Emery Reves
Encyclopedia
Emery Reves (16 February 1904 – 4 October 1981) was a writer, publisher, literary agent and advocate of world federalism.
, Hungary
, and educated in Berlin
, Zurich
and Paris
.
, becoming his literary agent. When Churchill was elected Prime Minister, Reves was sent to New York
to help build up the British propaganda organisation in both North and South America. After the war, he purchased the rights to publish Winston Churchill's war memoirs outside Britain
, and likewise Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples.
He is also known for publishing the book I Paid Hitler (1941) wherein he said Fritz Thyssen
was clearly, in his mind, "one of the men most responsible for the rise of Hitler and for the seeking of power by the National Socialists in Germany".
would be inadequate to preserve peace because it was an instrument of power, rather than an instrument of law. His book was endorsed by Albert Einstein
and numerous other prominent figures.
The cover of The Anatomy of Peace
had an "Open Letter
to the American People", signed by Owen J. Roberts, J.W. Fulbright
, Claude Pepper
, Elbert D. Thomas
, and other dignitaries, which began:
, an American former fashion model who had been his companion since 1948. The couple established a home in the early 1950s in the Villa La Pausa, originally constructed for fashion designer Coco Chanel
. In 1985, Reves's widow established the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection at the Dallas Museum of Art
with a donation that stipulated the recreation within the museum of the 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) villa, especially for the display of the collection. In 1989, Wendy Reves established the Reves Center for International Studies at the College of William & Mary to honor her late husband and his commitment to internationalism.
In 1991, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
commissioned a piece called Anatomy of Peace in Reves's memory; it was composed by Marvin Hamlisch
and orchestrated by Richard Danielpour
.
Youth
Reves was born in BácsföldvárBacko Gradište
Bačko Gradište is a village located in the Bečej municipality, in the South Bačka District of Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. The village is ethnically mixed and its population numbering 5,445 people...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and educated in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Publishing career and Winston Churchill
In 1933, he founded a publishing company, the "Cooperation Publishing Service" known for its strong anti-Nazi stance. In 1937, he befriended Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, becoming his literary agent. When Churchill was elected Prime Minister, Reves was sent to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to help build up the British propaganda organisation in both North and South America. After the war, he purchased the rights to publish Winston Churchill's war memoirs outside Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and likewise Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples.
He is also known for publishing the book I Paid Hitler (1941) wherein he said Fritz Thyssen
Fritz Thyssen
Friedrich "Fritz" Thyssen was a German businessman born into one of Germany's leading industrial families.-Youth:Thyssen was born in Mülheim in the Ruhr area...
was clearly, in his mind, "one of the men most responsible for the rise of Hitler and for the seeking of power by the National Socialists in Germany".
The Anatomy of Peace and an Open Letter to the American People
He was the author of The Anatomy of Peace, a 1945 book that helped popularize the cause of world federalism. Reves argued that world law was the only way to prevent war, and the fledgling United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
would be inadequate to preserve peace because it was an instrument of power, rather than an instrument of law. His book was endorsed by Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
and numerous other prominent figures.
The cover of The Anatomy of Peace
The Anatomy of Peace
The Anatomy of Peace was a book by Emery Reves, first published in 1946, which expressed the world federalist sentiments shared by Albert Einstein and many others in the late 1940s, in the period immediately following World War II...
had an "Open Letter
Open letter
An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience, or a letter intended for an individual, but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally....
to the American People", signed by Owen J. Roberts, J.W. Fulbright
J. William Fulbright
James William Fulbright was a United States Senator representing Arkansas from 1945 to 1975.Fulbright was a Southern Democrat and a staunch multilateralist who supported the creation of the United Nations and the longest serving chairman in the history of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee...
, Claude Pepper
Claude Pepper
Claude Denson Pepper was an American politician of the Democratic Party, and a spokesman for left-liberalism and the elderly. In foreign policy he shifted from pro-Soviet in the 1940s to anti-Communist in the 1950s...
, Elbert D. Thomas
Elbert D. Thomas
Elbert Duncan Thomas was a Democratic Party politician from Utah. He represented Utah in the United States Senate from 1933 until 1951.-Biography:...
, and other dignitaries, which began:
- The first atomic bomb destroyed more than the city of Hiroshima. It also exploded our inherited, outdated political ideas.
- A few days before the force of Nature was tried out for the first time in history, the San Francisco Charter was ratified in Washington. The dream of a League of Nations, after 26 years, was accepted by the Senate.
- How long will the United Nations Charter endure? With luck, a generation? A century? There is no one who does not hope for at least that much luck- for the Charter, for himself, for his work, and for his children’s children. But is it enough to have Peace by Luck? Peace by Law is what the peoples of the world, beginning with our selves, can have if they want it. And now is the time to get it.
Later life
From 1964 until his death, he was married to Wendy RussellWendy Russell Reves
Wendy Russell Reves was an American philanthropist, socialite, and former fashion model.-Early life and career:She was born Wyn-Nelle Russell in Marshall, Texas, and adopted the name Wendy as an adult....
, an American former fashion model who had been his companion since 1948. The couple established a home in the early 1950s in the Villa La Pausa, originally constructed for fashion designer Coco Chanel
Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Bonheur "Coco" Chanel was a pioneering French fashion designer whose modernist thought, menswear-inspired fashions, and pursuit of expensive simplicity made her an important figure in 20th-century fashion. She was the founder of one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel...
. In 1985, Reves's widow established the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection at the Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas...
with a donation that stipulated the recreation within the museum of the 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) villa, especially for the display of the collection. In 1989, Wendy Reves established the Reves Center for International Studies at the College of William & Mary to honor her late husband and his commitment to internationalism.
In 1991, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
The Dallas Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra. It performs its concerts in the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, United States....
commissioned a piece called Anatomy of Peace in Reves's memory; it was composed by Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Hamlisch
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch is an American composer. He is one of only thirteen people to have been awarded Emmys, Grammys, Oscars, and a Tony . He is also one of only two people to EGOT and also win a Pulitzer Prize...
and orchestrated by Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour
Richard Danielpour is an American composer.-Biography:Danielpour is born of Persian/Jewish descent. He studied at Oberlin College and the New England Conservatory of Music, and later at the Juilliard School of Music, where he received a DMA in composition in 1986...
.
Works
- A Democratic Manifesto. Jonathan Cape: London, 1943.
- The Anatomy of Peace, Harper and Brothers, 1945.