Will Hitler Save Democracy?

An exploration of isolationism in pre-World War America and the effects Hitler had on the

reshaping of American foreign policy

History of American Foreign Policy

Research paper Amber Heyman-Valchanov

December 16, 2005

An article written in an April, 1939 issue of Foreign Affairs titled “Will Hitler

Save Democracy?” raises many a pointed brow. The initial response to a question

that would put such an infamous character in a position of responsibility for

modern democracy could be considered blasphemy even to the most extreme

atheist. This article by an unknown author analyzes the significance of Hitler’s

ability to exploit the passivity of democracy at the time, and the perception of

Hitler’s objective to conquer communism that ultimately awoke a “sleeping giant”

and helped shape democracy today. I utilize this analogy of a “sleeping giant” as a

way to express American isolationism at the time just before the United States

entered World War II. As America’s position in international affairs was teetering

between involvements of European issues and focusing on self-interest at home.

The misguided perception and the isolationist attitude of Americans in the

1930’s and 40’s, play a major role in understanding what the author is trying to

convey in his statement. To the naïve, the article could insinuate that the author

felt Hitler championed democracy. However, as ironic and powerful the statement

may be, it is a legitimate question and it does put Hitler’s involvement in shaping

modern democracy into perspective. What would democracy look like today had

the United States not gotten involved in the war with Hitler? How did Hitler break

the democratic world out of its isolationist shell?

To start, the author of the article states first that, the First World War was

won by “soldiers of democracy”, and the Peace that was sought was lost by

“democracy’s postwar statesmen”. Here referring to the approach of peace

through the failed League of Nations and the unsubstantiated Treaty of Versailles.

The attitude of defeatism or indifference of the democracies allowed Germany to

unite under militarized nationalism to rearm, increase territory, and openly

organize wars of conquest. He then goes on to say that the democracies blinded

by indifference a decade after World War I, were misled into thinking that the

essential conflict was between German and Italian nationalism on the one side

and communism on the other.

This raises the question as to whether democracies were misled by a

brilliant scheme on the part of Hitler, to divert attention from his ultimate goal of

going beyond conquering communism, or if America was oblivious to reality and

only saw what she wanted to legitimize her isolationist stance? What would

ultimately fuel Hitler’s goal and hinder the approach of the democracies would be

indifference mixed with a false perception, however conceived, of what was really

at stake: that “fundamentally, Fascist dictatorship fights Communism only as a

competitor, but its chief aim is the destruction of democracy.” The ultimate

question posed is: would the approach of the democracies against Hitler have

been any different had the perception of his cause been not against communism,

but clearly against democracy itself?

Hitler was in a place strategically to take advantage of the myriad of factors

to complete his mission of world hegemony. The 1930’s opened devastating

events, which demonstrated that the quest for a peaceful world order and balance

of power had failed. The Great Depression had crippled the world economy, debts

and reparations went unpaid, and trade wars broke out. “The posture of

isolationism of the United States from failed attempts at an international

government along with abandonment of wartime efforts to remake the world in its

own image and retreating instead to the confines of its immediate interests”1,

would prove to be Hitler’s vantagepoint. The defeatism of both Great Britain and

the United States would serve as the backbone to the many victories for the

totalitarian regime. According to scholar Joseph Nye, American defeatism stems

from the policies coordinated by a balancing of power.

Woodrow Wilson regarded the balance of power policies as “immoral

because they violated democracy and national self-determination.” The balance of

power was unable to give priority to democracy and Peace, because it is only a

way to preserve the sovereign state system. This immoral feeling in regards to the

balance of power on the part of Wilson is attributed to this defeatist attitude that

would have been reason enough for the League of Nations to fail and for the

Treaty of Versailles to be considered illegitimate.

When America joined the Great War in 1917, it tilted the balance against

the Central Powers, because of her large population and industrial proficiency. By

the time the war ended, President Wilson was in a strong position to influence the

1 Norman A. Graebner, Oblivious to Reality: The Extremes of American isolationism and Internationalism

peace treaties -the peace settlement was based in fact upon his "Fourteen Points".

A new international body called the League of Nations was to be set up to keep

the peace between nations. Sadly, America turned her back on Wilson and on

Europe. Many Americans believed that the lives lost and the money spent in the

Great War had been too great an expenditure. They were opposed to anything

that might drag America into another European war. Because of the defeatist

attitude of the United States, she did not ratify the Treaty of Versailles, ironic, as it

was both too harsh because it stirred up German nationalism and too lenient

because it left the Germans the capability to do something about it. What gave

Germany this “capability” to do something about it? Was it the harshness of the

treaty or was it the lenience of it? Personally, I think the capability and causation

come from the same place, in both harshness and lenience. They are joint causes

of German nationalism.

Going back to Wilsonian defeatism, not only was the treaty not strong

enough follow through with a balance of power, the United States and in some

cases Great Britain, felt a kind of sympathy for Germany in the harshness of the

Treaty. So why would Wilson put so much effort into his Fourteen Points and to

establish a League of Nations, only to not follow through in its execution? The

reason would be, because it needed to look like something was being done. And

to the world it did look like something was being done. International policy was

starting to take form and all the actors initially took things seriously. Once

presented with the Fourteen Points at Versailles, the Germans were allowed to

submit a counter-proposal. The following extract is part of the preamble.

“In spite of such monstrous demands the rebuilding of

our economic system is at the same time made impossible.

We are to surrender our merchant fleet. We are to give up all

foreign interests. We are to transfer to our opponents the

property of all German undertakings abroad, even of those

situated in countries allied to us. Even after the conclusion of

peace the enemy states are to be empowered to confiscate

all German property. No German merchant will then, in their

countries, be safe from such war measures. We are to

completely renounce our colonies, not even in these are

German missionaries to have the right of exercising their

profession. We are, in other words, to renounce every kind

of political, economic and moral activity. But more than this,

we are also to resign the right of self-determination in

domestic affairs. Dictatorial powers are conferred on the

International Reparation Commission over our whole

national life in economic and cultural matters, its power by

far exceeding those ever enjoyed within the German Empire

by the Emperor, the German Federal Council and the

Reichstag put together. This Commission has the

unrestrained power of disposal over the economic system of

the state, of the municipalities and of private individuals.”

But the Allied reply was uncompromising, rejecting all arguments and

conceding only border adjustments in relation to Polish territory. The German

position was, of course, unsupported and in an atmosphere of bitter hostility, the

country's representatives were forced to sign the hated document. Germany had

many legitimate claims against the magnitude of responsibility she was to endure

through the reparations of the treaty. Ultimately Germany’s prosperity was

jeopardized. How was she to recover economically when one third of the gross

productivity was going into other nations? The power that Great Britain and France

were initially afraid of Germany having prior to the Great War were now regarded

as just and right for the democratic nations to have in retribution. How is this a

balance of power? The rape of German prosperity and pride was the lit fuse for

extreme nationalism. None of the democracies would have given into such

demands and it is preposterous to think that the treaty was just and going to

resolve any issues to maintain a balance of power. If the United States was not

going to relinquish any amount of sovereignty to an international policy what

makes her think that nothing ill would come out of making a nation relinquish over

a third of her gross worth to make the democracies stronger than her? Had the

statesmen in the postwar reconciliation taken better care at coming to a more

reasonable resolution without imposing on the sovereignty of Germany such

extreme demands, it is possible that Germany would not have gone down a path

that lead to World War II.

Equally, the legitimacy of this international policy was questionable from the

beginning, and Wilson knew it. First, in international policy, there is no common

sovereignty, no ruler above all. Who is the judge of just and unjust? Who is

responsible for the execution of laws uncommon between actors? This is one of

the dilemmas that Wilson faced when he stated that balance of power is immoral.

How can something immoral be the judge of morality? Second, according to

Hobbes the state of nature is a war of all against all, because there is no higher

ruler to enforce order. So again, who is to be the judge against what is in our very

nature to seek out? We always seek commonality to maintain restraint against our

nature and ultimately it is our commonality that will find what is most just and

unjust.

In the case of American defeatism it was not the question necessarily what

was just or unjust or about our very nature. It was all about the ability to enforce

international policy and preserve democracy, peace, and self-nationalism all at the

same time. This dilemma prevented the success of the League of Nations and

hindered the legitimacy of the treaty. The harshness of the treaty was the causality

of German nationalism and the lenience of its enforcement, gave the Germans the

capability of German nationalism in its most extreme form, Fascism and Hitler to

guide them.

At the descent of Wilsonianism came a desire to go back to American roots

dating to the Monroe Doctrine that led to American isolationism. America torn

apart from the Great Depression that also affected Europe opened the door for

Hitler’s dictatorship. However, Hitler in his attempt at world hegemony by trying to

eliminate the communist and democratic worlds, would only strengthen them. By

America entering into World War II, it forced spending that stimulated the economy

resulting in the end of The Great Depression. It opened the doors for women’s

rights, and ultimately to the desegregation of African-Americans. But his greatest

achievement was in fact, “saving democracy.”

In the form of a timeline, the events that occurred in American political

history will provide us in detail, how isolationism began, who championed

isolationism, and who championed internationalism, as a reaction to Hitler. The

remaining part of this essay will give examples of the effects that Hitler had on

shaping American foreign policy that forced America out of her defeatist position.

Hitler’s duel sided war against communism and democracy ultimately

strengthened them both.

For most of our nation’s history, America has exercised a policy of

independence from European affairs, and expected the gesture to be returned by

the rest of the world. During Wilson’s presidency America reflected a period of

idealism that mirrored that of the Monroe Doctrine. The Monroe doctrine,

expressed by the president in 1823, declared that the America would not take

kindly to any future European involvement in the Western Hemisphere, and

pledged America’s neutrality in any European issues.

Wilson’s presidency eventually pulled America into World War I. Although,

neutrality was difficult to maintain with the British seizing of materials and the

German U-boat issue, many blame Wilson because he failed to protect American

interests. America played a major role in World War I, and sustained large losses

as well as maintaining a strong voice in the post-war negotiations. Wilson was

intent on fastening isolationism’s grave, and introduced his idea for a League of

Nations in his famous Fourteen Points. Wilson joined Clemeceau of France,

Orlando of Italy, and George of Britain in the creation of the Treaty of Versailles.

Because of Wilson’s inability to compromise on key issues when presenting the

treaty to the Senate, the bill was defeated. As a result, America never joined the

European League of Nations, and the next presidency vowed to return America to

the “normalcy” of isolationism.

The Presidents of the twenties avoided the Euro-American interaction of the

previous decade. Harding concentrated on domestic issues, and increased

intolerance towards European immigrants. Coolidge, much like his predecessor,

avoided major European negotiations. The following decade included the infamous

stock market crash and the resulting depression. Domestic issues took

precedence in importance, and little in the way of foreign policy occurred until

America entered the Second World War of the century.

President Roosevelt frustrated with concern about international issues,

encouraged Great Britain and France to rejoin their alliance to curb Hitler’s power.

Roosevelt in his mind was resolved to prevent war in Europe, and in October

1937, he proposed that the United States lead the "peace loving nations" in

placing aggressive nations - Japan, Germany and Italy - under quarantine. It would

be his first speech in which he warned the nation of approaching peril. Roosevelt

remained vague as to what he meant by “quarantine”, as he did not want to say

anything that contravened the Neutrality Act, which he was contracted to uphold.

But still, the speech raised much criticism from isolationists during the following

weeks. The isolationists wanted clarification from Roosevelt, and they complained

that distinguishing between "peace-loving" and "warlike" nations was not neutrality

but taking sides.

The U.S. economy had been in decline since the spring of 1937, and by

October, more than one-half million people were out of work. Compromising with

the conservatives, Roosevelt allowed then Secretary of Treasury, Morgenthau, to

continue with old economic orthodoxy that would cut spending and pursue

balancing the budget. This method stood contrary to the head of the Federal

Reserve, Eccles, who urged deficit spending. Eccles did not buy into the analogy

between the economy of a household and that of a government. He believed that

the government should go into temporary debt to stimulate demand and get

investors investing again.2 Influenced by Eccles, Roosevelt began to move into

increased spending.

Against the American grain at the time, Roosevelt tried to encourage

American knowledge of international developments. In his annual message in

1938, Roosevelt focused on this sentiment. Subsequently, the same year Hitler

was named “Man of the Year” by Time Magazine. In his message he described the

2 The Economy, Politics and Questions of War, 1937-38, http://fsmitha.com/h2/ch22.htm

threat to peace as coming from the dictatorships, and he spoke of the American

need for involvement in Europe to prevent war. But the American perceptions of

events abroad were, misguided, if they were even acknowledged. The American

people wanted to focus on interests at home, not abroad. Then in September

came the crisis of German invasion of Czechoslovakia. In trying to show the public

his desire for peace, he appeared happy to the world with the agreement at

Munich. However, he was personally displeased with the capitulation of France

and Great Britain. He was able to see where the American people were coming

from in their isolationism, but could not understand the defeatism in the

neighboring countries of Germany.

Kristallnacht, a Fascist lead pogrom in Germany in Austria on November 9,

1938, opened the eyes of the world to the actual horror that was lurking around the

corner. Roosevelt, without reservation this time, spoke out publicly, expressing his

dismay and horror. Many influential people shared this horrific sentiment as well.

The American Legion endorsed Roosevelt's statement, as did the CIO labor

organization. Prominent movie stars - Fred Astaire, Claudette Colbert and Bette

Davis - spoke out against the brutalities, Bette Davis suggesting that the U.S.

sever all economic ties with Hitler's Germany. Support among U.S. citizens for the

appeasement policy of Britain's Prime Minister, Chamberlain, diminished. In a

Gallup poll that month, 94 percent expressed disapproval of "Nazi treatment of

Jews."3 Although horrific sentiments began to spawn across the U.S., many

people still did not want to be involved in the affairs of Europe.

The effects of Kristallnacht were so brutal, the Jews knew they must

emigrate from Germany. By this time in the United States the issue of immigration

had risen. Americans finding it hard enough to take care of themselves, did not

want to worsen the job markets and food shortages. In the winter of 1938-39 many

people were against the idea of helping what they called "refu-jews.” The majority

of Americans polled opposed an increase of the national immigration quotas.

Sixty-seven percent of those polled opposed admitting any refugees to the United

States, and sixty-seven opposed a one-time admission of ten thousand refugee

children. Roosevelt acquiesced to public opinion and did nothing to help change

immigration quotas. A bill to admit 20,000 refugee children won no backing from

Roosevelt and died in Congress.4

Although Americans were opposed to any involvement, the good thing was,

American complacency on the matter of international affairs was dwindling.

Democracy was being revived and the path was opening for Roosevelt to make

moves towards the international peace he so desired. In response to Hitler,

Roosevelt set forth the development of the U.S. aircraft industry. He told the

3 The Economy, Politics and Questions of War, 1937-38, http://fsmitha.com/h2/ch22.htm

4 The Economy, Politics and Questions of War, 1937-38, http://fsmitha.com/h2/ch22.htm

Herald Tribune that, “like other nations the United States would not accept

disarmament while neighbor nations are armed to the teeth."

The entertainment industry in Hollywood was very influential in the late

1930’s. Politically themed movies were at an all time high with the release of Gone

with the Wind, Gunga Din, Mr. Smith, and Stagecoach. All of which exemplified

that democracy was not free. In order for democracy to exist, it had to be sought

after and fought for. In order to preserve individual self-interest, one has to protect

it.

Roosevelt began the year 1939 with his annual message to Congress,

aggressively trying to encourage the nation to approve the budget for rearmament.

He stressed fervently the need to increase the range and speed of military aircraft,

and making necessary advances in "defensive aviation." Roosevelt understood the

threat of Hitler in Europe and saw the weaknesses in France and Great Britain

being able to defend democracy in their own territory. If the great powers of

Europe were to be taken, the ability of Hitler to attempt to invade America was only

a few steps away.

Hitler, meanwhile, continued to view the United States with scorn and as

militarily insignificant. He believed that, the landed aristocracy of the United States

had been crushed in its civil war and followed by upstart capitalists in the United

States importing "scum of the earth" immigrants from Eastern Europe. This

resulted in the kind of polyglot urbanization that Hitler had seen in his youth in

Vienna.5 In the eyes of Hitler, America had only a small percentage of racially

worthy citizens. German propaganda included depictions of the United States as a

place of decadence: crime, gangsters, jazz and bleach blond women having

cigarettes dangling from their mouths, nothing like virtuous National Socialist

Germany.

Hitler’s perception of the United States would prove to be his weakness, as

Roosevelt was aware that Hitler was dismissing the United States as being of no

concern. Looking back at the Munich agreement in disappointment, Roosevelt

5 The Economy, Politics and Questions of War, 1937-38, http://fsmitha.com/h2/ch22.htm

believed that had the United States been involved with its former allies, there

would not have been appeasement. He did not want war but knew war was

coming and the idea that the United States did nothing to prevent it resonated

within him. More than ever he aspired to create a coalition against Germany led by

the United States and he pushed for the increased influence that the United States

would have if it amended the Neutrality Act. Backed by congress, Roosevelt made

attempts to align the United States with the Soviet Union against the fascist

powers. Had a union been met the United States may not have needed to

physically fight in the war. But shortly after negotiations with the Soviet Union,

Stalin decided to align Russia with Germany in the Hitler-Stalin pact.

By July 1940, the Battle of Britain had begun and in the United States

stirred an outcry of patriotism in the American people that had turned their backs

to democracy. "God Bless America" began being sung at sporting events, school

meetings and at gatherings for bingo. The American people swung their flags

representing their return to democracy.

In September, Roosevelt delivered 50 destroyers to Britain in exchange for

bases at eight points on the Atlantic coast, from Newfoundland to British Guyana.

Concerned about the prospect for war, Congress passed the Selective Service

and Training Act, and Roosevelt signed the bill into law, establishing the first

peacetime military service draft in the United States.6 Immediately the U.S. began

drafting men into the military. The U.S. Navy was authorized to double the number

of their combat ships, and the production of planes for the Army Air Corps was

anticipated just as quickly.

6 The Economy, Politics and Questions of War, 1937-38, http://fsmitha.com/h2/ch22.htm

In January 1941, a lend-lease bill was making its way through Congress - a

bill that gave the president the power to transfer war material, including ships, to

Britain or any other power. The few isolationists still standing fought the bill, only,

to see it pass. The time of American isolationism: kam einem halt zu.

With national security at stake, the U.S. government was spending without

concern for deficits. Spending was lifting the United States out of the depression,

without bringing the economic disaster that some thought it would. Millions were

going to work in what was called the defense industry. Women were filling most of

the work at home, as men were drafted into the military. This would mark the

prelude to women’s rights and the dawning of feminism. The characteristic role of

the woman was no longer going to be domestic.

War also offered military service as a way out of poverty. Another

revolutionary marker in American history was about to begin the including of

Blacks into the military. Black Americans made up the majority of the impoverished

citizens. And once in the service, Blacks were exposed to experiences far beyond

their pre-war horizons. Although they were still segregated in the military services

and often given menial labor jobs, such as cooks, stewards, and clerks, many

Blacks returned to a post-war America with raised expectations, fired up to bring

about major changes. Many white women, formerly sheltered from the effects of

racism in their hometowns, saw segregation in the South and racism in the

service. Many, whether Jewish or Christian, saw connections between Nazi ideas

about white supremacy and racism at home. Judith Cohen explained, "There was

the feeling that the kinds of slurs, insults, and jokes that people make about

minorities had helped lead to Hitler...I think there was a very strong feeling after

the war that there wasn't going to be that kind of discrimination again."

Segregation began to break down, and the Civil Rights movement started up.7

It is hard to say what would have happened to America had she not been

broken out of her isolationist shell by Hitler. But what we do know is that in the

time that Hitler was dictator of Germany, he impacted democracy in America,

however indirectly. We live in an America today that we take for granted. All the

rights that we have as women, blacks, and Jews we see as just that, “rights”. But

7 Dr. Sharon H. Hartman Strom and Linda P. Wood, What Did You Do During the War, Grandma? Women and World War II, http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/WomenInWWII.html

in the time of our grandparents, it was not a right. It was not even a seed in the

uterus of democracy. That is until Hitler exposed hate and inequality as a retched

belief that must be eliminated from the world. At the expense of Hitler’s ideology of

totalitarianism, world democracy will finally realize its peril. Hitler’s political activity

resulted in bringing about an overwhelming and unprecedented manifestation of

defensive solidarity amongst the democratic people.8

8 Unknown Author, Will Hitler Save Democracy, Foreign Affairs, 1939