John Cudahy

John Clarence Cudahy (December 10, 1887 - September 6, 1943) was a real estate broker and American ambassador to Poland, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg. He was a Democrat.

Early life

Cudahy was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Patrick Cudahy the meat packing industrialist and Anna Cudahy. He graduated from Harvard University and then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School.

He served during World War I as a Lieutenant in Company B of the U.S. Army's 339th Infantry Regiment. This Regiment was part of the Polar Bear Expedition which was sent to North Russia to intervene on behalf of the anti-communist forces in the Russian Civil War. On November 14, 1918, Lt. Cudahy led the counter-attack that succeeded in breaking through and routing the 1,000 Bolshevik troops that on November 11th [Armistice Day] had encircled and attacked the 600 American, Canadian and Royal Scots soldiers who were holding the village of Toulgas on the Northern Dvina River.^[1] However, his eventual disillusionment with the campaign in North Russia led him to write (under a pseudonym) the book Archangel: The American War with Russia.

Back in the United States, Cudahy headed his family's real estate company, building the Cudahy Tower Apartments on the shore of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.

Diplomatic service

In the turbulent times leading up to World War II, Cudahy served the United States as ambassador to a handful of European nations.

From September 6, 1933 until April 23, 1937, Cudahy served as the American ambassador to Poland. His time in Poland was marked by a militarily backed government under Józef Piłsudski and continued tensions between Poland and Germany under Adolf Hitler.

From August 23, 1937 to January 15, 1940 Cudahy served as ambassador to Ireland. (His commission was to the Irish Free State, even though the Republic of Ireland was declared in 1937. The difference in title related to Ireland's relationship to the United Kingdom, with a resolution on the name only taking place in 1949.)

From January 17, 1940 to July 18, 1940 Cudahy served as ambassador to both Belgium (1939-1940) and Luxembourg. He was forced to leave his post after Germany occupied Belgium and Luxembourg on May 10, 1940 and the nations set up governments-in-exile. Before he left, Cudahy personally interviewed Hitler and wrote the book The Armies March.

Death and descendants

Cudahy died in 1943 when he was thrown from a horse he was riding on his Brown Deer estate north of Milwaukee.

His son, Michael Cudahy, is the founder of Marquette Electronics and a major philanthropist in the city of Milwaukee.

Notes

1. ^ E.M. Halliday, "When Hell Froze Over" (New York City, NY, ibooks, inc., 2000), pages 13-14