Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations
How could a man with a past mired in Nazi membership and alleged involvement in war crimes become Secretary General of the United Nations, an organization dedicated not only to the maintenance of peace but also to the preservation and advancement of human rights? Bending with the Winds is the result of Seymour Maxwell Finger's and Arnold A. Saltzman's exploration of that question. Their analysis is based on a review of hundreds of confidential telegrams between the United States and its mission to the United Nations and more than one hundred interviews with diplomats from Waldheim's period of service as Secretary General, including Kurt Waldheim himself.

A large part of this volume is an in-depth study of Waldheim's performance as Secretary General, an aspect of his life that has previously been neglected. Finger and Saltzman first probe the powers of that office, as well as its limitations, through a brief historical analysis of the actions of the five Secretaries General. This provides a basis for evaluating Waldheim's performance and the political context in which he performed. Emphasis is placed on Waldheim's pliability, his tendency to bend with the wind. This broad discussion leads to a search for a procedure of choosing a Secretary General that will produce the kind of leadership required for a revitalized United Nations. This book will certainly find a place on the shelves of readers interested in the United Nations or the Waldheim affair.

"1132776801"
Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations
How could a man with a past mired in Nazi membership and alleged involvement in war crimes become Secretary General of the United Nations, an organization dedicated not only to the maintenance of peace but also to the preservation and advancement of human rights? Bending with the Winds is the result of Seymour Maxwell Finger's and Arnold A. Saltzman's exploration of that question. Their analysis is based on a review of hundreds of confidential telegrams between the United States and its mission to the United Nations and more than one hundred interviews with diplomats from Waldheim's period of service as Secretary General, including Kurt Waldheim himself.

A large part of this volume is an in-depth study of Waldheim's performance as Secretary General, an aspect of his life that has previously been neglected. Finger and Saltzman first probe the powers of that office, as well as its limitations, through a brief historical analysis of the actions of the five Secretaries General. This provides a basis for evaluating Waldheim's performance and the political context in which he performed. Emphasis is placed on Waldheim's pliability, his tendency to bend with the wind. This broad discussion leads to a search for a procedure of choosing a Secretary General that will produce the kind of leadership required for a revitalized United Nations. This book will certainly find a place on the shelves of readers interested in the United Nations or the Waldheim affair.

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Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations

Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations

Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations

Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations

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Overview

How could a man with a past mired in Nazi membership and alleged involvement in war crimes become Secretary General of the United Nations, an organization dedicated not only to the maintenance of peace but also to the preservation and advancement of human rights? Bending with the Winds is the result of Seymour Maxwell Finger's and Arnold A. Saltzman's exploration of that question. Their analysis is based on a review of hundreds of confidential telegrams between the United States and its mission to the United Nations and more than one hundred interviews with diplomats from Waldheim's period of service as Secretary General, including Kurt Waldheim himself.

A large part of this volume is an in-depth study of Waldheim's performance as Secretary General, an aspect of his life that has previously been neglected. Finger and Saltzman first probe the powers of that office, as well as its limitations, through a brief historical analysis of the actions of the five Secretaries General. This provides a basis for evaluating Waldheim's performance and the political context in which he performed. Emphasis is placed on Waldheim's pliability, his tendency to bend with the wind. This broad discussion leads to a search for a procedure of choosing a Secretary General that will produce the kind of leadership required for a revitalized United Nations. This book will certainly find a place on the shelves of readers interested in the United Nations or the Waldheim affair.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780275937010
Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date: 10/19/1990
Pages: 144
Product dimensions: 5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile: 1380L (what's this?)

About the Author

SEYMOUR MAXWELL FINGER is a Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute on the United Nations at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. This career diplomat, ambassador, and professor is the author of several books, including American Ambassadors at the United Nations.

ARNOLD A. SALTZMAN is Chairman of Vista Resources, Inc., and Honorary Chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. He has served on various government boards and as ambassador for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.

Table of Contents

Preface
Who Is Kurt Waldheim?
Electing a Secretary General: Accentuating the Negative
Waldheim as Secretary General
Waldheim, the Soviets, the United States, and the Non-Aligned
The Secretariat: Personnel, Budget, and Finance
The Third Try
The United Nations and the Secretary General in a Changing World
Select Bibliography
Index

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