17+ W. Averell Harriman Quotes On War, Education And Slavery

W. Averell Harriman was an American politician, businessman, and diplomat. He served as the Governor of New York from 1955 to 1959, and was a key figure in the foreign policy of the United States during the Cold War, representing the U.S. in negotiations with the Soviet Union and China. Harriman also served as Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of State in the Truman and Kennedy administrations. Following is our collection on famous quotes by W. Averell Harriman on war, education, slavery.

Yet the whole preamble of the second authorization act for the Marshall Plan showed the direction Congress was ready to take about breaking down barriers within Europe. — W. Averell Harriman

I always read everything on the desks of people I went to see in Moscow, London, Paris I found it quite useful. — W. Averell Harriman

Actually I'd had a certain amount of experience in Europe in the inter-war period, as a banker, and I was also a member of the Board of Directors of the International Chamber of Commerce. — W. Averell Harriman

Conferences at the top level are always courteous. Name-calling is left to the foreign ministers. — W. Averell Harriman

It never occurred to me that we would have as grandiose a program as the Marshall Plan, but I felt that we had to do something to save Europe from economic disaster which would encourage the Communist takeover. — W. Averell Harriman

As far as the Russians were concerned, I felt the reverse; they had adequate gold, if they wanted to buy, and they weren't dependent upon international trade. I felt they were more self-sufficient. — W. Averell Harriman

Roosevelt was determined to stop Stalin from taking over Eastern Europe. He thought they finally had an agreement on Poland. Before Roosevelt died, he realized that Stalin had broken his agreement. — W. Averell Harriman

Americans wanted to settle all our difficulties with Russia and then go to the movies and drink Coke. — W. Averell Harriman

We became convinced that, regardless of Stalin's awful brutality and his reign of terror, he was a great war leader. Without Stalin, they never would have held. — W. Averell Harriman

There's a myth that Roosevelt gave Stalin Eastern Europe. I was with Roosevelt every day at Yalta. — W. Averell Harriman

I think Stalin was afraid of Roosevelt. Whenever Roosevelt spoke, he sort of watched him with a certain awe. He was afraid of Roosevelt's influence in the world. — W. Averell Harriman

Roosevelt was the one who had the vision to change our policy from isolationism to world leadership. That was a terrific revolution. Our country's never been the same since. — W. Averell Harriman

The Russians often took advantage of Lend-Lease. — W. Averell Harriman

This was the period when I used all the influence I had to get the British to abandon their export trade, and as much as possible convert all of their manufacturing facilities to the immediate needs of the war, including civilian, as well as military requirements. — W. Averell Harriman

The Russians obtained a number of plants under Lend-Lease, which had been authorized by Washington, that I thought were not justified for their war effort. They wanted them for postwar use. — W. Averell Harriman

No foreign policy will stick unless the American people are behind it. And unless Congress understands it. And unless Congress understands it, the American people aren't going to understand it. — W. Averell Harriman

The war changed everybody's attitude. We became international almost overnight. — W. Averell Harriman

Life Lessons by W. Averell Harriman

1. W. Averell Harriman was an American politician who demonstrated the importance of strong diplomatic relationships in order to achieve success. He was a key figure in the negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and he also served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union.
2. Harriman's work also highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong and unified front in order to achieve diplomatic goals. He was a proponent of the policy of containment, which sought to limit the spread of communism during the Cold War.
3. Harriman's legacy serves as an example of how effective diplomacy can be used to achieve positive outcomes, and his work should be remembered as a lesson in the importance of strong international relations.