(This 1970 book by Edward L. and Frederick H. Schapmeier is out of print though available from libraries and used book sellers.)

I originally became interested in why FDR had three Vice Presidents, and Henry Agard Wallace was the second. The first was John Nance Garner, and FDR hadn’t won the Democratic nomination for the presidency until he persuaded Garner to drop out of the race and accept the vice presidency. Garner and Roosevelt disagreed widely on many issues, and their relationship soured irretrievably during their second term. Garner was quoted a characterizing the vice presidency as being “not worth a bucket of warm piss.” Wallace was different than Garner in many ways. He was a studious, deeply religious Progressive. He had been well suited to the position of Secretary of Agriculture that he held before FDR selected him to replace Garner. He had taught himself Spanish and made a very successful tour of Latin America as Germany was declaring war on the United States.

Reading about Wallace was often baffling. As Vice President he supported the Manhattan Project because he feared the Germans would develop the bomb first. He understood the Soviet Union possessed the capability to produce the weapon, but his actions indicated that he believed Stalin was a dependable ally who did not have subversive purposes.  Wallace said, “The future of the well-being of the world depends on the extent to which Marxism, as it is being progressively modified in Russia, and democracy, as we are adapting it…can live in peace.” Wallace went so far in his idealism to envision the United Nations would have sovereign powers over the United States through “…an international peace law, an international peace court and an international peace force…”  

FDR decided to send Wallace to China in March of 1944, perhaps hoping his success in Latin America would somehow help translate to helping the Nationalist Chinese turn around a deteriorating situation. Roosevelt had the FBI doing surveillance on Wallace, and there was speculation that Roosevelt wanted him out of the way. Wallace was excited about the trip, and added Russia to the itinerary. There were several high level Roosevelt administration people who helped him plan the trip and went with him on the trip who were later proven by the Venona project to be active Soviet agents or sympathetic to the Soviets. The Soviets planned his visit well, and he met happy energetic people at every stop. He even saw happy prisoners at a labor camp, unaware that the watchtowers were dismantled and the prisoners removed.  The “prisoners” he saw and talked with were guards and other loyal Stalinists. He spoke after the trip, saying, “Russia was changed from an illiterate to a literate nation within one generation and, in the process, Russia’s appreciation of freedom was enormously enhanced.”

Wallace had probably already lost the vice presidency by the time the Democratic Convention was convened, but he sealed his fate with the seconding speech he gave for Roosevelt’s nomination.  His speech included remarks that Capitalism was flawed and that a more progressive system (perhaps Socialism or Communism) was needed.  One of his supporters criticized Wallace’s seconding speech “…as tactless and devoid of good judgment.”  Wallace still came close to being re-nominated on the first ballot, but enough votes were cast for “favorite sons” to narrowly prevent his victory.  Truman, the relatively unknown Missourian, won on the third ballot in a landslide.  Wallace was angry, but did not believe FDR had accepted the outcome ahead of the balloting.  He was rewarded for his loyalty by being appointed to be the Secretary of Commerce. It is interesting that it was said the two people the most in the dark about White House negotiations to remove Wallace from the ticket were Henry Wallace and Harry Truman.

Wallace faced a difficult confirmation hearing, facing charges that he wanted to convert the “New Deal” to “New Communism.” He won confirmation, but was unable to focus on commerce.  He instead began advocating the atomic bomb had to be banned and that the United Nations be given the authority to assure “…that no group anywhere is planning atomic skullduggery of any kind.”  He continued to be outspoken and in conflict with the policies of the Secretaries of State and War.  Truman asked for his resignation after giving a speech strongly disagreeing with the policies of Secretary of State Byrnes. Wallace for President against Truman as a Progressive, and the Socialists and Communists supported him instead of nominating candidates.

He would say later, after reading accounts by former slave laborers who escaped, “I was altogether too much impressed by the show put on by high Russian officials.” He also wrote a paper in 1952 titled “Why I was Wrong,” and declared himself an anti-Communist. History has shown that FDR was wise to replace the likeable and naive Wallace with Truman.