Description:

THE DIARIES OF AMBASSADOR LINCOLN MACVEAGH
Lincoln MacVeagh (1890–1972) was a United States diplomat, archaeologist, soldier and publisher who served a long career as the United States ambassador to several countries during difficult times. MacVeagh served in the U.S. Army during the World War I, attaining the rank of Major. He was a member of the American Expeditionary Force in Europe, serving in the Artois, St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne campaigns and was cited by General of the Armies John J. Pershing in 1919 for 'exceptionally meritorious services.' In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed MacVeagh to be the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece. Following his presentation of his credentials, he gave a speech in classical Greek. He remained at the post in Athens until June 5, 1941, several months after the German Army overran Greece. In 1940, at the beginning of World War II, British troops had invaded and occupied Iceland in fear that Germany would take the island first. In July 1941, the governments of Iceland and the US had agreed that Iceland's defense would be the responsibility of the United States. On August 8, 1941, Roosevelt appointed MacVeagh as the first U.S. ambassador to Iceland to manage the sensitive relations between the U.S. and Iceland. He remained in Reykjavík until June 27, 1942. President Roosevelt appointed him to another ambassadorship, this time as the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Union of South Africa. He served in Pretoria from May 21, 1942, until November 21, 1943, successfully coordinating the American wartime agencies there. On November 12, 1943, President Roosevelt again called on MacVeagh's experience in sensitive foreign relations. The President sent him to Cairo to act as the ambassador to the governments-in-exile of Greece and Yugoslavia who had fled their countries. After the liberation of Greece, MacVeagh transferred the embassy back to Athens on October 27, 1944.
In 1947, he gave secret testimony to the Congress on the danger of Soviet-supported extreme leftist movements in the Balkans. This testimony was considered an important factor in formulating what became known as the Truman Doctrine, which stated that the U.S. would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent their falling into the Soviet Union's sphere of influence. MacVeagh pressed the post-war Greek Government to pursue a democratic policy.
While he was in Greece, MacVeagh conducted excavations beneath the Acropolis and made archeological contributions to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. With his first wife, Margaret, he wrote Greek Journey, a book for children. His wife died while they were in Athens. He left Athens on October 11, 1947.

THE DIARIES OF AMBASSADOR LINCOLN MACVEAGH
Offered here are the contemporary diaries of Ambassador Lincoln MacVeagh, 15 volumes with one guest book:
- Athens Oct. 18, 1939 – Mar. 11, 1940. Handwritten.
- Athens Mar. 12 – Oct. 25, 1940. Handwritten.
- Athens Oct. 26, 1940 – June 3, 1941 Handwritten.
- "Iceland II" Apr. 7 – June 17, 1942. Handwritten.
- "Iceland III" June 18 - July 8, 1942. Handwritten.
- "South Africa I" Sep. 20, 1942 – June 9, 1943. Handwritten.
- "South Africa II" June 10 – Nov. 4, 1943. Handwritten
- "South Africa III" Nov. 5 – Nov. 22, 1943. Handwritten.
- "Cairo Diary I" Nov. 23, 1943 – Feb. 12, 1944. Typed.
- "Cairo" Nov. 23, 1943 – Jan. 20, 1944. Handwritten.
- Cairo Jan. 21 – May 6, 1944. Handwritten.
- "Cairo Diary II" Feb. 13 – May 6, 1944. Typed.
- "Cairo" May 7 – July 30, 1944. Handwritten.
- "Cairo – Athens" July 31 – Nov. 19, 1944. Handwritten.
- "Athens Diary" Nov. 21 – Dec. 7, 1944 AND Apr. 13 – Apr. 30, 1945
- Guest book of the American Embassy in Athens, 1945-47, but rarely used except for those visiting upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, April 13, 1945.

These diaries are filled with almost exclusively political content, with constant mention of Franklin Roosevelt, Eleftherios Venizelos, Winston Churchill, Josef Stalin, and dozens of other heads of state and military figures. MacVeagh's entries are highly detailed and informative, and are at times many pages in length for each day. In all, the journals span thousands of entries over many thousands of pages, all in ink. Though MacVeagh's handwriting is cramped and small, it can be deciphered with a bit of effort. They include on the scene political report, intrigue, discussions, and negotiations at a level that would be known only to the highest placed diplomats, as MacVeagh was. A hint of these entries follows:

On the Italian ultimatum and the breakout of war, October 28, 1940:

'…a 3 o'clock the Italian Minister handed Mr. Metaxas an ultimatum, expiring at 6 AM, demanding the right to occupy strategic points in the country because of Greece's unneutral attitude in favoring Great Britain and of her fomenting a [?] in Albania…I called up the British Minister at once…the Italian troops were ordered to advance at 6 AM…The town was completely blacked out…At seven the first air raid siren began…At about 10 the first planes came over Athens dropping bombs on the Tatoi in field, with little effect…England is promising help, but Turkey and Yugoslavia are holding off…at 3 AM got the Premier out of bed to hand him the note! Officially., Mr. Metaxas is said to have replied: ‘I must consider this a declaration of war…'…Grazzi said…no declaration was made and that M. Metaxas had not used that term!...he said he certainly said ‘c'est la guerre'…Grazzi's quibbling only disgusted the Greeks…'

On the German invasion of Greece:

"…[Kohler said] Germany must put aside the Greek forces…[and] enter Greece to strike at the British forces…There were crowds outsie, making considerable noise…I got the first of several little ovations when I stepped outside on the balcony…British morale is very high. They say ‘The Germans have opened the way – now we can go get them'…The raid was a very heavy one, apparently on Piraeus…[we] see the great flashes of the explosions…also hear the planes overhead. Some of the explosions shake the windows…" There is also later mention of the occupation of Athens, the notorious theft of the German flag from the Acropolis, etc., all covered in a great deal of detail.

On the mutiny of the Greek Navy in Alexandria, April 22, 1944 and Greek political climate:

'…I called on M. Venizelos in the morning…more hopeful than he has yet been on maneuvering a settlement of the naval mutiny…calling on British assistance…Admiral Voulgaris has gone to Alexandria an is organizing loyal elements to attempt to recapture the mutinous ships….I saw Muhammad Leiper[?], and he was less sanguine, speaking of the ‘weakness' of Venizelos and Voulgaris, and stating that it is more and more clear that the King must replace Venizelos with a bigger man, like Papandreou…the People's Committee…had been broadened to present a kind of popular front…The question is whether Greece will move into the Russia orbit and lose her independence…Ike thinks that despite Churchill's relations with Tito, he and F.D.R. must now take cognizance of the way the Russians are extending this ‘zone'…'

There simply is far too much superlative material to summarize in any description under dozens of pages. The only such collection of diaries of a top ambassador we have seen in our forty years in the trade. The books are in generally excellent condition.

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December 6, 2024 10:00 AM EST
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