul Shapiro, director of the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies, arranged for resources for this project and gave us valuable advice. One of the most important resources was Ohio State University graduate student Amanda Rothey, who served as our research assistant as a Dorot Fellow in the summer of 2005.
Others at the museum who gave their time and assistance generously include Sharon Muller, Judith Cohen, Maren Read, Henry Mayer, Rebecca Erbelding, Mark Ziomek, Alice Greenwald, Diane Saltzman, Aleisa Fishman, Suzanne Brown-Fleming, Beth Aronson, Jordan Tannenbaum, Laura Heymer, Arthur Berger, Dara Goldberg, Andrew Hollinger, George Hellman, Jürgen Matthäus, Peter Black, Celeste Maier, Julie Hock, Shelley Binder, Nancy Hartman, Aleksandra Borecka, Ferenc Katona, Michlean Amir, Sara Sirman, Anne Marigza, Emily Jacobson, Teresa Pollin, Stephen Feinberg, Peter Fredlake, Ann Richman, David Stolte, Peter Bonta, Duane Brant, Christine Brown, Heather Duckworth, Kristy Brosius, Katie Swangin, Linda Lazar, Robert Garber, Bruce Tapper, Victoria Barnett, Jill Weinberg, Max Reid, Curtis Millay, Steven Kanaley, Ronald Coleman, Steven Luckert, Ann Miliin, and Amanda Noyes.
Drawing on her expert knowledge of the context of British events, Anne Rush helped with annotations and proofreading. Ada Rousso performed the absolutely essential task of entering repeated stylistic corrections into the first rough computer copy of the manuscript. She saved us hundreds of hours and much frustration.
Harold Miller, archivist of the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), and Robert Nolan, also at the FPA, supplied information about McDonald’s years at the FPA. Stacey Lynn Sell, National Gallery, did research on McDonald’s professional associations. Pamela Wasmer, Monroe County (Indiana) Public Library, tracked down information about McDonald’s genealogy and early years.
Tamar Evangelistia-Dougherty, curator at the Lehman Suite, Columbia University Libraries, was extraordinarily generous. At the Joint Distribution Committee Archives, Misha Mitsei, Sherry Hyman, and Shelley Helfand were all very helpful. We are grateful to the staff of the Houghton Library at Harvard University and to the staff of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, especially Robert Parks.
During 2005–2006 Richard Breitman was the Ina Levine Invitational Scholar at the Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. This fellowship, the result of the generosity of William S. Levine, allowed him to spend most of his time on Advocate for the Doomed.
We are greatly indebted to all of them.
Advocate for the Doomed
 
Introduction: Young Man from Indiana

Barbara McDonald Stewart
In 1939 American Commander Victor “Pug” Henry was appointed naval attaché in Berlin. His attractive German-speaking wife Rhoda happened to catch Adolf Hitler’s eye at a reception shortly after their arrival. Using his connections and his shrewd judgment, Henry soon deduced t