Monuments Men Robert M. Edsel's the Monuments Essay

Monuments Men

Robert M. Edsel's The Monuments Men, is the study of the United States Army's attempt to save valuable art objects during the Second World War. Edsel's primary objective was to showcase the men and women involved in what was known as the "monuments division" and tell their unique stories as it relates to the importance of saving many of Europe's most valuable art treasures. Although the initial responsibility of the monuments division was to safeguard monuments and buildings against bombing and shelling when possible, their job was later shifted to cover movable works of art that the Nazis has stolen and relocated throughout the war (Edsel, 2009, p.2). The work done by this interesting and unique group of U.S. Army soldiers is a story that up until now has not been told. Edsel's book fills a gap in the narrative of the Second World War that has hitherto been overlooked.

The initial phase of the story of the monuments division begins with an overview of Adolf Hitler's vision of collecting the greatest works of art and centering them within the Third Reich. This notion creates the backdrop for which the primary function of the monuments division is centered. Not all works of art were to be destroyed if they were of Jewish origin, as has been previously thought. Many of these works were simply "hidden" from public view by placing them in mines or other locations where they could not be readily seen.

Initially Edsel thought he could write about all the works of art that the Nazis attempted to hide or place in certain centralized locations. However, as the sheer number of works revealed themselves it became apparent that the scope would be too large for one book. The author then decided to focus on operations in Northern Europe. One museum in particular, the Jeu de Paume in Paris, was used as a clearinghouse by the Nazis for the spoils of France (Edsel, 2009, p.177).

Fortunately, one of the Jeu de Paume's employees, Rose Valland, secretly recorded many of the works that the Nazis filtered through the museum, giving the men and women of the monuments division invaluable information as to the whereabouts of many pieces of artwork. This information greatly facilitated the return of many works of art after the war. Valland was, therefore, something of a cultural "hero" for the French and was rewarded for her efforts after the war with the Legion of Honor, the Medal of the Resistance, and was made Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government (Monumentsmenfoundatin.org, ¶ 6).

When it became apparent to the Allies that much of the valuable monument treasures of Europe could be lost or damaged during the war, Dwight D. Eisenhower issued orders to preserve these valuable treasures and thus the monuments division was formed…