American Peace Mobilization

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The American Peace Mobilization was an organization formed in 1940 to keep the United States out of World War II.

Many of its founders were acting in support of the Soviet Union, which was at that time aligned with Nazi Germany by the Hitler-Stalin pact. As such, the organization abruptly ended its 1,029-hour non-stop peace demonstration in front of the White House on June 21, 1941 — one day before the Nazis invaded the Soviet Union. ^[1] They became new advocates for war, and called for U.S. support of allied nations.^[2]

The organization renamed itself the American People's Mobilization until it closed down months later. ^[3]

Frederick Vanderbilt Field was its executive secretary. Congressman Vito Marcantonio was one of its vice chairs.

While the Communist Party and its various front organizations completely reversed their position on U.S. entry into the Second World War, the pro-Nazi German American Bund and the isolationists of the America First movement continued their opposition until the U.S. was attacked on December 7th.

[edit] Stated goals

The program of the organization was defined in its "5 Planks to Defend America" as:^[4]

1. Get out and stay out of the European War.
2. Defeat Militarism and Regimentation. Repeal Conscription. No M Day for the American people.
3. Restore the Bill of Rights. Restore free speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of thought. Take special privilege away from the top and give it back to the whole American people.
4. Stop War Profiteering. Put lives ahead of profits. Put profits last on democracy's list. What helps democracy helps you.
5. Guarantee a decent standard of living for all. Work for more social and labor legislation. End discrimination.

[edit] Subversive Activities Control Board

The Subversive Activities Control Board concluded that the Party functionary serving as executive secretary of the American Council, stated that the American Peace Mobilization and the American Council would be mere hollow shells without the Communist Party and that the Party 'had to use these means to weld the people into a fighting unit so that they could wrest the power from the dying ruling class.'^[5]

[edit] References

1. ^ White House Pickets Stop At 1,029 Hours, Washington Post, June 22, 1941
2. ^ Purely for Peace, Time, July 14, 1941
3. ^ American Peoples Mobilization Collected Records, 1940-1941, Peace Collection, Swarthmore College,
4. ^ Volunteer for Liberty, newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, February 1941, Volume III, No. 2
5. ^ Reports of the Subversive Activities Control Board, United States Government Printing Office, 1966. Vol. 1, pg. 491.