George C. Marshall's Nobel Prize Speech: Essentials to Peace

The Nobel Prize ^ | December 11, 1953 | George C. Marshall

[CondoleezzaProtege]

...I would like to make special mention of the years of the Pax Romana, which endured through almost all of the first two centuries of the Christian era.

I do so because of a personal incident which made a profound impression on me in the spring of 1919. Arriving late at night in Chaumont, the American Headquarters in France, I sought shelter for the night in the house of a group of friends. I found they were temporarily absent; so I selected an unoccupied room and looked about for a book to read as I waited for sleep to come. The books available were mostly in French or German. Since I was unable to read them with facility, I looked further and finally found an English textbook on the history of Gaul. Casting about for an interesting portion, I landed on a description of the famous Roman Peace...

For the moment the maintenance of peace in the present hazardous world situation does depend in very large measure on military power, together with Allied cohesion. But the maintenance of large armies for an indefinite period is not a practical or a promising basis for policy.

We must stand together strongly for these present years, that is, in this present situation; but we must, I repeat, we must find another solution, and that is what I wish to discuss this evening...

It is for this reason that I believe our students must first seek to understand the conditions, as far as possible without national prejudices, which have led to past tragedies and should strive to determine the great fundamentals which must govern a peaceful progression toward a constantly higher level of civilization...

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TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: georgecmarshall; marshall; marshallplan; nobelprize; paxamericana; paxromana

[CondoleezzaProtege]

[TTFlyer]

“Our schools have a key role to play”.

Sorry, General. Our schools have failed miserably.

As has the “UN”.

You were great for your time, General. Your time passed a long time ago.

[Wuli]

“It is for this reason that I believe our students must first seek to understand the conditions, as far as possible without national prejudices”

Marshall was, in the west, then and now, preaching to the choir, while ignoring that it has been the prejudices of others who do not agree with those sentiments - like the Mullahs of Tehran - which, in spite of years or diplomacy are resolved that only war will keep their prejudices at bay from everyone else.

[allendale]

Great man, great thoughts and sentiments but not original. Many writers, leaders and generals throughout history have expressed similar arguments. Yet it is the curse of mankind that there will never be achieved such a universal consensus regarding war and peace. New wars, however absurd, begin almost daily somewhere around the world.Peace and tranquility is only achieved when wise leaders have in their possession definitive military power.

[DFG]

The Marshall Plan provided about $13.3 billion in aid ($150 billion in today’s dollars) to 16 European nations 1948 - 1951. The UK received 26%, France 18%, and West Germany 11%.