Society for the Prevention of World War III
Encyclopedia
The Society for the Prevention of World War III was an organization set up in the U.S. in 1944 during World War II
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
, with both headed by (extreme anti-German) novelist Rex Stout
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Germany both in the media and in the government, but by 1948 it had failed in its overall mission, with JCS 1067 rescinded and the Marshall Plan
helping Germany, along with the rest of Europe, back on its feet.
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
and Edgar Ansel Mowrer
organize a National Conference on the German Problem. The conference was held in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and was attended by 185 prominent individuals such as Albert Einstein
, Henry Morgenthau Jr., Eugene V. Rostow
, Helen Gahagan Douglas. 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 ... [were] dangerous to the security of the world".
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
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
Writers' War Board
The Writers' War Board was the main domestic propaganda organization in the US during World War II. Privately organized and run, it coordinated American writers with the government.-Purpose:...
, with both headed by (extreme anti-German) novelist Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
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, but by 1948 it had failed in its overall mission, with JCS 1067 rescinded and the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan
The Marshall Plan was the large-scale American program to aid Europe where the United States gave monetary support to help rebuild European economies after the end of World War II in order to combat the spread of Soviet communism. The plan was in operation for four years beginning in April 1948...
helping Germany, along with the rest of Europe, back on its feet.
Activities
In addition to the monthly 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
T.H. Tetens
Summary of bio from Tetens' book The New Germany and the Old Nazis: T.H. Tetens was born in Berlin and worked in the 1920s as an economist and newspaper editor, studied the Pan-German movement and the Nazi party...
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
Eleanor Roosevelt
Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was the First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal policies of her husband, distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and became an advocate for civil rights. After her husband's death in 1945, Roosevelt continued to be an international...
and Edgar Ansel Mowrer
Edgar Ansel Mowrer
Edgar Ansel Mowrer was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author best known for his writings on international events.Born in Bloomington, Illinois, Mowrer graduated from the University of Michigan in 1913...
organize a National Conference on the German Problem. The conference was held in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York and was attended by 185 prominent individuals such as 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...
, Henry Morgenthau Jr., Eugene V. Rostow
Eugene V. Rostow
Eugene V. Rostow , influential legal scholar and public servant, was Dean of Yale Law School, and served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs under President Lyndon B...
, Helen Gahagan Douglas. 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 ... [were] dangerous to the security of the world".
Prominent members
- Rex StoutRex StoutRex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
(In charge, also leading the Writers' War Board, government funded and with very close ties to the Roosevelt administration) - William L. ShirerWilliam L. ShirerWilliam Lawrence Shirer was an American journalist, war correspondent, and historian, who wrote The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, a history of Nazi Germany read and cited in scholarly works for more than 50 years...
(Member of board of directors) - William H. Hale (Member of board of directors)
- James P. WarburgJames WarburgJames Paul Warburg was an American banker and financial adviser to Franklin D. Roosevelt. His father was Paul Warburg.- Biography :...
("ideologist" of the society) - Emil LudwigEmil LudwigEmil Ludwig was a German author, known for his biographies.-Biography:Emil Ludwig was born in Breslau, now part of Poland. Ludwig studied law but chose writing as a career. At first he wrote plays and novella, but also worked as a journalist...
- Clifton FadimanClifton FadimanClifton P. "Kip" Fadiman was an American intellectual, author, editor, radio and television personality.-Literary career:...
- Mark Van DorenMark Van DorenMark Van Doren was an American poet, writer and a critic, apart from being a scholar and a professor of English at Columbia University for nearly 40 years, where he inspired a generation of influential writers and thinkers including Thomas Merton, Robert Lax, John Berryman, and Beat Generation...
- Christopher La Farge
- Douglas FreemanDouglas FreemanDouglas Percy Freeman is a former English cricketer. Freeman was a left-handed batsman. He was born in Sherborne, Dorset.Freeman made his debut for Dorset in the 1934 Minor Counties Championship against Cornwall...
- Lewis MumfordLewis MumfordLewis Mumford was an American historian, philosopher of technology, and influential literary critic. Particularly noted for his study of cities and urban architecture, he had a broad career as a writer...
- Allan NevinsAllan NevinsAllan Nevins was an American historian and journalist, renowned for his extensive work on the history of the Civil War and his biographies of such figures as President Grover Cleveland, Hamilton Fish, Henry Ford, and John D. Rockefeller.-Life:Born in Camp Point, Illinois, Nevins was educated at...
- Louis NizerLouis NizerLouis Nizer was a noted Jewish-American trial lawyer and senior partner of the law firm Phillips Nizer Benjamin Krim & Ballon...
- Quentin ReynoldsQuentin ReynoldsQuentin James Reynolds was a journalist and World War II war correspondent.As associate editor at Collier's Weekly from 1933 to 1945, Reynolds averaged twenty articles a year...
- Darryl Zanuck
- Walter JohnsonWalter JohnsonWalter Perry Johnson , nicknamed "Barney" and "The Big Train", was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Washington Senators...
- Walter WangerWalter WangerWalter Wanger was an American film producer. An intellectual and a socially conscious movie executive who produced provocative message movies and glittering romantic melodramas, Wanger's career began at Paramount Pictures in the 1920s and led him to work at virtually every major studio as either a...