Power over principle: Hans J. Morgenthau and the fate of emigre realism in America

This dissertation examines the life, work and influence of political scientist Hans J. Morgenthau (1904–1980), one of the 20th Century's most respected proponents of realism in foreign affairs. After tracing the European roots and the historical events that went into the formulation of Morgenthau's realist theory of international relations, this dissertation assesses the impact of his philosophy on American foreign policy from World War II until the end of the Vietnam War. It demonstrates how Morgenthau and a small group of likeminded scholars who emigrated from Nazi Germany in the 1930s promoted their ideas so that they would be used as a practical guide to problem solving after the Second World War. “Power over Principles” discusses how realism, with its emphasis on national self-interest and power politics, won acceptance in the United States with the emergence of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Previously, realism had been disparaged as an Old World philosophy at odds with treasured American principles.; With its particular focus on Morgenthau, this dissertation also examines how the scholar's extensive public activities affected his political theories. During his lengthy career in the United States, he traveled the country to spread his views at universities, military war colleges and foreign affairs organizations. He was also a regular commentator on a national radio program and testified frequently before Congress. An early critic of American nation-building efforts in Indochina, Morgenthau later became the foremost academic to oppose United States military involvement in South Vietnam. The émigré intellectual's dual career as a foreign affairs analyst and as an activist prompted him to broaden his realist critique so that it was more relevant to the American political scene where public opinion and questions of morality are integral to decision-making in foreign affairs.