Robert Edsel's Blog

Last Friday was the 50th anniversary of the death of General George Marshall.

Time magazine had a simple tag line to its December 1943 cover when he was named its “Man of the Year”: “He armed the Republic”. Winston Churchill referred to him as “the organizer of victory.” His name was George Catlett Marshall. On this day 50 years ago, the commander of the largest army this country has ever assembled to fight the greatest war the world has known, died. Sadly, his name rarely is heard when asking almost anyone, even veterans, “Who was the greatest general in our nation’s history?”

First a little background: Marshall first entered the U.S. Army in 1901. By 1919 he had become an aide-de-camp of General John J. Pershing. He was a key war planner and later educator at the Army War College. He later served for 3 years in China. At least one of the publications he wrote, Infantry in Battle, is still used as an officer’s training manual. In 1939 he was selected by President Roosevelt to become the Army Chief of Staff. He would hold this position for a period of 6 years, until 1945. In 1944 he was awarded—over his objection—a 5-star rank, the first such award of its kind. (In keeping with his selfless demeanor, General Marshall didn’t believe that such recognition was necessary as he could perform all his tasks with the rank of 4 stars.)

The General was not without humor: The rank of 5-star general was the equivalent to that of Field Marshall, a rank that did not exist in the United States. General Marshall once commented that he was glad the United States never created such a rank as he would have been referred to as “Marshall Marshall.”

In 1939 he assumed leadership of an army with only 188,000 soldiers. 188,000!!! Within five years he would successfully lobby Congress for the necessary approvals to build the most modern, complex war machine in history with more than 8.3 million men and women in uniform. When former General Electric CEO Jack Welch and so many other well-known business titans discuss the topic of leadership and building organizations, this accomplishment really gets put into proper historical perspective. It is, like so many of the events of World War II, an unimaginable achievement.

Even when his service during war had ended, General Marshall continued to perform great deeds for this country–and the world. Within just two days of his “retirement”, President Truman asked him to return to China in an attempt to broker peace between Communist and Nationalist forces. In 1947 he returned home to become the Secretary of State, a role which would earn him the most name recognition of his career. Once again, that notoriety came over his objection. While delivering a speech at Harvard University in June 1947, General Marshall outlined his vision for the “European Recovery Plan”, as he referred to it until the day he died. Of course, the world today knows it as the “Marshall Plan”. For this great achievement he would be recognized once again as Time magazine’s “Man of the Year in 1948″. He was also honored with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.

Photographs of plaques on the facade of the Hotel Talleyrand I took while visiting Paris

General Marshall’s service to the United States also included a brief period as President of the American National Red Cross which was interrupted when war in Korea commenced. Once again, General Marshall was asked to serve his nation, this time as Secretary of Defense, where he served for a year before retiring from politics for good in 1951. He would enjoy retirement but for eight years before dying on Friday, October 16, 1959.

His record of service and career are truly inestimable. A few years ago, then Secretary of State Colin Powell was asked why his office had two portraits of his hero, General Marshall, to which he replied: “George Marshall recognized that the Western democracies were in uncharted waters after World War II, with both dangers and opportunities ahead. He had a vision that was built to scale for the challenges of that moment in history. He wasn’t afraid to think boldly.  He was afraid of what would happen if we didn’t think boldly.”

Where is such leadership, such vision, such courage among leaders today??? Perhaps if we spent a little more time studying history to learn about great leaders such as George C. Marshall, we would have a much better idea of what kind of leadership is possible today? No doubt, leaders today would stand only in this giant’s shadow.

It was an honor to speak at our Nation’s World War II Museum in New Orleans this past Saturday evening.  There were more than 400 people in attendance, twice the size audience that was expected.  This has happened repeatedly in my travels lecturing:  audiences everywhere are interested in the story of how a handful of 40 year old men managed to save so much of the art we all enjoy today.  Dr. Nick Mueller, President of the Museum and lifelong friend of the late Dr. Stephen Ambrose, whose vision it was to build this magnificent museum, shared with the audience his determination to in time incorporate the telling of this story about the Monuments Men into the Museum’s comprehensive presentation of the story of World War II.   There could be no greater evidence of how “untold” the story of the Monuments Men is than the fact that there is NOTHING about it in the Museum’s detailed and in depth coverage of the war.  Dr. Mueller has been quick to see the power of this story and what an important part it is to the telling of the war experience, especially in the years that followed the end of the war as the Monuments Men remained in Europe for more than 6 years finishing the job they started.

This presentation was taped by C-SPAN and will be aired nationally in the coming days.  Stay tuned for broadcast details and photos from the event!

It seems incredible to imagine the Nazis weren’t more concerned with saving themselves in the face of the Western Allied advances that followed the successful landings at Normandy than adding to the vast quantities of stolen works of art they had assembled after more than 5 years of theft.  But in fact, the Bruges Madonna, Michelangelo’s only sculpture to leave Italy during his lifetime, was only the latest in a high profile string of thefts.

The Bruges Madonna, was stolen by Nazi officials on this date 65 years ago from the Notre Dame Cathedral in Bruges, Belgium.  It was no doubt destined to join the other masterpieces stolen by the Nazis for Hitler’s planned Führermuseum in Linz, Austria.  The two ton marble statue, almost life-like in size, was no easy work of art to maneuver.  But out it left, in the middle of the night, for places east, back in the Fatherland.

By the time the Monuments Men arrived in Bruges, just days later, they were astonished to discover it was gone, doubly so that they had missed saving it by a sliver of time.

Find out what happened to the Bruges Madonna, and thousands of other priceless works of art, in my new book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.

Monuments Men Bernard Taper, Harry Ettlinger and Horace Apgar and myself at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. This preceded the Senate Ceremony honoring these men and women on June 6, 2007. (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection.)

The outpouring of support and words of encouragement for the launch of The Monuments Men is tremendously gratifying. Thanks go to the hundreds of friends and well-wishers who have contacted me beginning last evening.  No calls and emails have meant more than those I’ve received from the Monuments Men themselves and their kids.  I hasten to add that my publisher, Center Street, a division of Hachette, and our team led by my editor Michelle Rapkin, have thrown their full resources behind this book.  The full force of their effort will be known to all in the coming weeks.

Interviewing my father, a World War II veteran of the Pacific, at the World War II Memorial. (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection.)

An undertaking such as the epic telling of these heroes’ story and, to a degree, the illumination of a critical seam to a distinct but major new understanding of World War II and the role of art does not cause an overnight result.  A friend wisely commented to me yesterday, it is a marathon race, not a sprint.  Endurance and steadfastness are critical components of the endeavor.

It continues to be my honor to represent these heroes and their families and to share their stories with people around the world.  I hope you will tell others about their story….that word of mouth recommendation is where the battle will be won!

Tomorrow begins the realization of more than 7 years of work:  publication of my new book entitled The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. This is the narrative telling of these heroes’ stories through the experiences of just 8 men and 1 woman–the unlikeliest of spies–who are in a race with time to save the greatest cultural treasures from Nazi fanatics.  The book can be ordered online and will be in bookstores nationwide.  It is being published in more than 16 languages, and will also be available as an audio book.  I hope you will read the amazing stories of the men and women which I have told using their letters home to loved ones written during combat.

Harry Ettlinger speaking at the Hope for Humanities Dinner in Dallas, November 2008. (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection.)

This Friday we will have the first of many Guest Blogs…appropriately, the first guest blogger will be Monuments Man Harry Ettlinger.  Harry figures prominently in The Monuments Men.  He provides a fresh insight into these events and speaks eloquently as to why this part of history is so vitally important.

Please check it out this Friday!

On the night of August 24, 1940, German bombs fell on London for the first time during World War II.

The Luftwaffe began bombing industrial targets in England in early July, and had recently increased night bombing runs. Perhaps worried that Churchill would be even less likely to negotiate, or out of fear that British bombs would fall on Berlin in retaliation, Hitler had been ignoring his military advisor’s urgings to bomb the capital itself. However on the night of August 24, 170 Heinkel HE 111s set out to bomb oil installations at Thameshaven and an aircraft factory in Rochester, but veered off course and bombed parts of London by mistake.

It might not have been an intentional military maneuver, but the first bombings of London marked a turning point early in the war. Churchill angrily ordered the bombing of Berlin, which had also been avoided until this point. On the night of August 25-26, the RAF Bomber Command sent 95 planes to hit industrial targets in the German capital, most notably the Tempelhof Airport and the Siemensstadt area of factory buildings. 81 of the planes dropped bombs on Berlin that night. Five more raids on Berlin occurred within the next two weeks, but damage was minimal.

Hitler was in turn angered by the retaliation bombing, and decided to proceed with a sustained attack on London. He was convinced that the terror bombing would make the British more likely to negotiate after all, and ordered “for disruptive attacks on the population and air defenses of major British cities, including London, by day and night.”

Headline from "Victory Extra", Boston Massachusetts (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection.)

Headlines around the world trumpeted the news 65 years ago as the German Commander of Paris, Major General Dietrich von Choltitz, surrendered the occupying forces that had controlled the city for more than four years.  Despite orders from Hitler to lay waste to the city, Choltitz departed from his history of destruction and chose instead to surrender.  He would later say, “It is always my lot to defend the rear of the German Army.  And each time it happens I am ordered to destroy each city as I leave it.”

The Cathedral of Notre Dame was not damaged, but fighting took place directly in front of the church. This burned-out truck was abandoned by German troops fleeing the city. (Photo Courtesy of National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).)

On August 26th, the day after the German surrender, French General de Gaulle led a victory parade down the Champs-Elysees.  Three days later the United States 28th Infantry Division followed the same parade route to celebrate the reclaiming of the city.

American soldiers look upon the Eiffel Tower after Paris was liberated. (Photo Courtesy of NARA.)

Almost one year would pass before French museum officials were prepared to escort back to Paris its most famous “citizen”, the Mona Lisa. In the weeks that followed other treasures from the Louvre began their journey home from the chateaux and other hiding places where they sat out the war.

Ollie and I (Photo Courtesy of Robert M. Edsel Collection.)

Several months in Europe conducting research and visiting friends culminated this past week with the launch of The Monuments Men:  Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, my new book about these remarkable heroes of civilization.  I had numerous print, radio, and a few television appearances in front of worldwide audiences.  (Some of the links to these interviews can be found on this website).

I’ll take from this week alone several memories that will forever be cherished:  a celebratory dinner with close friends Thursday after the launch at one of my favorite restaurants; being “desperately” wanted by BBC World radio impromptu for an interview; and seeing one of my books in a bookstore.

But one of my happiest moments was meeting Ollie Brittan, a young boy who is working during the summer as an assistant to the very capable concierge team at Claridge’s Hotel headed by Martin, Miles, Karin, Bobby and others.  When I first introduced myself to Ollie and asked him if he liked working at Claridge’s, he said “I LOVE it Sir”.  Each day when I walked in with my arms full of books and press materials Ollie was there to assist me.

Before departing we had a chance to visit and I gave him a copy of my book.  This fine young boy, work ethic quite intact, has his sights set on one day working at Claridge’s.  I suggested to him he in fact might some day own it as hard working and polite as he is.  It was a wonderful way to end a remarkable summer as I now prepare for our biggest launch on September 3rd in the United States!

It’s been quite a wait since finishing the writing of The Monuments Men in April, but the wait is now over as the book appears today in bookstores and online throughout the United Kingdom.  I’m very excited about introducing these heroes of civilization and providing you an opportunity to share in their thrilling and yet harrowing story.

This week I’ve given a number of print interviews including Time Magazine, The Sunday Telegraph, and The Sunday Express, radio interviews on BBC which aired both throughout the United Kingdom and last night on BBC World Radio, and on television.  In fact, one interview I was particularly pleased to give was with BBC World.  (I’ve provided links below if you are interested!)

The people of London, and everyone with whom I’ve spoken, are very excited to hear about this great untold story of World War II and, in particular, these unknown heroes.  Later today and tomorrow I’ll be stopping into various bookstores to sign books and meet some of the people who I know will adopt these heroes just as I have.

Stay tuned…lots more news to follow!

BBC NEWS – The WWII Soldiers Who Saved Art

BBC RADIO – Monuments Men

Anthony van Dyck, Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, c. 1637-38. Oil on canvas, 3.7 x 2.9m (12 ft 2 in x 9 ft 6 in). The National Gallery, London. (Photo Courtesy of National Gallery, London.)

On a visit to the National Gallery this weekend I walked directly into the room with a magnificent painting by Anthony van Dyck, Equestrian Portrait of Charles I, an enormous canvas measuring about 12 by 10 feet. This great work, painted in 1637, was just one of thousands of works of art at the National Gallery and other London museums that were at risk during World War II.

In preparation for war, museum officials packed up tens of thousands of paintings, sculptures, and other priceless treasures and began the complicated process of transporting them to famous but remote country estates and castles for safekeeping. Some would remain there for the duration of the war, but in many cases others had to be relocated again to quarries and mines in the Wales region where they were stored underground.

Movement of the van Dyck was a particularly cumbersome problem due to its enormous size. After being loaded onto this truck and secured to a large wooden panel, the painting was then covered with a tarpaulin for added security. Seems simple enough, right?

This vehicle, carrying a custom crate containing the portrait of King Charles I, was in transit to Manod for underground storage. Officials had to lower the level of the road to create sufficient passage-way. This was but one of many types of problems confronting museum officials as they rushed to protect their national heritage. (Photo Courtesy of National Gallery, London.)

In fact, the well-mapped out road to its intended destination overlooked one crucial detail: road overpass height! As such, the vehicle couldn’t pass beneath the bridge above, even after deflating the tires. These kind of problems bedeviled art officials in allied countries over and over again.

In this instance, officials actually lowered the road a sufficient depth to allow passage. The painting ultimately arrived to Manod Quarry where it safely sat out the war. All this effort was tragically rewarded: the National Gallery, along with most of London’s main museums, were damaged by German bombing and subsequent fires during the blitz of the great city. That we can visit today this incredible museum and enjoy such wonderful works of art is a credit to the museum officials — and Monuments Men — who worked so diligently at protecting these treasures of civilization for us all.