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Drafted while events were fresh in his mind in 1942-1943,
Alabama-born American diplomat George Platt Waller's memoir
chronicles his war-time experience in the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg. In vivid prose, he recalls the outbreak of World War II
in September 1939, the "Phony War," the German invasion of May 10,
1940, and the Wehrmacht occupation. Intimately involved with the
political and public life of this small democratic nation, Waller
did not follow Grand Duchess Charlotte and her government into
exile. Instead, he remained as long as he could to witness and
champion the Luxembourg people, doing his best to rescue the flood
of refugees seeking visas and asylum in the United States. Waller
bitterly condemns the Nazi civilian administration, its oppressive
racial laws, and its attempts to annex the country to Germany under
the banner of Heim ins Reich. From his pivotal position as dean of
the diplomatic community, representative of the powerful United
States; and trusted confidant of leaders, executives, and citizens
alike, Waller was privy to information from a wide range of
sources: government, military, the church, the professions, the
resistance, ordinary people, and refugees. He narrates gripping
accounts of individual initiative and courage and exposes the many
official hindrances to the timely rescue of refugees. His
observations shed new light on life in Luxembourg from 1939 to
1941, when he was finally expelled from the country. The editors'
introduction places this brief but highly significant memoir in the
context of Waller's family background, education, and career,
including his dramatic return to Luxembourg at its liberation by
American troops in 1944 and his participation in the Grand Duchy's
postwar renaissance. Extensive annotations and photographs
complement the text.
The historical significance of the period 1864-1870, epitomized by
the establishment of Prussian hegemony in Gennany, has been per
petuated in numerous studies. The diplomatic history of these
decisive years has proven especially fascinating, for the
fundamental changes in Gennany's political frame had a momentous
influence upon the course of European history. The war of 1866
destroyed the last vestiges of Austrian supremacy in Gennany and
inaugurated a reorganization under Prussian domination. The
international repercussions of this transfonnation in the heart of
Europe are fully reflected in the diplo macy of the period, in view
of the disruptive effect upon the existing power equilibrium. The
manner in which Napoleon III and his govern ment reacted to the
events was of crucial portent for the future of his empire. An
inquiry into Ambassador Benedetti's mission to Berlin contributes
materially to an understanding of imperial diplomacy, primarily as
related to Prussia, in this critical period. The present study was
suggested by Dr. Lynn M. Case and began to take shape in his
seminars on European diplomatic history. Bene detti's constant
association with French diplomacy between 1864 and 1870 seemed to
warrant a detailed and critical examination of his mission. Despite
the advent of the telegraph diplomatic representa tives continued
to fonn an important part of the diplomatic appa ratus and
Benedetti was no exception. Past studies based exclusively on his
career are very few. Frensdorff's Preussische Jahrbucher article
appeared shortly after the outbreak of the war in 1870.
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