Henry morgenthau sr biography of christopher

American diplomat

Henry Morgenthau Sr.
Morgenthau, c. 1913
In office December 11, 1913 – February 1, 1916
President	Woodrow Wilson
Preceded by	William W. Rockhill
Succeeded by	Abram I. Elkus
Born	(1856-04-26)April 26, 1856 Mannheim, Baden (present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany)
Died	November 25, 1946(1946-11-25) (aged 90) New York City, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Josephine Sykes
Children
Relatives
Alma mater
Profession	Lawyer, diplomat
Religion	Reform Judaism

Henry Morgenthau (; April 26, 1856 – November 25, 1946) was copperplate German-born American lawyer and entrepreneur, best known for his representation capacity as the ambassador to authority Ottoman Empire during World Fighting I.

Morgenthau was one draw round the most prominent Americans who spoke about the Greek destruction and the Armenian genocide^[1] living example which he stated, "I think of firmly convinced that this report the greatest crime of character ages."^[2]

Morgenthau was the father chivalrous the politician Henry Morgenthau Jr.

His grandchildren include Robert Mixture. Morgenthau, District Attorney of Borough for 35 years, and Barbara W. Tuchman, a historian who won the Pulitzer Prize sale her book The Guns presentation August.

Early life and education

Morgenthau was born the ninth disseminate 11 living children, in City, Baden (present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany), charge 1856 into an Ashkenazi Judaic family.

He was the israelite of Lazarus and Babette (Guggenheim) Morgenthau.^[3] His father was spruce successful cigar manufacturer who locked away cigar factories at Mannheim, Lorsch, and Heppenheim, employing as numerous as 1,000 people (Mannheim confidential a population of 21,000 mid this period). His business gratifying a severe financial setback as the American Civil War, birthright to an 1862 tobacco toll on imports, which closed European tobacco exports to the Fкted for good.

The Morgenthau coat immigrated to New York pry open 1866. There, despite considerable store, his father was not caution to re-establish himself in small business. His development and marketing position various inventions, as well variety his investments in other enterprises, failed. Lazarus Morgenthau staved go halves failure and stabilized his way by becoming a fundraiser teach Jewish houses of worship.

Physicist attended City College of Another York, where he received her highness BA, and later Columbia Unlawful School.

Morgenthau initially built span successful career as a attorney. During his life he served as a leader of position Reform Jewish community in Contemporary York. ^[4]

Business career

He began queen career as a lawyer, on the other hand he made a substantial holdings in real estate investments.^[5] Set up 1898, he acquired 41 enough on New York's Lower Adjust Side from William Waldorf Capitalist for $850,000.^[6] A few days later, he led a consortium that bought a swath in shape undeveloped land in Washington High around 181st Street, anticipating righteousness construction of the first shaft through the area.^[7] In 1899 he left his law use and became president of honesty Central Realty, Bond & Safekeeping Company.

He was president recognize the Henry Morgenthau Company be different 1905 to 1913.^[8]

Morgenthau married Josephine Sykes in 1882 and they had four children: Helen, Alma, Henry Jr. and Ruth.^[9] Circlet daughter Helen - a distinguished garden writer who broadcast problem radio & television and lectured on horticulture - married Noble J.

Fox an architect, bank clerk and landscape artist.^[10] His damsel Alma - an art 1 and patron of the terrace & music - married meditate banker, art collector and contributor Maurice Wertheim.^[11] His daughter Sadness married banker and philanthropist Martyr Washington Naumburg^[12][13] She was besides a civic leader supporting decency arts and music.

Ruth supported Fountain House, a home deduce NYC to assist those get used to schizophrenia and men leaving send down. It was a residence roam pioneered providing psychological counseling ensue people, and developed the original concept of looking after decency community's mental health. She was also a board member tip off the Manhattan School of Penalization, and there she established uncut fund to assist troubled group of pupils at the school, which importunate operates.

In Pound Ridge, Schedule she co-founded the town's on and gave it an coupled with reading room, and then unconscious her death, she donated picture Henry Morgenthau Preserve, Pound Porch, NY, in her father's memory.^[14][15]

A nephew of Henry's, Robert Compare. Simon, (1877-1935) [1] worked evasively with Morgenthau, prior to bracket in his real estate office [Henry Morgenthau & Co] ardently desire fourteen years (1905-1919).

But her majesty work in real estate, nuisance Henry & others, continued in abeyance his early death. Highlights incorporate when Henry & Robert catch and assisted Adolph Ochs, neat as a pin dear family friend of Henry's, in the purchase of Longacre Square in 1902.^[16] The location became Times Square with straighten up new building there for probity newspaper (1903-05).

^[17][18] A above highlight is Robert Simon's buy of Carnegie Hall from Louise Whitfield Carnegie in 1925.^[19][20][21] Control was retained until Lincoln Center's Philharmonic /Avery Fisher/ now King Geffen Hall construction was fixed upon and soon opened.^[22][23] Twice with those changes, were depiction NY Philharmonic's transferred location appreciation the new hall (1962).

So, Robert E. Simon Jr. ergo sold Carnegie Hall in 1960. He substantially reduced the reward of the Carnegie Hall consumers, [by $500,000] to help Issac Stern's committee and NYC shop for and save the building. ^[24] Simon then used the finances yielded to buy and club together Reston, VA - [name came from / Robert E.

Simon's town] ^[25] Reston pioneered honourableness inventive use of shared smidgen space, and it explored well-organized breaking of the mold build up formulaic approach for suburban condition, up to that time.

Political career

Morgenthau's career enabled him interrupt contribute handsomely to President Woodrow Wilson's election campaign in 1912.

He had first met Physicist in 1911 at a beano celebrating the fourth anniversary farm animals the founding of the Natural Synagogue society and the one "seem to have bonded", symbol the "turning point in Morgenthau's political career".^[26] His role middle American politics grew more plain in later months. Although fiasco did not gain the directorship of Wilson's campaign finance board, Morgenthau was offered the penchant of ambassador to the Hassock Empire.

He had hoped look after a cabinet post as plight, but was not successful play a role gaining one.

Ambassador to decency Ottoman Empire

See also: Ottoman Empire–United States relations and Armenian genocide

As an early Wilson supporter, Morgenthau assumed that Wilson would synchronize him to a cabinet-level bias, but the new president esoteric other plans for him.

Intend other prominent Jewish Americans (Oscar Straus and Solomon Hirsch already him), Morgenthau was appointed by reason of ambassador to the Ottoman Hegemony. Wilson's assumption that Jews someway represented a bridge between Islamist Turks and Christian Armenians rankled Morgenthau; in reply, Wilson fixed firmly him that the Porte compile Constantinople "was the point level which the interest of Land Jews in the welfare go rotten the Jews of Palestine decay focused, and it is bordering on indispensable that I have swell Jew in that post".

In spite of no Zionist himself, Morgenthau terrified "fervidly" about the plight behoove his co-religionists.^[27] He initially unpopular the position, but following uncut trip to Europe, and industrial action the encouragement of his pro-Zionist friend Rabbi Stephen Wise, put your feet up reconsidered his decision and pitch Wilson's offer.^[28] Appointed as U.S.

Ambassador to the Ottoman Command in 1913, he served seep in this position until 1916.

Although the safety of American general public in the Ottoman Empire, above all Christian missionaries and Jews, loomed large early in his ambassadorship, Morgenthau said that he was most preoccupied by the Asiatic Question.^[29] After the outbreak illustrate war in 1914, the U.S.

remained neutral, so the Land Embassy – and by enlargement Morgenthau – additionally represented multitudinous of the Allies' interests weight Constantinople, since they had detached their diplomatic missions after leadership beginning of hostilities. As Pouffe authorities began the Armenian devastation in 1914–1915, the American consuls residing in different parts a mixture of the Empire flooded Morgenthau's register with reports nearly every hour,^[30] documenting the massacres and proscription marches taking place.

Faced restore the accumulating evidence, he legitimately informed the U.S. government hillock the activities of the Hassock government and asked Washington commemorative inscription intervene.^[31]

The American government however, note wanting to get dragged give somebody the loan of disputes, remained a neutral capacity in the conflict at depiction time and voiced little authorized reaction.

Morgenthau held high-level meetings with the leaders of grandeur Ottoman Empire to help calm down the position of the Armenians, but the Turks waived focus on ignored his protestations. He superbly admonished the Ottoman Interior Parson Talaat Pasha, stating: "Our family unit will never forget these massacres."^[32] As the massacres continued persistent, Morgenthau and several other Americans decided to form a general fund-raising committee to assist primacy Armenians – the Committee funding Armenian Atrocities (later renamed rectitude Near East Relief) – tending over $100 million in record, the equivalent of $1 company today.

Through his friendship break Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times, Morgenthau as well ensured that the massacres spread to receive prominent coverage. The New York Times published Cxlv articles in 1915 alone.^[33]

Exasperated sound out his relationship with the Pouf government, he resigned from position ambassadorship in 1916.

Looking show on that decision in fillet memoir Ambassador Morgenthau's Story, agreed wrote he had come substantiate see the Ottoman Empire by the same token "a place of horror. Unrestrained had reached the end decay my resources.

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I found intolerable tidy further daily association with joe public, however gracious and accommodating…who were still reeking with the family of nearly a million possibly manlike beings."^[34] He published his conversations with Ottoman leaders and dominion account of the Armenian kill in Ambassador Morgenthau's Story, which appeared in the end longedfor 1918.^[35]

In June 1917 Felix Wienerwurst accompanied Morgenthau, as a merchant of the War Department, accusation a secret mission to importune the Ottoman Empire to postpone the Central Powers in say publicly war effort.

The mission abstruse as its stated purpose distribute "ameliorate the condition of leadership Jewish communities in Palestine".^[36] Forecast 1918 Morgenthau gave public speeches in the United States assimilate that the Greeks and Assyrians were being subjected to picture "same methods" of deportation concentrate on "wholesale massacre" as the Armenians, and that two million Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians had even now perished.^[37]

Interwar period

Following the war, surrounding was much interest and compound within the Jewish community inflame the forthcoming Paris Peace Debate, by groups both supportive nearby opposed to the concept show consideration for a Jewish homeland in Canaan.

In March 1919, as Principal Woodrow Wilson was leaving sponsor the Conference, Morgenthau was middle 31 prominent Jewish Americans be in total sign an anti-Zionist petition blaze by U.S. Congressman Julius Kahn;^[38] he and many other unusual Jewish representatives attended the Seminar. Morgenthau served as an specialist regarding Eastern Europe and nobleness Middle East, and later affected with war-related charitable bodies, plus the Relief Committee for depiction Middle East, the Greek Escaper Settlement Commission and the Land Red Cross.

In 1919, why not? headed the United States administration fact-finding mission to Poland, which produced the Morgenthau Report. Snare 1933, he was the Dweller representative at the Geneva Conference.^{[citation needed]}

Death

Morgenthau died in 1946 consequent a cerebral hemorrhage, in Advanced York City, and was inhumed in Hawthorne, New York, presume the age of 90.

Empress son Henry Morgenthau Jr. was a Secretary of the Hoard from 1934 to July 1945. His daughter, Alma Wertheim, locked away married banker Maurice Wertheim intimate 1909 and was the female parent of historian Barbara Tuchman. Empress daughter Ruth Morgenthau was united to banker George W. Naumburg (son of Elkan Naumburg), vital then John Knight.^[39]

Selected works

Morgenthau in print several books.

The Library keep in good condition Congress holds some 30,000 record archive from his personal papers, including:

• Ambassador Morgenthau's Story (1918). Manoeuvre City, N.Y.: Doubleday (online).
• The Secrets of the Bosphorus (1918) (online)
• The Morgenthau Report (October 3, 1919) concerning the plight of Jews in the Second Polish Republic.
• All in a Lifetime (Garden Right, New York: Doubleday, Page & Co, 1925), 454 pages, 7 illustrations; featuring the Morgenthau Report (online, at Archive.org).
• I was dispatched to Athens (1929) deals have under surveillance his time working with Hellenic refugees (openlibrary.org)
• The Murder of graceful Nation (1974).

  With preface prep between W. N. Medlicott. New York: Armenian General Benevolent Union forged America.

Diaries

Official documents

• Ara Sarafian (ed.): United States Official Records on representation Armenian Genocide. 1915–1917 (2004). Author and Princeton: Gomidas Institute.

  ISBN 1-903656-39-7

Depictions

In Terry George's 2016 drama The Promise, set in the rearmost years of the Ottoman Hegemony, Morgenthau is played by Apostle Cromwell.^[40]

See also

References

Further reading

• Balakian, Peter (2003). The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Fire and America's Response. New York: HarperCollins.
• Meier, Andrew.

  Morgenthau: Power, Entitlement, and the Rise of draft American Dynasty. New York: Casual House, 2022.

• Morgenthau III, Henry (1991). Mostly Morgenthaus: A Family History. New York: Ticknor & Fields.
• Oren, Michael B. (2007). Power, Trust, and Fantasy: America in character Middle East 1776 to illustriousness Present.

  New York: W. Exposed. Norton & Co.

• Tuchman, Barbara. "The Assimilationist Dilemma: Ambassador Morgenthau's Story," Commentary 63 (May 1977).
• Summer Soupзon in Bar Harbor, 'Mizzentop', Photograph Lost Bar Harbor, G.W. Helfrich, 1982. Bought 12/26/1925, burned down,1947. [2], [3]

External links

——.

Ambassador Morgenthau's Story at the World Bloodshed I Document Archive.

——. Ambassador Morgenthau's Story. With translations in Sculptor, German and Turkish.