Internationalist Leader
January 10, 1945, Vandenberg gave his most famous speech, known as the “Speech Heard ‘Round the World.” Although his actions during the war revealed a shift toward internationalism, this speech revealed to the public that the famous isolationist leader was ready to cooperate and compromise on a global scale.
|
I have always been frankly one of those who has believed in our own self-reliance. I still believe that we can never again --- regardless of collaborations -- allow our national defense to deteriorate to anything like a point of impotence… I want maximum American cooperation, consistent with legitimate American self-interest, with constitutional process and with collateral events which warrant it… I want a new dignity and a new authority for international law. I think American self-interest requires it.... We are standing by our guns with epic heroism. I know no reason why we should not stand by our ideals. If they vanish under ultimate pressures, we shall at least have kept the record straight…Let me put it this way for myself: I am prepared, by effective international cooperation, to do our full part in charting happier and safer tomorrows. But I am not prepared to guarantee permanently the spoils of an unjust peace. It will not work… We must have maximum united effort on all fronts. We must have maximum united effort in our councils. And we must deserve the continued united effort of our own people. |
The speech left a lasting impression on his fellow senators, with many referring back to it in the coming years.
He proved in 1945 that he recognized that |
He proved his courage when he declared in a moving speech that his isolationist philosophy had been shortsighted and unsuited to the modern world. When he changed his course, he changed completely and wholeheartedly. He became one of the most eloquent advocates of international cooperation. |
Vandenberg now realized "The way to protect American interests was to ensure global peace... [he] understood that America would be best protected if the world was at peace. And he understood that the best way to ensure peace was for America to play a leading role on the world stage. [4]"