
The Conquerors
Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945
Michael R. Beschloss(Author)
Simon & Schuster (Publisher)
Published on 17. November 2003
Book
Paperback/Softback
400 pages
978-0-7432-4454-1 (ISBN)
Description
As Presidents Roosevelt and Truman led the United States in World War II in Europe, they had to deal with the question of what kind of government should be imposed on Nazi Germany to ensure that Germany could never again drag the world into war. THE CONQUERORS tells the story with much intimate detail and colour of how Roosevelt and Truman privately struggled in their own minds and with titanic allies like Winston Churchill and Josef Stalin, through summits and secret messages, to answer this question. Roosevelt did not react to increasing evidence of the Holocaust, but close friend and Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Morgenthau, Jr., privately pressed Roosevelt to accept what was soon called the 'Morgenthau plan' - teach the Germans a lesson and destroy their ability to make war by destroying their industrial base and letting many Germans starve to death. Beschloss also revels how Harry Truman, on abruptly assuming the Presidency, was briefed on the Morgenthau Plan and was appalled. Truman, backed by Cabinet members, turned his back on the plan, fired Morgenthau, and moved toward Germany's division between East and West, allowing West Germany to become the bulwark of Western opposition to Soviet expansionism in Europe.
Reviews / Votes
The New York Times Book Review Vigorously written....This is history as it was spoken at the time, and there is not a dull page. The Wall Street Journal Opinion Journal, "Editor's Choice" A gripping narrative of the struggles at the end of World War II...to ensure that Nazi Germany would never be allowed to repeat its horrific acts. Richard Bernstein The New York Times The main lesson of Mr. Beschloss's fine study is that what happens after a war is as important as what happens on the battlefield. Jim Hoagland The Washington Post An incomparable account.More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
16 page b&w insert
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
463 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7432-4454-1 (9780743244541)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Michael R. Beschloss
The Conquerors
Roosevelt, Truman and the Destruction of Hitler's Germany, 1941-1945
E-Book
11/2002
1st Edition
Simon + Schuster LLC
€15.81
Available for download
Person
Michael Beschloss has been called "the nation's leading Presidential historian" by Newsweek. He has written nine books on American Presidents and is NBC News Presidential Historian, as well as contributor to PBS's The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife.