Society for the Prevention of World War III
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The Society for the Prevention of World War III was an organization set up in the U.S. in 1944 during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
that advocated a harsh peace for Germany in order to completely remove Germany as a future military threat. The Organization was a spin-off of the
Writers' War Board The Writers' War Board was the main domestic propaganda organization in the United States during World War II. Privately organized and run, it coordinated American writers with government and quasi-government agencies that needed written work to ...
, with both headed by (anti-German) novelist
Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...
and the organization's monthly publication mainly republishing material produced by the War Board. It succeeded in hardening attitudes towards Germany both in the media and in the government. However, by 1948 it had failed in its overall mission, with JCS 1067 rescinded and the
Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan (officially the European Recovery Program, ERP) was an American initiative enacted in 1948 to provide foreign aid to Western Europe. The United States transferred over $13 billion (equivalent of about $ in ) in economic re ...
helping West Germany's economic recovery, along with the rest of Europe.


Activities

In addition to the monthlyMonthly, May 1944-Feb. 1945 Bimonthly, Mar./Apr. 1945-1950 2 no. a year, 1951-1971. Issue 78 winter-spring 1972
Catalogue, National Library of Australia
/ref> magazine ''Prevent World War III'', the society engaged in a number of lobbying efforts. For example in 1944, they distributed a booklet by T.H. Tetens entitled ''Know Your Enemy'' where the German people were depicted as inherently aggressive, militaristic, and a permanent threat to peace. 10,000 free copies were given to Congress, media, and other influential individuals such as clerics. In March 1947, the society helped
Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt () (October 11, 1884November 7, 1962) was an American political figure, diplomat, and activist. She was the first lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945, during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt's four ...
and
Edgar Ansel Mowrer Edgar Ansel Mowrer (March 8, 1892 – March 2, 1977) was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and writer best known for his writings on international events. Life and career Born in Bloomington, Illinois to Rufus and Nellie née Scot ...
organize a National Conference on the German Problem. The conference was held in the
Waldorf Astoria Hotel Waldorf can have the following meanings: People * William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor (1848–1919), financier and statesman * Waldorf Astor, 2nd Viscount Astor (1879–1952), businessman and politician * Pappy Waldorf (1902–1981), 1966 ...
in New York and was attended by 185 prominent individuals, such as
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
, Henry Morgenthau Jr., Eugene V. Rostow,
Helen Gahagan Douglas Helen Gahagan Douglas (born Helen Mary Gahagan; November 25, 1900 – June 28, 1980) was an American actress and politician. Her career included success on Broadway, as a touring opera singer, and in Hollywood films. Her portrayal of the villain ...
. The conference formulated a program to cripple the German economy and reduce the German territory. The resulting declaration, signed by amongst others the society, stated, "Any plans to resurrect the economic and political power of Germany ... eredangerous to the security of the world".


Prominent members

*
Rex Stout Rex Todhunter Stout (; December 1, 1886 – October 27, 1975) was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. His best-known characters are the detective Nero Wolfe and his assistant Archie Goodwin, who were featured in 33 novels and ...
(In charge, also leading the Writers' War Board, government funded and with very close ties to the Roosevelt administration) *
William L. Shirer William Lawrence Shirer (; February 23, 1904 – December 28, 1993) was an American journalist and war correspondent. He wrote ''The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich'', a history of Nazi Germany that has been read by many and cited in scholarly w ...
(Member of board of directors) * William H. Hale (Member of board of directors) *
Mark Van Doren Mark Van Doren (June 13, 1894 – December 10, 1972) was an American poet, writer and critic. He was a scholar and a professor of English at Columbia University for nearly 40 years, where he inspired a generation of influential writers and thin ...
*
Clifton Fadiman Clifton Paul "Kip" Fadiman (May 15, 1904 – June 20, 1999) was an American intellectual, author, editor, radio and television personality. He began his work with the radio, and switched to television later in his career. Background Born in Bro ...
* Christopher La Farge *
Douglas Freeman Douglas Percy Freeman (21 July 1916 – 3 April 2013) was an English cricketer. Freeman was a left-handed batsman who played for Dorset County Cricket Club and Kent County Cricket Club.Friedrich Wilhelm Foerster *
Walter Johnson Walter Perry Johnson (November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946), nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year baseball career in Major League Baseball as a right-ha ...
*
Albert Simard Albert Charles Joseph Simard ''Albert C. J. Simard(ca. 1891 — May 2, 1973New York State Journal of Medicine. (1973). United States: Medical Society of the State of New York. p. 2918Emil Ludwig *
Lewis Mumford Lewis Mumford (October 19, 1895 – January 26, 1990) was an American historian, sociologist, philosopher of technology, and literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a w ...
*
Allan Nevins Joseph Allan Nevins (May 20, 1890 – March 5, 1971) was an American historian and journalist, known for his extensive work on the history of the Civil War and his biographies of such figures as Grover Cleveland, Hamilton Fish, Henry Ford, and J ...
*
Louis Nizer Louis Nizer (February 6, 1902 – November 10, 1994) was a Jewish-American trial lawyer based in New York City. He was the senior partner of the law firm Phillips, Nizer, Benjamin, Krim & Ballon. In addition to his legal work, Louis Nizer was ...
*
Quentin Reynolds Quentin James Reynolds (April 11, 1902 – March 17, 1965) was an American journalist and World War II war correspondent. He also played American football for one season in the National Football League (NFL) with the Brooklyn Lions. Early life ...
*
Walter Wanger Walter Wanger (born Walter Feuchtwanger; July 11, 1894 – November 18, 1968) was an American film producer active from the 1910s, his career concluding with the turbulent production of '' Cleopatra,'' his last film, in 1963. He began at Para ...
*
James Warburg James Paul Warburg (August 18, 1896 – June 3, 1969) was a German-born American banker. He was well known for being the financial adviser to Franklin D. Roosevelt. His father was banker Paul Warburg, member of the Warburg family and "father" of ...
*
Darryl Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...


See also

*
Anti-German sentiment Anti-German sentiment (also known as Anti-Germanism, Germanophobia or Teutophobia) is opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, its culture, or its language. Its opposite is Germanophilia. Anti-German sentiment largely began wit ...
*
Morgenthau Plan The Morgenthau Plan was a proposal to eliminate Germany following World War II and eliminating its arms industry and removing or destroying other key industries basic to military strength. This included the removal or destruction of all industr ...


References


Further reading

* Casey, Steven. "The campaign to sell a harsh peace for Germany to the American public, 1944–1948." ''History'' 90.297 (2005): 62-92
online


External links


The Campaign to sell a harsh peace for Germany to the American Public 1944 - 1948
* ttp://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/20201686 THE U.S.A. "DEFEATS ITSELF" IN GERMANYbr>Das böse, böse Deutschland
DIE ZEIT, 26.02.1953 Nr. 09 {{DEFAULTSORT:Society for the Prevention of World War III American propaganda during World War II Foreign policy lobbying organizations in the United States Rex Stout 1944 establishments in the United States