Bohlen (1973) Witness to History, New York: Norton. Ambassador Davies was entombed at Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. He was divorced by his wife Marjorie in 1955. Davies served as a special assistant to Secretary of State Cordell Hull.įollowing World War II, the Davies took up residence at Tregaron, where they entertained extensively. However during the era of the House Un-American Activities Committee ( HUAC) hearings, the film was used against those involved in its production as an example of pro-Communist propaganda.Īfter Moscow, Davies was assigned to the post of Ambassador in Belgium (1938-1939) and Minister to Luxembourg concurrently before being called back to the United States following the declaration of war in 1939. The movie, made during World War II, showed the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin in a positive light in part because of the allied relationship between the two nations in the fight against the Axis powers. The book was made into a 1943 movie starring Walter Huston as Davies and Ann Harding as his wife Marjorie Post Davies. He ardently desired to make a success of a pro-Soviet line and was probably reflecting the views of some of Roosevelt's advisors to enhance his political standing at home."(p.52)ĭavies reflections of his duties in the Soviet Union spawned his bestselling book, Mission to Moscow. I still blush when I think of some of the telegrams he sent to the State Department about the trial." (p.51) "I can only guess at the motivation for his reporting. Charles Bohlen later wrote: "Ambassador Davies was not noted for an acute understanding of the Soviet system, and he had an unfortunate tendency to take what was presented at the trial as the honest and gospel truth. His views were at odds with those of some of the diplomatic corps who served under him. Davies served in the USSR from 1936-1938.ĭavies attended some of the Stalinist purge trials of the late 1930s, and was convinced of the guilt of the accused. However Roosevelt also factored in Davies wife’s financial success and social graces as a strength in the appointment. Davies appointment was made in part based on his skills and politically loyalty to Roosevelt. The appointment was viewed as a challenging post, with the United States having only recognized the Soviet Government as the sovereign authority in what had been Russia in 1933. While married to Post, Davies was appointed Ambassador to the Soviet Union by Franklin D.
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