Reading Theodore H. White

 

Many students of history are familiar with White's historical accounts of General Stilwell in China, but his personal account of history as he experienced it may be new to some. 

Theodore White's "In Search of History" starts with his family's poverty in the United States. As immigrants, they worked long hours and studied to make progress up the financial ladder. 

His recollections of post-World War II Europe and in particular the Marshall Plan and the rebuilding of Europe are essential reading. 

Some important statements:

"Neither Clay nor MacArthur nor Hoffman nor Harriman nor George Marshall nor Dean Acheson nor Milton Katz could have envisioned that what they tried to do in the reconstruction of Europe and Asia would result in the rise of Germany and Japan--and that thirty years later, our two former enemies would threaten, like giant pincer claws, America's industrial supremecacy in the new trading world we had tried to open to all: ."  page 306...In Search of History.

And, in rewriting the German Constitution, he said this...

."Were I to become the scholar I once hoped to be, I would chose such moments of political etymology as my field of study, and concentrate first on Germany. I would choose Germany because in 1933 a handful of men had seized a modern state and made its people into the most hated nation in the world. In 1949 and 1950, I saw anoter hadful of men take over in Germany--dull, dreary, plodding men--and saw them convert Germany in the next twenty years into a decent society. What frightented me then, and frightens me still, is how few men it takes at the head of any state to give it its character of good or evil, of freedom, tyranny, torture, butchery, or benevolence..." page 318, In Search of History

Food for thought. HIghlighting added. 

T.H. White

Read his books.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_H._White





Comments

  1. shJanuary 17, 2021 at 5:57 AM

    White's book contained much about the Marshall Plan and inspired me to research. This article focuses on the US Oil industry and how it benefitted from the Marshall Plan and how the dollar shortage in Europe changed the dynamics.

    https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-3533.2017v27n1art12

    ReplyDelete
  2. shMarch 26, 2021 at 1:52 PM

    Reading White's historically significant, highly detailed book "The Making of a President 1960", I was compelled to find JFK's convention acceptance speech. History worth remembering...

    JFK 1960 Convention Acceptance Speech

    ReplyDelete

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