logo

Say thanks by supporting us!

Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisement to our visitors. Please consider supporting to us by disabling your ad blocker.

Processing...

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

- W. Averell Harriman
logo
Author:
W. Averell Harriman
Tags:
Movies
Difficulties
Go
Related Quote
Show all

Poland, of course, was the key country. I remember Stalin telling me that the plains of Poland were the invasion route of Europe to Russia and always had been, and therefore he had to control Poland.

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.

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.

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.

How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They said that they couldn't do it; it would destroy them. I said they had to do it. And I finally got support from Hoffman on it.

I was quite ready to accept certain restrictions on the United States. After all, there was a great dollar shortage. It was quite clear that the more prosperous Europe became, the more business there would be in the United States.

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

Much of the aid we first gave to Russia we took away from what we promised Britain. So in a sense, Britain participated in a very real way in the recovery of Russia.

We both agreed that Stalin was determined to hold out against the Germans. He told us he'd never let them get to Moscow. But if he was wrong, they'd go back to the Urals and fight. They'd never surrender.

Showcase
Show all

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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