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.