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

#also #amount #banker #board #certain

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

— W. Averell Harriman

#difficulties #drink #go #movies #our

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

#as far as #buy #concerned #dependent #far

Conferences at the top level are always courteous. Name-calling is left to the foreign ministers. ↗

— W. Averell Harriman

#conferences #courteous #foreign #left #level

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

#awe #certain #him #i #i think

I think there are telegrams that may or may not be available, which indicated that I very much had in mind the need to give Europe substantial aid after the war, after Lend-Lease was over. ↗

— W. Averell Harriman

#aid #available #europe #give #had

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. ↗

— W. Averell Harriman

#away #britain #first #gave #much

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. ↗

— W. Averell Harriman

#been #control #country #course #europe

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

#before #broken #determined #died #eastern

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

#change #country #had #isolationism #leadership