Belly of the Beast

Truman Smith’s memoirs, United States

While Truman Smith was officially in Germany for military reasons, his reports included descriptions of life in Nazi Germany.  He witnessed the racial laws and the discrimination, and described to his handlers the fear certain people felt when the secret police were mentioned.  Interestingly, he thought that the Nazi leadership were using antisemitism as a rhetorical strategy.  He didn’t fully grasp the extreme hatred that motivated particularly the ideological elements of the Nazi movement.

He met multiple high ranking Nazi officials, including Hermann Goering of the Luftwaffe.  Overall, many of these people seemed to make a positive impression on Smith.  Truthfully, he was well treated by the German government, he believed that they wanted to avoid a repeat of the first world war, and were determined to treat America well to keep them neutral.  From Smith’s perspective, Goering was friendly and gregarious, and an efficient administrator who had nearly single handedly created the Luftwaffe.  He had similar impressions of other German leaders, capable men who honestly believed in what they were doing.

It is important to note that at this time Germany and America were not enemies.  The German government was aware that Truman Smith represented the American government, they hoped that by being open with him they could convince the American government they had nothing to hide.  Smith, meanwhile, had a personal relationship with many people in the German government.  However, he was there on behalf of America, and he always acted appropriately to provide his intelligence to the American government.  He was a liaison from the American state to the German state, not a bomb throwing anarchist.

Click here to continue to the art gallery