Podcasts about German American Bund

In this episode, Alyssa and Scoot talk about how fascism became a bit of a fad in the 1930's. Show Notes: WTTW: The American Nazi-Sympathizing Group That Drew Tens of Thousands of Members Before World War II WTTW: Fascism in Chicago Chicago Reader: In 1939 Nazis rallied in Chicago to make Germany great again NYU: Home-Grown Nazis- John C. Metcalfe and James J. Metcalfe - Chicago Daily Times Time: CONGRESS: Hitler's Shadow Chicago Sun-Times: Fighting fascism is in our bones Bund Camp opens Time: The Press: Chicago Thorn The History Reader: Who Was Fritz Kuhn and the German American Bund? Chicago History Reader: 6 Things You May Not Have Known About Nazis in America Politico: When Nazis Filled Madison Square Garden Notre Dame Magazine: Where Their Loyalties Lie NPR: Nazi Summer Camps In 1930s America? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump is being called a fascist – by his former appointees and his opponent Kamala Harris.On Sunday, in a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, Trump and his allies traded in crude and racist insults, amplifying the nationalistic rhetoric his camp has become known for. The event drew stark comparisons to another gathering at the Garden–a 1939 "Pro-American Rally," put on by the German-American Bund, a pro-Nazi group, with 20,000 of its members in attendance. The MAGA rally, for some, was the tipping point for calling Donald Trump a fascist. For others, it was simply another piece of evidence placed atop an already very tall stack.Host Brooke Gladstone speaks with Jason Stanley, a professor of philosophy at Yale University and author of Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future. He first warned about Trump's fascist rhetoric in 2018, and explains why it's more important than ever to call it by its name.A portion of this interview originally aired in our October 25, 2024, program, Fascism, Fear and the Science Behind Horror Films. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.

SERIES 3 EPISODE 58: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN As Kamala Harris's lead among Hispanic voters nearly triples in less than a month, one of Trump's preliminary speakers at his Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden attacks them. “These Latinos, they love making babies, too" says somebody named Hinchcliffe.“There's no pulling out. They don't do that. They come inside, just like they did to our country.” If a crass attack against 12% of the nation's likely voters would not cause enough damage to Trump in the final week, Hinchcliffe then added "There's literally a floating island of garbage in the middle of the ocean right now. I think it's called Puerto Rico." As even Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott attacks the remarks, a Trump flunky tries to distance itself from the extraordinary attacks saying they don't represent the campaign. At the same time, Donald Trump Jr re-posted video of the remarks. There is a day in each failed presidential candidacy where the losing candidate woke up with his chances of BECOMING president still intact, but went to bed with them irrevocably destroyed. I think for Trump that day was yesterday. The viability of his candidacy has largely depended on his growing support among Latinos.  450,000 residents of Pennsylvania self-identify as Puerto Rican – 127,114 of them in PhILLY and 33,531 in Allentown. 100,000 residents of North Carolina do so. 65-thousand in Wisconsin. 50,000 Michiganders. To say nothing of a million Floridians and a quarter million Texans. EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HISPANIC THERE WAS PLENTY OF HATE TO GO AROUND: Stephen Miller echoes Goebbels. Elon Musk, Dr. Phil, Hulk Hogan and Tucker Carlson beclown themselves. just as the German-American Bund discovered in 1939 when they paraded the swastika into the old Madison Square Garden, there is something about parading Trump's backed-up sewer of hateful has-beens into the heart of bright blue New York City to scream their filth. Somehow the context, the location, underscores that they not only believe this, they not only see a future only for white people and others who have been approved BY white people, they not only think they are a majority, they not only think Trump is beloved, they not only think the tens of millions of us who repudiate their bestiality and their hatred and their racism are somehow just PRETENDING to repudiate these things but most of all, WORST of al these scumbags think they're going to get away with it. And against a fresh background, we are reminded what shame they have brought to us. Meanwhile the interior numbers for Harris continue to explode. In the ABC poll, likely African-American voters are now hers… NINETY to seven. The CBS poll has her up by 1 despite something curious in the very first interior number. She leads among women by 12 points. He only leads among men by nine. If that difference is correct, she wins.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SERIES 3 EPISODE 46: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:44) SPECIAL COMMENT: I think Vladimir Putin just sent Trump two not-very-carefully coded messages and to borrow the stylings of Vice President Harris, one began with the letter F and the other began with the letter U. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov – as I assume you know – has confirmed to Bloomberg that Bob Woodward's book is RIGHT, that Trump DID send tests and testing machines early in the Covid nightmare of 2020, but, quoting Peskov, “but about the phone calls – it's not true.” Putin just outed Trump as a liar. Twice. In different directions. Confirming what he wanted denied; denying what he wanted confirmed. NOT BAD FOR 81 DAYS: Kamala Harris has raised a billion dollars since becoming the presidential candidate. That's more than Trump has raised in ALL of 2024. Harris's figure is just since the afternoon of July 21. New polling: Republicans and Independents who had supported Nikki Haley and Trump is only getting 45 percent of them and Kamala Harris is getting 36 percent. Lemmings gonna lemming, of course. But the interesting number here is that in the 2020 election these same voters had gone for Trump by 59 to 28. HOW DO YOU NOT LISTEN TO HISTORY? Even in an America in which Trump's all-too-obvious affection for Hitler and the Nazis is exceeded by the psychoses of so many of his supporters, it would seem to be obvious that the last thing that even Pro-Nazi Trumpists would want to do would be to invoke February 20th, 1939 and the German-American Bund rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. It didn't go exactly as the Nazis planned. The Garden was surrounded by ONE HUNDRED thousand ANTI-Nazi protestors who three times nearly broke lines manned by 2500 police. As it was, the Nazi presence in New York received fatal damage when a former Navy officer, now plumber's assistant named Isadore Greenbaum sneaked inside the Garden and able to contain his rage no longer, rushed the stage. The Nazis didn't know what to do and after a few flailed punches at Greenbaum, a handful of police stopped all of them and pulled Greenbaum out. So what have Trump and reprobate garbage Garden/Knicks/Rangers owner James Dolan scheduled for October 27? A NEW Trump-Nazi rally at the new Madison Square Garden. Trump hopes 20,000 will attend. Has he or this idiot Dolan considered how many people will be outside the Garden THIS time? B-Block (22:32) IN SPORTS: My first boss Sam Rosen was just named the winner of the Lester Patrick Award for service to hockey in this country (he had already been made a saint for having survived BEING my first boss) (26:29) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Maria Bartiromo is thrown when a Republican congressman accidentally tells the truth about FEMA. Marco Rubio wants you to believe the urgency of what the government is telling you. Just today, mind you. Not last week. And Jesse Watters calls Trump nihilist Stephen Miller a "sexual matador" and Miller explains that to attract women, men "should wear their Trump support on their sleeve." You mean like an armband? C-Block (37:00) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: We take a break from news of my ex Kyrsten Sinema or my ex Laura Ingraham or my ex Olivia Nuzzi to discuss my ex Katy Tur, whose husband is in the news. He's Tony Dokoupil and I can't tell if CBS News is about to fire him or make him Chief Operating Officer. The sad saga of how my post-relationship friendship with her ended when he arrived.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

* Yes, Michael J. Fox actually actually has Parkinson's * The MAGA hat incident* We got a journalist around here…he's asking a lot of questions* Choppin' it up with 60* Young morons embrace violence* German American Bund at MSG 2.0!* Bob “Silent Coup” Woodward * Look, he was actually unfairly treated* Schultz interviews Trump* It was Jeff Gerth, actually* A tale of two natural disasters* The natural disaster of a Kamala interview* Running out the clock: “Frankly, I love the American people”* Debate home run derby * Moynihan's Utne Reader piece for 2008. Welch on Katrina* New media that we love. Or at least *like* This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.wethefifth.com/subscribe

Rerun: Camp Siegfried hosted a ‘Nazi Camp Fete' for 40,000 attendees on 15th August, 1938. The Summer resort, on Yaphank, Long Island, was the epicentre of the German-American Bund: an organisation devoted to establishing a Nazi stronghold across the United States.  Alongside campfire building and swimming lessons, young attendees were taught to emulate the Hitler Youth and host mini Nuremberg-style rallies.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how delegates were trained to anticipate a Nazi coup of the USA; consider why all the key players in the movement escaped serious criminal prosecution, even after the Second World War; and why events such as these were so casually reported, even in the New York Times…  Further Reading: • ‘New York's 1930s Nazi Summer Camp' (Ripley's, 2016): https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/nazi-summer-camp/ • ‘A New York Town in the 1930s Embraced Hitler and Nazi Germany' (History Collection, 2017): https://historycollection.com/welcome-hitler-street-usa-pending/ • ‘Nazis on Long Island: The Story of Camp Siegfried' (Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGJW1VQo1Ts ‘Why am I hearing a rerun?' Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday…  … But

On this episode of Comic Book Yeti's Cryptid Creator Corner we welcome David Hazan back to the podcast. David is here to discuss his newest Mad Cave Studios series Kosher Mafia with issue #1 hitting your LCS on August 7th. The series is written by David with artwork by Sami Kivela, colors by Ellie Wright, and lettered by Simon Bowland.  Kosher Mafia takes place in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1936. It tells the story of Howard Berkowicz, the bookkeeper for the Jewish Mob who finds himself on the wrong end of an enforcer's gun when he tries to spur the Kosher Mafia into action against the rising tide of domestic Nazism in the German American Bund.  David and I talk about his research into this time period for Kosher Mafia, Sami Kivela's incredible artwork, wrapping up Nottingham, and making unsafe choices, creatively speaking.  Our episode sponsors After the Realm Don't miss Eisner and Harvey award winning comics creator Michael Avon Oeming's newest crowdfunding project After The Realm. With over 300 pages of material and 22 new pages of story, this graphic novel collects issues 1-5 of this realm trotting dystopian fantasy adventure that follows young ranger Oona Lightfoot's travels and travails trying to find her best friend as the nine realms are torn asunder.  Arkenforge Play TTRPG games? Make sure to check out our partner Arkenforge. They have everything you need to make your TTRPG more fun and immersive, allowing you to build, play, and export animated maps including in person fog of war capability that let's your players interact with maps as the adventure unfolds while you, the DM get the full picture. Use the discount code YETI5 to get $5 off your order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The American government launches an all-out manhunt for a young American ultra-right fascist who harbors sympathy for the Nazis and who is actively peddling one of the world's most dangerous weapons. Francis Yockey's journey -- and the government's intense search for him -- will soon leave a mark on American politics for decades to come.

On this episode of Lochhead on Marketing, the conversation takes a deep dive into the complex and sensitive situation in Gaza, Palestine, Israel, and the broader Middle East, and how our perception here in America is being warped by misinformation from different sides. Welcome to Lochhead on Marketing. The number one charting marketing podcast for marketers, category designers, and entrepreneurs with a different mind. A Feeling of Déjà Vu for America On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of Madison Square Garden was lit up for the big event: "Pro American Rally." But it was the farthest thing from being American as can be. Uniformed members of pro-Hitler group The German American Bund carried American and nazi flags. That being said, In the last week of December 1942, fifty leading German-Americans (including baseball legend Babe Ruth) signed a declaration condemning nazis which appeared in ten major American daily newspapers. Ultimately, American patriots stopped the American nazis. Looking at the events this week at Columbia, MIT, NYU, and other elite US schools, they mirror much of the hate, horror and scale of The German American Bund. While some were there to genuinely support the civilians trapped in the ongoing conflict, there were others that openly supported Hamas' extremist actions. It was very ironic to see banners about women and LGBT+ groups support, when they are the most oppressed in the world that these people envision. What's even worse is that there were reasons to suspect that these protests were sponsored by people who don't want to get their own hands dirty. (Mis)Information is Rampant One of the downsides of our technological boom is the ease of access to information. Unfortunately, ease of access does not always mean a smart populace. As information is shared from peer to peer, information gets distorted, if not outright manipulated to suit their agendas, that sometimes the victim comes out on the other end as the one being ganged on, instead of the oppressor. This particularly true with social media sites, who has become the de-facto source of information for the younger generation. There was even a brief period where young people were lauding a speech that Bin Laden made to justify 9/11. Never mind the atrocities he and his jihadist group committed in the US and international stage, he made a great speech! Totally justified. Call to Arms Nazis have attacked America from within before. American patriots stopped them. The only question now is, will you and I empower radical jihadists nazis? Or will we stop them, like our ancestors did 78 years ago? To hear more of Christopher Lochhead's points on the matter, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead Links WSJ Article on the Anti-Israel Protesters The World's Record Holder for Executing Women Has Executed Three Women in Three Days This Is Ahmad. He Was Queer In Palestine. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Lochhead on Marketing™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on iTunes!

On this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different, the conversation takes a deep dive into the complex and sensitive situation in Gaza, Palestine, Israel, and the broader Middle East, and how our perception here in America is being warped by misinformation from different sides. You're listening to Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different. We are the real dialogue podcast for people with a different mind. So get your mind in a different place, and hey ho, let's go. A Feeling of Déjà Vu for America On the evening of Feb. 20, 1939, the marquee of Madison Square Garden was lit up for the big event: "Pro American Rally." But it was the farthest thing from being American as can be. Uniformed members of pro-Hitler group The German American Bund carried American and nazi flags. That being said, In the last week of December 1942, fifty leading German-Americans (including baseball legend Babe Ruth) signed a declaration condemning nazis which appeared in ten major American daily newspapers. Ultimately, American patriots stopped the American nazis. Looking at the events this week at Columbia, MIT, NYU, and other elite US schools, they mirror much of the hate, horror and scale of The German American Bund. While some were there to genuinely support the civilians trapped in the ongoing conflict, there were others that openly supported Hamas' extremist actions. It was very ironic to see banners about women and LGBT+ groups support, when they are the most oppressed in the world that these people envision. What's even worse is that there were reasons to suspect that these protests were sponsored by people who don't want to get their own hands dirty. (Mis)Information is Rampant One of the downsides of our technological boom is the ease of access to information. Unfortunately, ease of access does not always mean a smart populace. As information is shared from peer to peer, information gets distorted, if not outright manipulated to suit their agendas, that sometimes the victim comes out on the other end as the one being ganged on, instead of the oppressor. This particularly true with social media sites, who has become the de-facto source of information for the younger generation. There was even a brief period where young people were lauding a speech that Bin Laden made to justify 9/11. Never mind the atrocities he and his jihadist group committed in the US and international stage, he made a great speech! Totally justified. Call to Arms Nazis have attacked America from within before. American patriots stopped them. The only question now is, will you and I empower radical jihadists nazis? Or will we stop them, like our ancestors did 78 years ago? To hear more of Christopher Lochhead's points on the matter, download and listen to this episode. Bio Christopher Lochhead Links WSJ Article on the Anti-Israel Protesters The World's Record Holder for Executing Women Has Executed Three Women in Three Days This Is Ahmad. He Was Queer In Palestine. We hope you enjoyed this episode of Christopher Lochhead: Follow Your Different™! Christopher loves hearing from his listeners. Feel free to email him, connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and subscribe on Apple Podcast / Spotify!

This episode is part of the Amerikazentrum's ChicagoHamburg30 series, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the Chicago-Hamburg Sister-City partnership. Happy Jewish American Heritage Month! In this episode, we explore the rich and complex history of Jewish Chicago, from the 1850s to the present. Topics include the following: -the first Jewish settlers and politicians in Chicago -the influence of German high-culture and Enlightenment philosophy on German Jews in Chicago -the formation of Jewish regimental companies in the Civil War -the second wave of Jewish immigrants and the tensions between establishment Jews and the new arrivals -World War I and the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924 -Prohibition and the rise of the Jewish gangster -the role of Word War II and the Holocaust in unifying the disparate Jewish communities -protests against the German American Bund -the transformation of the suburb of Lawndale into German Jewish "Deutschland" -further immigration trends from the post-Soviet nations as well as Israel Throughout, you will learn about famous Jewish Chicagoans, such as Henry Greenebaum, Dankmar Adler, Edward Solomon, Hannah Shapiro, Joseph Schaffner, and Julius Rosenwald. Our expert guests are Dr. Tobias Brinkmann (Penn State University) and Dr. Joe Kraus (University of Scranton).

This episode is part of the ChicagoHamburg30 podcast series, celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the Chicago-Hamburg Sister-City partnership. In this episode, Dominic Pacyga (Emeritus Professor of History, Columbia College Chicago) and Tobias Brinkmann (Malvin and Lea Bank Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and History, Penn State) discuss the immigration of Poles, Czechs, Ukrainians and Lithuanians to Chicago via the Hamburg-America Line. Topics include the following: -the first Eastern European immigrants in the 1850s -the self-definition of these groups through language, religion, and ethnicity -the concept of spatial integration and social segregation in Chicago -the role of railroads in opening up Eastern Europe to the port of Hamburg -the turmoil in Europe that caused different waves of immigration -the importance of foreign-language, ethnic newspapers in Chicago -the new roles available to immigrant women in Chicago -the inter-ethnic conflict in Chicago caused by World War I -the effect of immigration restrictions on Eastern Europeans due to the Immigration Acts of 1921 and 1924 -the inter-ethnic conflict between German Chicagoans (the German-American Bund) and other groups before and during World War II -the softening of immigration restrictions after WWII with the Displaced Persons Act of 1948 -the differences among Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, and Lithuanian experiences during the Cold War If you are interested in learning more about Polish Chicago, check out Back Home: Polish Chicago at the Chicago History Museum through June 8, 2024. https://www.chicagohistory.org/

On this episode of Making Media Now, host Michael Azevedo speaks with documentary filmmaker Peter Yost, whose film, "Nazi Town, USA" uncovers the unsettling story of Nazi sympathizers on American soil.  The discussion navigates through America's history in the '20s and '30s - the polarized political climate, the dominant ideologies, and prominent American figures like Henry Ford and Charles Lindbergh, whose influence kindled such anti-Semitic movements. Around this era, the terrifyingly real German-American Bund fearlessly demonstrated a blend of American ideals with swastikas, exemplifying a racially divided America. A dive into the profoundly extraordinary acts of the Bund includes running Nazi camps and parades in front of Jewish homes, casting a shadow over the interpretation of patriotism. This gripping exploration of an almost forgotten part of American history unveils its lasting influences and the issues our society continues to grapple with today. Making Media Now is sponsored by Filmmakers Collaborative, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting media makers from across the creative spectrum. From providing fiscal sponsorship to presenting an array of informative and educational programs, Filmmakers Collaborative supports creatives at every step in their journey.   About the host: www.writevoicecreative.com and https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-azevedo/   Sound Engineer: A.J. Kierstead           

Bradley W. Hart concludes the story of would-be "American Hitler," Fritz Julius Kuhn, the German-American Bund, and the Jewish plumber Isadore Greenbaum.  Along with contributors, Arnie Bernstein and Greenbaum's grandson Brett Siciliano, Hart recounts the critical moment Isadore confronts the fascist Kuhn in Madison Square Garden... and how both of their lives were forever changed from that day forward.

On February 20, 1939, at an event that arguably marked the height of the German American Bund, Fritz Julius Kuhn addressed approximately 20,000 people at a rally at New York City's Madison Square ...

Bradley discusses the story of Fritz Julius Kuhn and the German-American Bund.  Along with contributors, Arnie Bernstein and Brett Siciliano, Hart lays out the origins of the Bund in the U.S. in the 1930s, and how Kuhn rose in stature striving to become the "American Hitler."

Originally released August 15, 2022. In 1939, as many as 22,000 Americans met for a Nazi rally in New York's Madison Square Garden. It was an event of the German-American Bund and attendees cheered while listening to anti-semitic, Nazi-sympathizing speeches. It's hard to believe that this type of thing could happen in America, but it's true. In this episode, we examine the event and then play the quick quiz with International Award-Winning Magician, Erik Tait. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals

Detective Sergeant James Calaski, of the Glen Rock police department, shares his incredible wealth of historical knowledge with us, especially about the German American Bund and the Nazi that lived in Glen Rock, heading up the Bergen County division of the Bund. More information available at www.hunting-history.com Please subscribe and help keep the Towncast going! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/flavio-romeo/message

Directly before World War II, the German American Bund was one of the most successful pro-Nazi organizations in the United States, but that does not mean it ended there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cette semaine dans histoire de passer le temps, Frédérick Poulin propose un survol de la courte existence du German American Bund, de sa formation en 1936 à son abrupt déclin en 1941. Ensuite, Rania Ikram Djermane nous invite à remonter le temps pour découvrir l'histoire méconnue de la maltraitance des enfants. Finalement, Julien Lehoux retourne à la chronique et présente la mission oubliée du Corps Expéditionnaire Canadien en Sibérie. Vous aurez le plaisir d'écouter à l'animation Julien Legris et Daniel Lemire s'occupera de la régie.

Os EUA colocaram 120 mil asiáticos em campos de concentração entre 1941-5. Embora os campos tenham sido divulgados como uma forma de evitar espionagem japonesa no contexto da Segunda Guerra Mundial, algumas estatísticas mostram que talvez tenha sido a política pública + desastrosa do governo FDR. Discutimos Miké Okubo, George Takei e John Okada, pioneira da literatura nipo-americana com o lançamento da obra-prima "No-no boy" (1957). No próximo episódio falamos das origens do racismo made in America: o comércio transatlântico de africanos no século 17. Bibliografia consultada Densho Encyclopedia | https://encyclopedia.densho.org/ | enciclopédia mantida pela California State Library sobre o evento. Proclamation 4417 by president Gerald Ford, Okada, John. No-No Boy: a novel. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2014. Okubo, Miné. Citizen 13660. Seattle: The University of Washington Press, 2014. Seldes, George. Fatos e Fascismo: o grande capital e os grandes lucros com a extrema-direita. São Paulo: Aetia Editorial & Peleja, 2022. Silva , Noenoe K. Aloha Betrayed: Native Hawaiian Resistance to American Colonialism. Durham: Duke UP, 2004. Robinson, Greg. A Tragedy of Democracy: Japanese Confinement in North America. NY: Columbia UP, 2009. Podcast You don't know lit, episódio “13. Japanese-American Incarceration”. Taylor, Alan. “American Nazis in the 1930s—The German American Bund”. The Atlantic, June 5, 2017. Trilha sonora Klangkarussell - Sternenkinder (2014)

George Feltenstein and Jeff Briggs of Warner Bros join the podcast to discuss one of the most important films in the history of the studio.  The political thriller "Confessions of a NAZI SPY," (1939) was the first feature film from a major studio to take on the fascism of Hitler and the Nazi Party.  Based on real-life events, the film delves into a spy ring in New York that recruited Americans into the German American Bund.  George and Jeff detail the courage of the brothers Warner to take on this material, develop it into a feature film, and the casting of stars Edward G. Robinson, Francis Lederer, George Sanders, and Paul Lukas.  Many actors in supporting roles and production crew went uncredited due to fears of reprisals against their familys still in Europe.  George also details the remastering of the film for the new Blu-ray and the robust extras that are included.  This is a terrific film that is also one of the most important films in the Warner Bros catalog.  This episode is part of our 100th year celebration of Warner Bros.Link to article mentioned in the podcastPurchase on Moviezyng:Confessions of a Nazi SpyPurchase on Amazon:Confessions of a NAZI SPY Blu-rayThe Mortal Storm Blu-rayWatch on the Rhine DVDBlack Legion DVDHorror Sucks Ashley and Carter think horror sucks... except sometimes it doesn't. Together they pore...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify The Extras Facebook pageThe Extras Twitter Warner Archive & Warner Bros Catalog GroupOtaku Media produces podcasts, behind-the-scenes extras, and media that connect creatives with their fans and businesses with their consumers. Contact us today to see how we can work together to achieve your goals. www.otakumedia.tv

At det fantes mange nazister i Tyskland på 1930- og 40-tallet, det visste du nok. Men at det samtidig var tusenvis av nazi-sympatisører i USA, hadde du kanskje ikke trodd! Da Hitler kom til makten tok det derfor ikke lang tid, før det ble opprettet en tysk-amerikansk nazi-organisasjon. Men da det såkalte German American Bund prøvde å feire Hitlers bursdag på et kasino i New York ble det trøbbel. Feiringen ble nemlig avbrutt en gruppe jødiske gangstere anført av mafiatoppen, Meyer Lansky. Gangsterne hadde kommet for å slåss…

The most high-profile sedition trial in American history kicks off inside a Washington, DC federal courtroom. The members of Congress who attempted to quash the investigation are now faced with a super-charged indictment and a brand new Justice Department prosecutor who is battle tested and up for the challenge. What he finds as the curtain rises on the trial, though, is something that he is wholly unprepared for: pre-planned, unmitigated chaos. 

In 1939, as many as 22,000 Americans met for a Nazi rally in New York's Madison Square Garden. It was an event of the German-American Bund and attendees cheered while listening to anti-semitic, Nazi-sympathizing speeches. It's hard to believe that this type of thing could happen in America, but it's true. In this episode, we examine the event and then play the quick quiz with International Award-Winning Magician, Erik Tait. Review this podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-internet-says-it-s-true/id1530853589 Bonus episodes and content available at http://Patreon.com/MichaelKent For special discounts and links to our sponsors, visit http://theinternetsaysitstrue.com/deals Use promo code "INTERNET" for 15% off skincare products at www.aldernewyork.com

Camp Siegfried hosted a ‘Nazi Camp Fete' for 40,000 attendees on 15th August, 1938. The Summer resort, on Yaphank, Long Island, was the epicentre of the German-American Bund: an organisation devoted to establishing a Nazi stronghold across the United States.  Alongside campfire building and swimming lessons, young attendees were taught to emulate the Hitler Youth and host mini Nuremberg-style rallies.  In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain how delegates were trained to anticipate a Nazi coup of the USA; consider why all the key players in the movement escaped serious criminal prosecution, even after the Second World War; and why events such as these were so casually reported, even in the New York Times…  Further Reading: • ‘New York's 1930s Nazi Summer Camp' (Ripley's, 2016): https://www.ripleys.com/weird-news/nazi-summer-camp/ • ‘A New York Town in the 1930s Embraced Hitler and Nazi Germany' (History Collection, 2017): https://historycollection.com/welcome-hitler-street-usa-pending/ • ‘Nazis on Long Island: The Story of Camp Siegfried' (Museum of Jewish Heritage, 2022): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGJW1VQo1Ts For bonus material and to support the show, visit Patreon.com/Retrospectors We'll be back tomorrow! Follow us wherever you get your podcasts: podfollow.com/Retrospectors The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Sophie King. Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The rise of Nazism before World War II wasn't limited to Germany. The German-Americna Bund (Amerikadeutscher Volksbund) formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1936, to promote a favorable view of Nazi Germany. It quickly grew to 70 local groups around the country, with 20 training camps where kids aged 8-18 practiced military drills and wore Nazi-style uniforms. By 1939, 20,000 people attended the Bund's Pro American Rally in Madison Square Garden. When Prohibition ended in 1933, Jewish American gangsters who had been running liquor businesses suddenly had more time on their hands, and they decided to fight back against the Bund. In Newark, New Jersey, Abner “Longie” Zwillman formed a secret organization called the Minutemen to fight the Nazis. The Minutemen, who operated from 1933 to 1941, would break up Bund meetings using their fists, baseball bats, and stink bombs. The Minutemen were based in New Jersey, but Jewish gangsters around the country fought the Bund, including in Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. To help us learn more, I'm joined on this episode by Leslie K. Barry, author of the historic novel, Newark Minutemen: A True 1930s Legend about One Man's Mission to Save a Nation's Soul Without Losing His Own, whose uncle was a Minuteman in Newark in the 1930s. Our theme song is Frogs Legs Rag, composed by James Scott and performed by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons. The image is: “German American Bund parade in New York City on East 86th St.,” World-Telegram photo, New York, 1937, Public Domain. The audio clip is from the German American Bund Rally on February 20, 1939, and is in the Public Domain.   Additional Sources: “There Were American Nazi Summer Camps Across the US in the 1930s,” by George Dvorsky, Gizmodo, November 19, 2015. “American Nazis in the 1930s—The German American Bund,” by Alan Taylor, The Atlantic, June 5, 2017. “When Nazis Took Manhattan,” by Sarah Kate Kramer, NPR: All Things Considered, February 20, 2019. “American Nazis and Nazi Sympathizers Have Been Around Since the 1930's,” by Eric Ginsburg, Teen Vogue, November 26, 2018. “American Nazism and Madison Square Garden,” The National World War II Museum, April 14, 2021. “Field of Vision - A Night at the Garden [video],” directed by Marshall Curry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In episode 78, TENE goes through the early days of Francis Parker Yockey, an unusual American fascist. In the late 1930s, Yockey was a young (and very pretentious) intellectual deeply involved in the Fascist movement in the US and connected to every significant group of the time: German-American Bund, Silver Shirts, Father Coughlin's NUSJ, America First Committee, etc. What made him different from his peers in the US was that he was at the time already influenced by more obscure fascist writers of the so-called Conservative Revolutionary milieu in Germany like Oswald Spengler, Karl Haushofer, and Carl Schmitt. It seems that Yockey had deeper connections to the Third Reich as well that involved Nazi Intelligence and the secret Operation Pastorious. Yockey inexplicably went missing for a while during the war, but even more interesting was his post-war career gig in Nuremberg, Germany. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! Check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

fascism, definition of fascism, Michigan politics, DeVos family, corporate takeover of government, private schools, dismantling public education, local government, school boards, right wing takeover of local politics, National Association of Manufacturers, Henry Ford, Ford Motor Company, Boris Brasol, Thule Society, William J. Cameron, Christian Identity theology, domestic terrorism, militias, paramilitaries, Friekorps, Italy, Black Shirts, Weimer Republic, breakdown of liberal democracy, Beer Hall Putsch, January 6, coup, mythos, colonialism, Ku Klux Klan, Knights of the Golden Circle, John Wilkes Booth, Manifest Destiny, German-American Bund, William "Will Bill" Donovan, American Legion, FDR, Business Plot, Smedley Butler, National Crime Syndicate, Meyer Lansky, Russia, White Russians, Palantir, Peter Thiel, Meyer Lansky, Israel, Nazi-Israeli collaboration, Martin Bormann, World Commerce Corporation, SOFINDUS, Otto Skorzeny, ratlines, capital flight, Golden Lilly, drug trafficking, yakuza, Unification Church, Bank of International Settlements, Vatican, Pope Pius

Boris introduces The Empire Never Ended to a very special Bavarian boy named Fritz Kuhn who, through summer camps, mass rallies, and marching (so much marching) throughout the '30s, tried to reconcile racial Americanism and German Nazism through his German-American Bund. Though his career was brief, Kuhn amassed tens of thousands of followers and inspired much of the symbolism and look of future groups. He also embodied the very model of the US Nazi huckster as he embezzled funds to supply his vast array of mistresses. Hitler may have hated him, but the legacy of 'zee Bund' lives on. This is The Empire Never Ended, the Antifascist Amerikanski-Balkan podcast about (neo) fascist terror, the (deep) state and the alienation, nihilism and desperation produced by the capitalist system. And how to get rid of all that. Something like that... Subscribe to our Patreon for weekly premium episodes! And check out our social media for updates and whatnot: Twitter + Facebook + Instagram + YouTube

The current rise of right wing populist leaders in democracies around the world, from Donald Trump to Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, has led to a debate on the fuzziness of these new regimes that are eroding liberalism by incorporating totalitarian features. Some argue that the term ‘fascist' would be useful in understanding the nature of politics in these countries, while others warn against an inflationary use of the term. We close the second season of the podcast by asking Professor Jason Stanley (Yale University) whether the term ‘fascism' helps us understand what is happening in the US and how this ideology is seeping into democracies the world over. Democracy in Question? is brought to you by:• The Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: IWM• The Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: AHCD• The Excellence Chair and Soft Authoritarianism Research Group in Bremen: WOC• The Podcast Company: Earshot StrategiesFollow us on social media!• Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna: @IWM_Vienna• Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy in Geneva: @AHDCentre• Our guest Jason Stanley: @jasonintratorSubscribe to the show. If you enjoyed what you listened to, you can support us by leaving a review and sharing our podcast in your networks! BIBLIOGRAPHY• Jason Stanley. (2020). How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them.• Jason Stanley. (2016). How Propaganda Works.• Arjun Appadurai. (2006). Fear of Small Numbers. GLOSSARYWho was Charles Lindbergh?(00:06:00 or p. 5 in the transcript)Charles Lindbergh was celebrated as an American hero when he piloted the Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris in 1927, the first person to fly solo and nonstop across the Atlantic. Learn more.What the German-American Bund?(00:06:00 or p. 5 in the transcript)The German-American Bund, also called (1933–35) Friends Of The New Germany, was an American pro-Nazi, quasi-military organization that was most active in the years immediately preceding the United States' entry into World War II. The Bund's members were mostly American citizens of German ancestry. The organization received covert guidance and financial support from the German government. Military drill and related activities were provided for adults and youths at Bund-maintained camps. Source.Who was Henry Ford and what is “The International Jew” about?(00:06:00 or p. 5 in the transcript)Henry Ford (1863–1947) was an American industrialist, business magnate, and founder of the Ford Motor Company, and chief developer of the assembly line technique of mass production. Ford's antisemitism became public knowledge soon after he purchased the Dearborn Independent, a newspaper, which in May 1920 launched an antisemitic series titled “The International Jew: The World's Problem” that continued for several years. The articles were later compiled into a book and sought to bring attention to an antisemitic conspiracy theory that Jews were plotting to take over the world. Learn more.What is the Ku Klux Klan?(00:06:00 or p. 5 in the transcript)The Ku Klux Klan is either of two distinct U.S. hate organizations that employed terror in pursuit of their white supremacist agenda. One group was founded immediately after the Civil War and lasted until the 1870s. The other began in 1915 and has continued to the present. Learn more.What was the New Deal?(00:06:00 or p. 5 in the transcript)The New Deal was a domestic program of the administration of U.S. Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) between 1933 and 1939, which took action to bring about immediate economic relief as well as reforms in industry, agriculture, finance, waterpower, labor, and housing, vastly increasing the scope of the federal government's activities. Learn more.What is the Voting Rights Act and who is John Roberts?(00:09:30 or p. 6 in the transcript)The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. In 2013, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Roberts has hollowed out the historic Voting Rights Act, curtailed regulation of big political donors and limited challenges to partisan gerrymandering. Learn more.What does “Herrenvolk democracy” mean?(00:11:30 or p. 8 in the transcript)The term “Herrenvolk,” that could roughly be translated to “master race,” stems from 19th century discourses justifying colonialism through the supposed superiority of white Europeans and was also central to National Socialist ideology. The term “Herrenvolk democracy” was coined by anthropologist and sociologist Pierre L. Van den Berghe and refers to a parliamentary regime in which the exercise of power and suffrage is restricted to the dominant group; a regime democratic for those considering themselves the “master race” or “Herrenvolk” but tyrannical for the subordinate racialized group(s). Learn more.What is the Citizenship Amendment Act?(00:11:30 or p. 8 in the transcript)The Citizenship Amendment Act is a bill passed by the Indian parliament in 2019 and provides citizenships to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, three neighboring countries. The government, led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), says this will give sanctuary to people fleeing religious persecution. The bill has been heavily criticized as being part of a BJP agenda to marginalize Muslims. Opponents of the bill say it is exclusionary and violates the secular principles enshrined in the Indian constitution, because it makes faith a condition of citizenship. Learn more.Who was George Fitzhugh and what is his book "Cannibals All!" about?(00:13:30 or p. 10 in the transcript)George Fitzhugh (1806—1881) was a proslavery writer best known for two books: Sociology for the South; or the Failure of Free Society (1854) and Cannibals All! or, Slaves Without Masters (1857).In Cannibals All! Fitzhugh asserted that slavery was biblically based and argued that capitalism made workers into slaves of capitalists, who he described as cannibals. Fitzhugh advocated slavery in the abstract, not merely for people of African descent. Learn more.What is QAnon?(00:17:00 or p. 11 in the transcript)QAnon is a wide-ranging, completely unfounded conspiracy theory claiming that President Trump is waging a secret war against elite Satan-worshipping paedophiles in government, business and the media. It started when in October 2017, an anonymous user put a series of posts on the message board 4chan. The user signed off as "Q" and claimed to have a level of US security approval known as "Q clearance". Learn more.Who was Ida B. Wells?(00:17:00 or p. 11 in the transcript)Ida B. Wells (1862—1931) was an American journalist and social reformer who led an anti-lynching crusade in the United States in the 1890s. She later was active in promoting justice for African Americans. Ida Wells was born into slavery. She was educated at Rust University, a freedmen's school in her native Holly Springs, Mississippi, and at age 14 she began teaching in a country school. Learn more.Who are Paulo Freire and Angela Davis?(00:23:30 or p. 15 in the transcript)Paulo Freire (1921–1997) was a Brazilian educator and philosopher who was a leading advocate of critical pedagogy. He is best known for his influential work Pedagogy of the Oppressed, which is generally considered one of the foundational texts of the critical pedagogy movement. Learn more.Angela Davis (born in 1944) is an American political activist, philosopher, academic and author. She is a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz. A Marxist, Davis was a longtime member of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and is a founding member of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism (CCDS). She is the author of over ten books on class, feminism, race, and the US prison system. Learn more.What is Hindutva?(00:24:30 or p. 15 in the transcript)Hindutva is the predominant form of Hindu Nationalism in India. For more context information we recommend this and this New York Times article.Who was Joseph Goebbels?(00:24:30 or p. 16 in the transcript)Joseph Goebbels (1897–1945) was a German Nazi politician chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 1945. He was one of Adolf Hitler's closest and most devoted acolytes. He advocated progressively harsher discrimination, including the extermination of the Jews in the Holocaust. Learn more.

Spies and Saboteurs in New York During WartimeOn this week's show we will explore the history of the "enemies within", spies and saboteurs in New York City who were in the service of the country's enemies, or soon-to-be-enemies during wartime. My guests will be author Kevin Fitzpatrick,https://fitzpatrickauthor.com/; and tour director Bob Brenner, Founder of Pig Feet Walking Tours,https://www.pigfeetwalkingtours.com/. Tune in for this fascinating conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.Segment 1Tonight's show topic is all about spies and saboteurs in New York during times of war. The special guests are author Kevin Fitzpatrick along with tour director and Founder of Pig Feet Walking Tours, Bob Brenner. Kevin has ties to the Marine Corps and is very proud of his Irish heritage. In 1864, a group of saboteurs set off 19 total fires in order to disrupt the election. This act could have been very damaging to the city but luckily they were Greek fire so less damage was dealt. Greek fire is essentially a substance that gets set ablaze once exposed to oxygen. Furthermore, Kevin is the author of “World War I New York: A Guide to the City's Enduring Ties to the Great War.”Segment 2Kevin also has written books about Dorothy Parker as well as Round Tables. He has a great interest in jazz and speakeasies. In regard to the Spanish American War, Kevin states that there likely was not much spying or sabotage going on. The war did not take place for a very long time which may partially be the reason. Also, Kevin explains how the Zimmerman Telegram was a secret document issued from the German Foreign Office in January 1917 that proposed a military alliance between Germany and Mexico if the United States entered World War I against Germany. It was intercepted which led to the declaration of the First World War as well as the famous explosion of Black Tom. Segment 3The second half of the show features the second guest named Bob Brenner who is a New York City Tour Guide. He is also the Founder of Pigs Feet Walking Tours. Bob lives in Chelsea but is not originally from the state. Bob first got interested in spies and saboteurs in NY along with NY history overall after seeing Nazis in Yorkville and experiencing how they acted. Yorkville was also the home of the German American Bund. Their main responsibility was to promote propaganda that pushed America to stay neutral and remain out of the war. In addition, they hosted summer camps that taught pupils how to handle firearms and craft explosives such as bombs. Segment 4Bob recently has been doing webinars and tours on various topics such as New York City in the '80s and '90s. The leader of the Bund was named Fritz Julius Kuhn who was corrupt and spent group funds on his mistress. He was later kicked out and lost citizenship. William Sebold was an American citizen who was born in Germany and had a family who lived there. Eventually, he went to go visit his mother when Nazis recognized that he had American traits and made him become a spy for them or else his family would be hurt and he would not be allowed to leave. He agrees but later devises a plan with the FBI to get wired for sound and set up the German Government once they told all of their information. 

We are so thrilled to share with you our very special extended-length season finale! It's been a pleasure bringing this podcast to you, and we can't wait for season two. We've got a jam-packed episode for your listening pleasure: Statler leads a panel of local queer activists, discussing local queer history and remembering queer elders we've recently lost 3:03 Song by local legend Madeline Davis 17:44 Rawlf and Brian Nowak do a deep dive on the history of Buffalo's German American Bund 21:50 Bean and Scooter discuss cops at pride and why it's a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad idea 43:12 Song by Calamity Orchestra 1:01:53 The Beaker and Bunsen Safety Corner covers internet and digital safety 1:05:50 ********* Links from this episode: Growing LGBTQ Youth Support: http://www.glyswny.org Buffalo Niagara LGBTQ History: https://www.facebook.com/buffaloniagaralgbtqhistory/ Second Annual People's Pride: https://m.facebook.com/events/1163363990791766?mds=%2Fsharer-dialog.php%3Fsid%3D1163363990791766%26m%3Dself&mdf=1 Madeline Davis archives at SUNY Buffalo State: https://digitalcommons.buffalostate.edu/mdaviscollection/ Calamity Nation on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/CoralineAda ********* Please please please subscribe and review our podcast on Itunes and Spotify because, you know - algorithms. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NoQuarterBuffalo/ Visit us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noquarterbuffalo/?igshid=1rmhpht2w9vhe Join us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NoQuarterBuff

Mike: I assure you there are fascists in the US. [Theme song] Nazi SS UFOs Lizards wearing human clothes Hinduism's secret codes These are nazi lies Race and IQ are in genes Warfare keeps the nation clean Whiteness is an AIDS vaccine These are nazi lies Hollow earth, white genocide Muslim's rampant femicide Shooting suspects named Sam Hyde Hiter lived and no Jews died Army, navy, and the cops Secret service, special ops They protect us, not sweatshops These are nazi lies Mike: One of the more pernicious lies I hear about US fascism is that it doesn't exist, particularly in the present day. So I'm here today with journalist and sociologist Dr. Spencer Sunshine, PhD from CUNY's Grad School. Spencer has written for Colorlines, Truthout, and The Daily Beast and has an organizing guide out through PopMob called 40 Ways to Fight Fascists: Street-Legal Tactics for Community Activists. Thanks for coming on the pod. Spencer Sunshine: Thanks for having me on the show, Mike. Mike: Of course! So Spencer's here to talk about the American Nazi Party; its successor, the National Socialist White People's Party; and its remnants today. So let's start with a brief history of US fascism before the American Nazi Party. Spencer: Sure, so fascism as an actual political current is about 100 years old in the United States. The first Nazi group, or Nazi cell, in the United States formed in 1922 by German expats in the Bronx. And there were probably earlier groups that were Italian Fascist groups. Like many radical political traditions that started in Europe, in the United States these were first brought to the country by immigrants from Europe. If we look further than that, if we use fascism as a broader term involving any organized white supremacist groups, of course we'd easily go back to the 1860s and the Ku Klux Klan and similarly styled far right groups go back in the United States well before that. So fascism is a longstanding political tradition in our country. It's a century old. The fact that people can't acknowledge this shows something interesting about the psyche of the United States where people just can't admit that there are radical political movements here, or that such a noxious political movement such as fascism could take fairly, what looks like permanent roots in our country. Mike: Okay, so let's talk about the American Nazi Party itself. How was it founded? What did it do? Spencer: So before the war there were two groups that were pro-Nazi. There was the German American Bund, who were tied to the Nazi Party in various ways; and an American group called the Silver Shirts. As you may imagine, during the war, nazism became taboo in the country. A lot of the leaders were arrested. After the war it took quite a while for, what then became neo-nazism, neo-nazi groups to establish themselves. There was a group called the National States Rights Party who mostly recruited from Klan members and were the core organizers for nazis, but they did not say on the– On the outside of the package it did not say that; although on the inside it was. So the American Nazi Party was sort of special because it was the first group to openly declare itself a nazi group and to, the phrase they used was, “raise the swastika,” to actually appear in public. You know, at the time they used the old stormtrooper uniforms, these brown uniforms with a swastika armband. You rarely see it these days, but this was pretty common through the early 90s for nazi groups to do this. So the American Nazi Party was founded in 1959. There was a precursor group in 1958 by George Lincoln Rockwell. He had done advertising; was very good. And came from a vaudeville family. This is a really crazy story, but Bob Hope was actually at his christening. He used these advertising techniques to form this group. It was designed to get media attention, and the idea was for him that conservatives could never become radical enough and could never really attract the people they needed. So by using this imagery, he could attract the kinds of people that he wanted, and he could use the presence of nazis– He used to say, “No one can ignore nazis marching in the streets.” –use this public image to gain media attention which he could then use as a recruiting tool. The party was never very big. It continued through the 60s. They did a lot of– It was almost an agitprop kind of project. The kind of murders that we associate with the nazi movement these days– They had punch ups at rallies and stuff. But the kind of violence and murders that we associate with neo-nazism these days did not come until later, which is an interesting thing. He was assassinated by a fellow party member in 1967. Right before then he had changed his organizing strategy. He had a very successful rally in Marquette Park, Chicago, which was actually against Martin Luther King's plan to desegregate. It was some of his late marches doing housing desegregation in Chicago. It was in an Eastern European neighborhood, a lot of Eastern European immigrants who were resisting Black Chicagoans from moving into their neighborhood. Thousands of people came to this rally. He then changed his tack a bit. He renamed the party the National Socialist White People's Party which is a mouthful, and we'll call it the NSWPP from now on. And he renamed the party newspaper to White Power which is the slogan we know today that he coined. So it was a move from being an antisemitic nazi party to kind of being an aggressive white nationalist party because it was the first time that he had drawn a lot of grassroots support. He was assassinated. He was replaced by his subordinate Matt Koehl. At first it was three people. It was Robert Lloyd, Koehl, and William Pierce (Who's important. He later formed his own party called the National Alliance. Mike: We'll talk about them in a bit. Spencer: And he wrote a very influential book called The Turner Diaries. These three that ran the party for a while, and then, what's a nazi party without a führer? Or tin pot führer at least? Kicks the other two out. And runs the party until his death a few years ago. In 1983 the party became called New Order and actually degenerated into a Hitler-worshipping, almost private Hitler-worshipping cult. It still exists. Koehl died a few years ago and was replaced by his subordinate Martin Kerr. Mike: So before we talk about the remnants today, I want to talk about some of the splinter groups that formed in the 70s. I'm thinking the second NSLF, the National Alliance that you mentioned, the NSPA, the NSWWP. Spencer: A mouthful of alphabet soup. Mike: Yes. Spencer: So the importance of Koehl taking control is that Rockwell was a very charismatic guy. A lot of his followers really adored him. They ended up fetishizing him almost as a god-like figure. The way they had– Some of them, you know, praised him the way they had Adolf Hitler before him. In the post-war period, people had started almost worshipping and sometimes literally worshipping Hitler and made altars to him and treated him as a kind of demigod. So Koehl did not have charisma and acted in ways that alienated most of his party membership. Over the years, especially between 1973 and 1974, a lot of the party members left; the active units, they called them units the chapters, left and formed their own groups. And this became very important because this is what laid the groundwork for there to be a decentralized neo-nazi movement in the United States, the kind of which we see today. So it laid the epistemological foundation for it because before there had been a single party, a single organization with chapters. Now there were all these separate groups that had different relationships with them and that could pursue different strategies. And they did pursue different strategies. So the first big split was in 1970 when William Pierce is kicked out. This takes a little while for the real splintering to happen. So the first group I'll talk about is the National Socialist Liberation Front because their influence can be felt today on the alt-right, on the terrorist wing of the neo-nazis today. It was originally the name was used in the late 60s as a college student group that William Pierce actually ran that was associated with the party. They were trying to take off the energy of the New Left. You know, there were a lot of liberation fronts was a popular name for armed new left groups. This was an attempt to recruit college students. It only got one good organizer which we can talk about later which was David Duke. It was never an independent entity. The name was revived in 1974 when, probably the best organizer in the United States, Joseph Tommasi, who was based in Los Angeles, was suspended by the party, and he founded his own group. They used the NSLF name. Mike: Can you talk about why he was suspended? Spencer: He was– There's a lot of discussion about this. Accusations that he was– Some of it was cultural clashes within the nazis. He was pulling off the counterculture. He had long hair. They didn't like to dress in uniform. They wore like fatigues and stuff. He was accused of bringing his girlfriends over to the party headquarters. Koehl was making all of the party members (They had bought their own headquarters. This was a time they still had physical headquarters was an emphasis.) sell their headquarters. They made all the chapters sell their headquarters buildings and give the proceeds to Koehl which angered a lot of people and caused a lot of these splits because the people themselves had bought them, and they just thought he was trying to enrich himself which he probably was. He was basically shutting the party down and making a cult around himself and taking all the money. But there was a very interesting– What probably really prompted it is– It's attached to the Watergate scandal. Someone in the C.R.E.E.P. (The group, the Nixon support group that got involved in Watergate, it was an acronym for them.) hired Tommasi's nazis to help get another far right, a little more moderate, party on the ballot in California to pull votes away from Republicans. This was the American Independent Party. It has a funny history. It comes out of the George Wallace campaigns earlier. Then later, I think Cliven Bundy from the Bundy ranch actually joined. Remnants of the party exist today and have attracted people from the militia movement. [Spencer's correction to this story: https://twitter.com/transform6789/status/1388206831630180362?s=19] Anyway, these nazis were hired by Republicans to get another far right party on the ballot to pull votes away in a certain election. I forget the details now. I'm sorry. The party– Koehl was angry that he had made this deal. This made the newspapers. It made the New York Times and stuff. This angered the party that he had done this without their permission. And they took money from it. So that may have been– A lot of more serious people think that was the actual reason for the initial suspension. And then there was a break when Tommasi formed his own group. The NSLF was important because they openly advocated armed resistance and bombings and such and did do a few of these, although rather moderate in Los Angeles. This was a break from the parent party which always stressed legality. While there had been violent currents in it, they were really kept kind of under the rug, and it was just a sort of wing of the party of certain people including William Pierce. And then Tommasi didn't last long, though. He was killed in a scuffle with members of the former party at his former headquarters. He accosted one and the guy had this kid, an 18-year-old, and he shot him. Tommasi again, another charismatic organizer, founded this group, but didn't last long. That group however did continue it had four different leaders and continued until 1986. James Mason, who we'll talk about later, joined that group after Tommasi's passing. Mike: Okay so that's the NSLF. What about the National Alliance? Spencer: The National Alliance is a group founded by William Pierce after he got kicked out of the NSWPP. He was flirting with Willis Carto, another major nazi leader who became, amongst other things, the main popularizer of Holocaust denial in America. They had a falling out. Carto had a falling out with everyone. Pierce founded– The group was originally the National Youth Alliance, then became the National Alliance. It was a membership based group. They tried to recruit professionals. Pierce had been an engineering professor out in Oregon before he joined the party. He was very articulate. He did not have the sort of crass approach, you know. He produced more sophisticated propaganda as well as sort of more interesting theoretical documents. So they continued. The remnants of the group exists today. They had up to a thousand members. They ended up having a huge group property out in West Virginia. It was the headquarters building. He lived there. He wrote a book in the 70s called The Turner Diaries which is a really badly written book. It's a fantasy novel about how some white supremacists will form a terrorist movement, and they will help promote a race war, through terrorism will promote a race war in America. And you know this will end up in the Day of the Rope where the white supremacists kill people of color and Jews and create a white ethnostate. It's a tremendously popular book around the world. It's sold up to a half a million copies. You can still get it today. It still inspires people today. So Pierce's group, they didn't do a lot of public actions especially till later in life.  Although, their probably biggest rally was in 2002. It was a supposedly pro-Palestine rally in Washington, D.C., that blamed Israel for 9/11, and hundreds of people came to it. They tended to shy away from this stuff. But it was the biggest group, and the most serious group, in the United States for many years. After Pierce died, of course they tried to continue the group and everyone broke up into squabbling. One of the main organizers who's come out of it who's still active today is Billy Roper who's part of the Shield Wall project in Arkansas. I think there's one chapter left. The headquarters of the party still exists. There's been a bunch of legal fights with everyone engaged in lawsuits and various other physical conflicts with each other, and the group has sort of degenerated. So that's the second one, that's the National Alliance. Mike: Okay, so let's talk about–you actually mentioned this on Twitter kind of the other day–the NSPA. Spencer: The NSPA actually was another one of the early splinters that left in 1970. Led by a fellow named Michael Collin. [The name is actually Frank Collin -Mike] They were based in Chicago. They had seen or taken part in Rockwell's popular organizing in Marquette Park in the 60s, and they didn't understand why the party wouldn't follow up with that. And that's what they wanted to do. Again, there was a fighting over the headquarters building. They split off formed their own group. A very small group until they started having rallies in Marquette Park that were still resisting desegregation and attracted community support. Basically, no one wanted to side with this white community that did not want Black people to move in, and they became their champions. And part of the– The thing here is that people in the neighborhood, there were a lot of like Ukrainian immigrants, people who had been from countries that were occupied by the Nazis, who were pro-Nazi. A lot of the areas the Nazis occupied people, you know what I mean, supported them. There were a lot of people, basically, with collaborationist backgrounds, and they didn't have a problem with this. And the nazis championed their cause. And they would hold large rallies in Marquette Park. Some of them attracted thousands of people. They became most famous for the Skokie incident which apparently is being forgotten today by younger people. but was known to everybody in the United States of a certain age. The Chicago city tried to stop them from having their Marquette rallies by putting a bunch of legal barriers. They had to have a huge insurance– Had to take insurance out to do it that was unaffordable. So to get around this they threatened a march in Skokie, Illinois, which was a largely Jewish suburb, wealthy suburb. A lot of Holocaust survivors lived there. Skokie resisted them through legal means. Eventually the case went to the Supreme Court. It was in the national news for like a year or so. It started in 1977. Went to the Supreme Court. The ACLU championed it. The ACLU had been defending nazis before this but this became what they're famous for. Their most famous case. The Supreme Court upheld that local cities could not put unreasonable blocks such as insurance requirements on political groups from marching including nazis. They couldn't stop them from using particular symbols or something. They attempted to ban that. So everyone knew there were neo-nazis in America. It also made the NSPA briefly the most important nazi group, neo-nazi group in America, because at this point there was all these splinter factions from the NSWPP and were all vying to be the most important group or to set up, or attract other groups to them, or to lead coalitions of them. There were different formulations of this. They all had, you know, weird relationships with each other as they were doing this. So the NSPA, because of this lawsuit and the attention it got, became the most popular of these groups, and certainly the most well known of these groups briefly. It eclipsed even the parent party for a while. So that was probably the high point of attention of neo-nazism in America in the 70s. Although, throughout the decade, nazis would consistently make the newspapers. They were a very small movement; had maybe a thousand people in the movement in the US. It became, unlike in the 60s, newspapers, the media started to really love them. So there's tons of coverage of various nazi splinter groups in the various cities for all of their actions. There's a documentary film called California Reich. You can watch it on YouTube. We'll talk about it in a minute. It's about a group in California and such. There was lots of stuff like that. These two things weren't outliers. Mike: Okay, so– Spencer: So Collin– Oh there's a funny ending to it. Collin and his people, they started running for alderman and like city council in Chicago. Some of them did quite well, got like 16% of the vote. But quickly the party started to wane in popularity. Collin's subordinates wanted to get rid of him, so they rifled through his desk and found child porn of him with young teenage boys. They turn him in to the police. He was arrested for child molestation. It also came out his father was a Jewish man who had been in a concentration camp. So there was some real deep stuff going on here. Even though he was a successful organizer, right, against the odds. He went to jail. He was replaced by Harold Covington. We can talk about Covington if we want. He's important in the Greensboro Massacre and then died only a few years ago. Remained an organizer. And then Covington was replaced by someone else and the party frittered away. But yeah, there was a real plot twist in that one after Skokie. Mike: Okay, do you want to talk about the NSWWP? Spencer: Sure, so this was a group– This was the California leader Allen Vincent. He, like everyone else, broke off of the parent party. Founded– He was important cause he was– He wasn't a charismatic organizer, but he could attract followers, and he really liked to get in street fights just as a person. He was a good, stable organizer unlike a lot of these people. Did a lot of crazy rallies in San Francisco. So of course there were fights at his events. At one point he opened a bookstore I believe in the Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco on the same block as a synagogue that a bunch of survivors went to. His bookstore was quickly burned down. He worked with James Mason. Worked with him for a while between 1978 and 1980. Was the editor of his paper The Stormer. Briefly, after the NSPA star faded, his group became a national group. This lasted a few years and it faded away like many of these other groups. So he was well known for the documentary California Reich was filmed about his group while it was still a chapter of the NSWPP before he broke away and became the NSWWP, just to totally confuse anybody about these acronyms. Mike: The National Socialist White– Spencer: White Workers Party. The original group is the National Socialist White People's Party. His group is the National Socialist White Workers Party. Although you might think they're more of an anticapitalist group from the parent party that wasn't true. He lived quite a while through the late 90s. He popped back up in the late 90s, met Jeff Shoep who at the time was running the National Socialist Movement, and became his mentor for a brief period of time. Then he passed away. Mike: Now let's talk about the groups that exist today or the various remnants of it today. So I was going to start with Don Black and Stormfront. Spencer: So Don Black was originally in the National Socialist Youth Movement. It was sort of part of the parent party for people who were under eighteen. There were all these names of these other groups, so people didn't– Their membership card didn't say American Nazi Party or NSWPP. You know he left like many other people. Many neo-nazis, almost all neo-nazis from the 70s were in the party at least at first. That was everybody's entre into this world. So he had been involved in the Dominica debacle. This was in 1981. A group of white supremacists were hired to invade the Caribbean island of Dominica and overthrow the government. They'd made a deal with the– The leader had been deposed and they were going to allow the white supremacists to keep a base there. They were turned in, of course, by somebody, and they all went to jail including Don Black. Later however, he founded Stormfront. It was an early– It wasn't the first at all, but it became the first very popular neo-nazi website. The important thing, it had all these forums where people could have discussions. And it was publicly available, so it was easy for reporters, especially, to go look at the discussions and be able to quote from them which became very important for its visibility. And this was the biggest neo-nazi or white nationalist website really until The Daily Stormer I believe in 2016-2017. So now it's a bit– If you look at it, it's clearly a web 1.0 website and looks a little old school. But it's still the main popular site throughout the 90s and the 00s. And it's still I think for people who are probably gen X and older who are white supremacists, it's still the place that they hang out at. So it had a very important place in the– You know, nazis and other white nationalists have always had a hard time because they were locked out–especially before social media in the last few years even–they were locked out of mainstream platforms. And they need to have alternative platforms. Nazis are actually early adopters to the bbs. The first Nazi or white supremacist bbs opened in 1983. It was actually founded by a former member of Hitler Youth that moved to the United States. And so they were very early adapters to this technology because it was a way for them to get around the media block out. I mean even if they printed newspapers, they couldn't sell them at newsstands. You know even these weird tankie communist sects could sell their newspapers at least some newsstands. Mike: Right. Okay so next up, I guess his story intersects with Don Black's story. We'll talk about occasional political candidate, former Klan leader, former NSLF member David Duke. Spencer: So Duke was a member of the original college student NSLF. He essentially took it over. He was at a party conference in the early 70s, and at this conference, they said NSLF will be– The group itself is changing its name to the White Student Alliance and Duke will be the leader. And this is interesting because it shows Duke's evolution from an outright neo-nazi– He went to school in Louisiana and would go do these free speech– There was a free speech zone, and he would go sell the NSLF newspaper and give neo-nazi speeches. It was a big– You know, he was very well known on campus for this and attracted a lot of attention. There's pictures of him in a Nazi uniform demonstrating against one of the lefty Jewish lawyers Kunstler who had gone to speak at his school. He had a sign that said “Gas the Chicago Seven” who was this left leaning, it was this left leaning political trial in the late 60s. So he took over this new group, and the group kept evolving. So it's originally the National Socialist Liberation Front; then it's the White Student Alliance; then it's the White Youth Alliance; and then it's the Nationalist Party. And then he forms a Ku Klux Klan group or joins one, it's a little vague, the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan. And this is important because it shows his evolution from a nazi to a kind of white nationalist youth organizer– to a white nationalist student organizer to a white nationalist youth organizer to just a white nationalist organizer. So each time the pool is rippling out, and he's trying to find the right formula that attracts the most people, from very niche to much broader. He becomes– So he forms this newfangled Klan group that doesn't wear hoods, and he's very good with media. This was sort of a new thing to have somebody appear in media who was dressed nice and could talk well, wasn't trying to– You know, Rockwell had waved swastikas in people's faces and was trying to infuriate them, and Duke was doing exactly the opposite. Became very successful. Was very young. He was still in his twenties. He was running one of the more successful Klan groups. One of the things he's remembered for today, he started a Klan Border Watch on the California border to attempt to patrol for illegal immigrants. There he was working with Tom Metzger who later became popular for other things as well as Louis Beam. These were two white supremacist leaders in the 80's who promoted armed struggle. Were the most militant leaders. Started out in Duke's Klan. And as well as Don Black. And I believe Duke married Black's ex-wife. They were all entangled in these ways. So after the Klan stuff he starts running for office in Louisiana and does quite well. And at one point is elected state representative in Louisiana in 1989. This is sort of the high point of the wave of conservatism that goes along with Reagan's reign of power from 1980 to 88, which continues with Bush I to 92. There becomes a revival of popular mainstream American racism. And sort of white flight that had started is very ensconced. There's all these racial conflicts in the late 80s and early 90s like Howard Beach and the Hasidic Jewish and Black riots in Crown Heights. So there's an incredible amount of violent racial tension in the country at the time, and so he's sort of taking advantage of this. He runs for other offices, does quite well, but can't get elected again. And then he's mostly well known for this, and it's the slow burn for the next few decades. He was at Charlottesville which was an interesting moment. To me, this was a sort of handing of the torch from from him to Richard Spencer as the mainstream white nationalist leader. That's how I saw what went on. Although, you know, they didn't actually rally at Charlottesville. The rally itself was dispersed by the police before it began. There was no speeches or ceremony which he could do this, although there was some speeches in a park later. Mike: Let's talk about the National Socialist Movement. Spencer: Yes. The NSM was yet another splinter party. It was formed in 1975 by people who again had come out of the NSWPP. Robert Brannan was its leader. They were sort of going in different directions at the same time. Some of the elements, which included James Mason as well as a guy named Greg Hurls, wanted a more pro-armed struggle line. They were very close to the NSLF. Brannan wanted a more sort of traditional thing, what was called the “uniform and demonstrate” which meant that they would get people in nazi uniforms and hold a rally in public and attract a lot of media attention. People would come and protest and that would just spur that. One of the things they did–they were based in Ohio, southern Ohio–they used to hold a “Free Rudolph Hess” rally I think for over a dozen years in Cincinnati. He was a Nazi leader. He had parachuted to Britain with the intent of creating a peace deal with the British in the early 40s I believe, and then remained imprisoned until his death. I think he committed suicide in the– I think he died in the late 80s early 90s. He lived a long time in Spandau Prison. So this group had some popularity in the early-mid 70s. There was of course splintering of this as Mason left it and went to work with Allen Vincent's group.  And it remained a tiny group with one or two units until the 90s when the then-leader, second leader Clifford Harrington, recruited a teenager named Jeff Shoep. Harrington wasn't a great organizer, but he did, unlike some people, understood there was a revival in neo-nazism in the 80s and 90s through the skinhead thing and wanted to recruit nazi skinheads. Got Shoep to take the party over for him, and then Shoep grew it into the leading neo-nazi party in the United States. It had dozens of chapters in the 00s in particular. I think around 2006 was its height which is a very unusual time for it to be successful. Partly they were pulling from the rest of the movement. The National Alliance collapsed, and other groups in the movement collapsed and they were able to sort of steal their local units and absorb them. But that group still exists today. They were at Charlottesville. They make the news. They just were in the news. There was a rally in Arizona. They're the main group, if you want a nazi group that's going to go and march in uniforms or use nazi symbols–instead of the old brownshirt uniforms, they use black uniforms–and put swastikas on a flag to get attention, that's the group that will do that. So they are on their fourth leader now, Burt Colucci I believe, who like many of them just got arrested. A number of the members have murdered people over the years. A lot of people who– They're sort of the least together group. Yeah they're the kind of group that if you have some sort of countercultural affiliation, if you're not interested in being a professional organizer that you might want to join, if you're a biker, if you're like a skinhead, and if its important for you to have a card saying you belong to a nazi party and you want to yell at people in public that you're a nazi and beat your chest about that and talk about how much you love Adolf Hitler, this is the group for you. It's not a sophisticated organizing project. Mike: Alright, so you have a book in the works about this next one. Let's talk about James Mason, Universal Order, and Siege. Spencer: So I've been working on this book for a while. One day it will be done. James Mason was a teenage member of the American Nazi Party in the 1960s although he never met Rockwell. His mentor in the party was William Pierce. So he met Pierce when he was I believe sixteen years old. Pierce let Mason, who was having a hard time at home, run away from home and stay with him at the party headquarters. Taught him how to– Or got him to learn how to use a printing press which was important before computers. A lot of groups would physically produce their own newspapers themselves with their own printing presses. This helped him out since it was very difficult for nazis to find a printer that would print their publications. So he was in the American Nazi Party. He was in it as it became the NSWPP. He hung around for a while and didn't leave until later. But then he ended up starting to join these other splinter groups while staying in the party. He left in 76. By that time he had already helped form the NSM, and he had also joined secretly the NSLF. This was after Tommasi died, so under the second leader. And he was a supporter of the National Alliance. So at one point, he's a super insider who's like a member of four different neo-nazi parties. And he's always wrangling in the mid 70s as the different groups try to create– try to become the lead group or create an alliance of different groups to overtake the NSWPP. What unites them is that they all hate Koehl who's that leader. They can't do it, as I said before. The NSPA become the leader for a moment because of the Skokie incident. Mason fought with everyone. He did this thing you see from some activists who are sort of sectarian, is they get more and more theoretically specific and crankier and crankier; they fall out with more and more people until they run a project that's really just them and whoever is helping them directly. So he has a falling out with the NSM, and he joins Allen Vincent's group. Runs his newspaper, but he doesn't really like Vincent because he's not radical enough. Mason is deciding more and more that it's hopeless to do public organizing. He comes up with some very strange ideas, not just that nazis should engage in guerilla warfare, but at the time there starts to be these nazi serial killers. Nazis start doing these multiple murders, like Joseph Paul Franklin are serial killers. He killed up to 22 people. He was another former NSWPP member. Roved around he country as a sniper killing mixed race and other couples– Mixed race couples and others, Black people, Jews. And other people just start butchering people, either just doing these random murders or doing workplace massacres. One of the first of them was in New Rochelle by Fred Cowan in New Rochelle, New York. It's just north of New York City in 1977. And there's a lot of serial killers at this time. It's the height for serial killers in America. And so Mason comes up with this theory that not just is guerilla warfare good but these racially based murders are good by nazis and by others. And that the nazis can use them as an attempt to destabilize the system–he starts calling it the system–because nazis can never work through legal means to build a party that will be able to take over the system. He's like every time we try to do this, we get shut down. We either get shut down in the streets, or the courts shut us down, or just shut out of the media. That had been Rockwell's strategy was to attract media attention and build an organization. He's like, “We can't do any of that. We really don't need organization. We need mass chaos to disrupt the system, and only after the system is disrupted will nazis have a chance to take power. He eventually later on starts to praise armed radical left and Black nationalist groups who are coming into conflict with the system, which he doesn't in the 70s but he starts doing it in the 80s. So he has a falling out with Vincent. The NSLF, this is revived under its third leader in 1980, becomes public again. It had actually been absorbed into Allen Vincent's group and then it comes back out as a separate group. He restarts Siege. It's originally the NSLF newspaper. It's sort of their theoretical paper. But it's just him running it, and he's developing these ideas about how murder can be used to forward the nazi cause. Then he comes into contact with Charles Manson. Starts to promote that Manson should be the new nazi guru, just like George Lincoln Rockwell had been, just like Adolf Hitler had been. Portrays him as this spiritual racist figure. Manson had carved a swastika in his head in prison and was sympathetic. He mentions– A lot of people don't know he was extremely racist and antisemitic. This creates yet another tiff between James Mason and the people he's working with. The leader of the party at that point, the fourth leader Karl Hand, who by the way is a big fan of yours. Can I tell a story on your podcast? Mike: Yeah. Spencer: So do you know about the interest of Karl Hand in you? Mike: No. Spencer: Oh you don't? So I actually wrote– As part of this book, I'm writing people who were involved in this movement. And Karl Hand lives upstate, runs a party called the Racial Nationalist Party of America, and he was based for a long time in upstate New York. He is obsessed with you, Mike. After your appearance on Tucker Carlson, he wanted to have a fight with you. Like some sort of, go into a boxing ring, and have a fight. He's an older man now, he's in his 70s. And so I wrote him, and he sent back a whole packet of literature and it included a flier about you with a description of his attempts to contact you and arrange a fist fight with you. Mike: Huh… Spencer:  So you have a fan. You have a fan. I think he said he wrote to the school you were teaching at. Anyways you have a fan in this generation of neo-nazis. And so, anyway, Hand and Mason had a falling out. In what must have been unique in the anals of– the annals? I don't know. You can see I read a lot and don't know how to say certain words. In the history of American neo-nazism, they had an amicable split. Hand actually gave Mason some money to continue Siege. So after 1982 until 1986 Siege is just run by James Mason. It's a very small. It's like a newsletter. He printed it himself. It was six pages long. There was almost no graphics in it. It had a sort of red– It doesn't– Although Mason was a talented graphic designer, I think, it was very plain. It was mostly text. It had a red banner that was it. He ran it off on his own mimeograph machine. Made like 75 copies of it. So this small newsletter that was running 75 copies will become quite influential in retrospect. He ran this till 1986. After the split with the NSLF in 1982, Mason started saying it was published by the Universal Order which directly said that Charles Manson was their spiritual leader. Although, he didn't talk about Manson that much. He never describes what Manson's supposed to do other than, they're not just a neo-nazi group. It's neo-nazism and more. It was a kind of really spiritual national socialism. Although, he's never specific about what that means. But he clearly has been enchanted by Charles Manson and essentially become a follower of him. So this sort of peters out. He becomes more and more cynical. He even gives up that these random murders are going to do anything. He doesn't think that the system will be able to be destabilized, but he does advocate–and this is what's influential today– He says, “Either you can drop out and wait through the apocalypse,” you know that's coming. He becomes convinced that the whole system is going to crumble. And this sort of pessimism is very popular in the 80s across the political spectrum. Partly driven by the Cold War and the survivalist movement. But he says, “You can hide out and wait for the end to come, and then live through it, and we'll have our chance. Or if you're going to go be a terrorist, do it with style. Do it in a way– Don't just kill somebody and be killed. Do it in a way that has panache, and that will inspire people, and that's done well. Plan it well. Don't just freak out and shoot somebody and be killed by the police.” And this philosophy is what becomes popular with Atomwaffen remnants and others today. Like these are your two options. I think it was called “Total attack or total drop out.” By 1986, he's pretty burned out, and that's the end of it. Basically in short order, his book becomes– His newsletters become found by people in the industrial music scene, by Boyd Rice, who's this industrial musician, who's still alive today, and that denies all of this stuff that happened. He recruits several other people. He's in contact with Adam Parfrey, who founded Feral House Press which is still around today; [Michael] Moynihan, who was an industrial and then neo-folk musician; and Nicholas Schreck, a Satanist who's married to Anton LaVey's daughter Zeena. They all work to promote James Mason. They start publishing him in various things. Moynihan takes the newsletters and turns them into a book.which he publishes. It's an anthology of the newsletters. He publishes them himself called Siege in 1993. It becomes a cult classic. It's promoted by this network of people. Basically it's part of the punk rock and assorted underground music and cultural scene, there was a real right wing edge to it, part of which is a predecessor to the alt-right. People like Jim Goad who was the direct inspiration for people like Gavin McInnes of the Proud Boys. There's a lot of nazi imagery circulating, so actual nazis can function in the scene, and it's never clear who's using nazi imagery ironically, or with some interest in nazism but they're not an actual nazi, and who's an actual nazi. It's very unclear, and in this confusion, they can hide, circulate their things, and get some attention. And they do get attention with this book. It gets– There are interviews and it's covered in the alternative weekly newspapers, which were very popular at the time since the internet wasn't what it is now, many which had circulation in tens of thousands in different cities. So they were able to use this network to popularize James Mason's ideas. The book goes out of print. Gets reprinted in 2003 by a fellow in Montana. And he keeps it in circulation, and then it gets picked up with the alt-right, with the Iron March platform which is a discussion board that all these contemporary terrorists, alt-right terrorist groups, neo-nazi terrorist groups come out of, Atomwaffen and others come out of. And they reprint the book yet again. It continues to be circulated as a pro-terrorism cult classic. Mike: So do you think there are any other individuals or groups worth mentioning? Spencer: There are like scattered ones. There's a guy named Rocky Suhayda, I believe is his name who runs a group called the American Nazi Party. It used to get a lot of attention because he was good at using social media and various internet media. So people could always quote him and say the American Nazi Party says X or Y. Although, he was just a random NSWPP member. Art Jones came out of the party while he was in Chicago, and he's a sort of perennial candidate there. But in 2016, the Republicans failed to run someone against him in the primary. It was in a heavily Democratic district. And so in lieu of that he became the Republican candidate for– I forget what it was, US rep or something. And he's a nazi, a Holocaust denier. And so this was all in the news, you know “How is a Holocaust denier the Republican candidate?” This had been– This was a strategy that Nazis developed in the 70s. They would run for offices. Until the late 70s, it was a much more kind of benign movement in a way, not ideologically, but in their tactics, they had not moved into this murderous terrorism phase until a little later on. And so he continues that kind of– It's actually a toolbox of tactics that go back into the 60s: doing things that are kind of publicity stunts to get attention, one of which is running for office. So briefly Jones got in the press. He was in the press again. He tried to run again in 2020, but the Republicans finally like, they put somebody up. I mean, this is the problem, parties have limited resources. If you're putting someone up just to defeat somebody else in the primary even though you know you won't win in the general, that's a waste of your resources. It shows how nazis and other white supremacists can sort of drain resources from the mainstream in an attempt to just not let them get a foothold in the various places that they're trying to– In the various little cracks they're trying to stick their fingers in. Mike: And you mentioned Harold Covington. Do you want to talk about him too? Spencer: Sure. Covington died a couple years ago but had some influence even on the alt-right. He was again a member of the NSWPP. He had taken over the NSPA from Collin after he'd gotten Collin arrested for being a child molester and exposed him as of Jewish descent. Ran that party for a bit. He was also– Some members of his party–he was in North Carolina–took part in the Greensboro massacre in 1979 where a joint group of nazis and Klansmen had killed communists who unwisely held a “Death to the Klan” march but were not prepared for what they had prodded. He ran for attorney general around the same time in North Carolina, state attorney general, and got 40% of the vote. There are a few other instances like this where neo-nazis were able to get a huge amount of votes around this time period. This is around the period where Duke's– Well Duke's elected later, I guess. So he goes to this– He does all this crazy stuff. He goes to Africa to fight in Rhodesia. He was this contentious fellow. Had falling outs with everyone. Moves to the Pacific Northwest, and becomes the last of this old guard of people who are advocating the states in the Pacific Northwest, which are overwhelmingly white, break off from the rest of the country and form a white ethnostate. His last group was called the Northwest Front which I believe still exists today. And they would both advocate this idea, try to get involved in the various– There's a regionalist/independence movement called Cascadia that wants to break some of that area off, but it wants a kind of lefty leaning, ecological state or regionalist entity, and so he tried to give that a specifically racist cast. So this created, again, a lot of these groups in the Cascadian movement, whatever you think about it (There's a lot of kooks.) they had to move and take their resources just to fight the white nationalists within their ranks, to make sure the white na– Because it was popular. You go to Portland; you see people with Cascadian flags on their porches and stuff. There's a sort of intuitive popularity for it there. So they then had to redirect resources to fight against these people, to show that they weren't racist. It might have been good in a way because it forces groups to commit to an anti-racist stance. The presence of white nationalists sometimes does shape up these majority groups to affirm anti-racism. So maybe there is a silver lining to that. Mike: Dr. Sunshine, thank you again for coming on The Nazi Lies Podcast. You can keep up to date with Dr. Sunshine's writings through his newsletter the Sonnenschein Update which you can find on his website. And you can donate to his Patreon. It's also on his website, spencersunshine.com. This has been real fun. Hope we can have you back again for a book release. Spencer: Yeah, it was great chatting with you as always, Mike. [Theme song]

In this guest episode, author and podcaster Alison Treat interviews Leslie K Barry about her book Newark Minutemen. Note that this is a re-pod from Alison's excellent podcast Historical Fiction: Unpacked. In this interview, author Leslie K. Barry talks Newark Minutemen, and its historical 1938 setting, including the little known history behind the book around a shadow Nazi party called the German-American Bund led by an American Fuhrer and inspired by Leslie's own uncle's role in fighting this party. More on Newark Minutemen can be found at the book's website and Facebook page. Leslie K Barry's Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20201224.Leslie_K_Barry Find out more about Alison Treat at her website: http://alisontreat.com Watch another interview with Leslie about the book conducted by her sister here: https://youtu.be/K96g5GXBNT4

THE REICH MUTINY by William Reynolds The Reich Mutiny tells a passionate love story, contains new Holocaust historical perspective, and moves like a torrent to an ending of unassailable psychological power. The Reich Mutiny is possibly the best war book of its kind. Told with the force of historical authority, with characters impossible to forget, The Reich Mutiny breaks new ground regarding the Second World War. Tommy Maxwell is a disenfranchised American teacher. A pacifist resisting American involvement in the war, Maxwell joins the German American Bund in New York, an act that leads him to train as a Reich saboteur. Taken to Germany for training aboard a U-boat, Maxwell soon becomes enlightened as to the malignant nature of Nazism. After witnessing a German war atrocity at sea, Maxwell’s eventual participation in a mutiny and slaughter aboard U-186 forces him underground inside the United States as he tries to evade a pitiless SS assassin. The Reich Mutiny is based on a factual account of a previously undisclosed incident aboard a German U-boat off the coast of Florida in 1942. William (Steve) Reynolds was born in Nashville, TN in 1951 A graduate of The McCallie School in 1969, he received a B.A in English from Western Kentucky University in 1995. He taught both high school and college English, and has coached tennis and wrestling in area high schools for the last twenty years. Mr. Reynolds currently resides in Nashville. http://www.williamreynoldsbooks.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Reich-Mutiny-Reynolds-William/dp/1457566877/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1610414170&sr=1-2 http://www.bluefunkbroadcasting.com/root/twia/willreynolds.mp3

In honor of Passover, I'm highlighting a piece of Jewish American history today by sharing my conversation with bestselling author and screenplay writer Leslie K. Barry. Leslie's novel, Newark Minutemen, released last fall. It's set in 1938. Here's the description: Millions are out of work and robbed of dignity. A shadow Hitler-Nazi party called the German-American Bund that is led by an American Fuhrer threatens to swallow democracy. In this dangerous time of star-spangled fascism, a romance forms between the Jewish boxer, Yael and the daughter of the enemy, Krista. But 1930s America pulls them apart as Krista’s people want Yael’s dead. Then Yael is recruited by the mob to go undercover for the FBI against her people and bring down the German-American Bund. Author Leslie K. Barry captures an authentic and brave portrait of a lost America searching for identity, preserving legacy and saving its soul. It is a heartbreaking novel that crosses generations as it honors the fragility of freedom. In a few years, you'll be able to watch the movie as well! Listen to our conversation to hear Leslie describe how this story was inspired by her own family legacy. Purchase Newark Minutemen on Amazon (affiliate).  Purchase Newark Minutemen on Bookshop (affiliate). Check out the Newark Minutemen website and Facebook page.  Also mentioned:  The Plot Against America Series (affiliate).   Wunderlich's Salute by Marvin Miller (affiliate). Listen to the song "Fire in our Hearts" by Leslie's daughter Shaya on YouTube or SoundCloud. Join the Historical Fiction: Unpacked Podcast Group on Facebook! Be sure to visit my Instagram, Facebook, and website. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click them and make a purchase, you help support my work without paying any more for the product. Thank you for your support!

Long Island historian Chris Verga's latest book looks at Nassau and Suffolk counties during some of the most pivotal years of the 20th century: World War II. On today's episode, we talk to Chris about life during that time and the role Long Island played in the war effort. You'll hear about Grumman, Republic, and the vital work of the region's aviation industry. We also discuss the activities of the German American Bund on the island and the experiences of German prisoners of war in the community. LIRTVHS has made its own study of this era with the Long Island Home Front oral history project, collecting the stories and experiences of everyday life during wartime. Links World War II Long Island: The Home Front in Nassau and Suffolk by Chris Verga (va Amazon) @chrisv1081 Chris Verga on Twitter The Long Island Home Front oral histories Recommend someone for an interview Bayles Local History Room (Longwood Public Library)

On July 11, 1864, Lt. General Jubal Early, leading the Second Corp of the Army of Northern Virginia on a desperate raid aimed Washington D.C., sighted the dome of the U.S. Capitol. That raid failed, along with the last best chance for a Confederate flag to fly inside the walls of the Capitol for the next 156 years. That is until January 6, 2021. That flag, along with any number of other stomach-turning symbols on display that day, is a hard reminder that fascism is still alive and well in these United States. This isn’t our first go-round with lunatic fringe “patriots” who believe the only way to save our democratic republic is to destroy it. We are just as susceptible to demagogues with all the “right” answers to complex problems as anyone else. All one has to do is read a little history. And here’s a little tidbit from February 20, 1939. On that day, the German-American Bund, the American version of the Nazi Party, held a rally in a most American place, Madison Square Garden, with 20

Episode 100: On February 20th, 1939, twenty thousand American Nazis held a rally in Madison Square Garden, declaring George Washington as the “first fascist.” How did Nazi movements come to thrive in the United States, and what were the social and historical conditions that paved the way for their success?Hidden History Patreon: LinkSources and Further ReadingHitler's American Model: The United States and the Making of Nazi Race Law: LinkNazi action T4 euthanasia programme: historical research, individual life stories and the culture of remembrance: LinkThe Nazi Connection: Eugenics, American Racism, and German National Socialism: LinkThe Horrifying American Roots of Nazi Eugenics: LinkLegalizing Hate: The Significance of the Nuremburg Laws and the post-War Nuremburg Trials: LinkHenry Ford and "The International Jew": LinkHenry Ford and the Jews : The Mass Production of Hate: LinkAnti-Semitism and American History: LinkCannistraro, Philip V. Blackshirts in Little Italy: Italian Americans and Fascism, 1921-1929. Vol. 17. Bordighera Incorporated, 1999.Wolf, Cameron. "Fritz Kuhn's Nazi America: Kuhn's Growth and Destruction of the German American Bund in the 1930s." PhD diss., Department of History, University of Kansas, 2019.Post-War Further ReadingVeil of Protection: Operation Paperclip and the Contrasting Fates of Wernher von Braun and Arthur Rudolph: LinkAmerican Fuehrer: George Lincoln Rockwell and the American Nazi Party: LinkThe dialectics of historical fantasy: The ideology of George Lincoln Rockwell: LinkDr. Space: The Life of Wernher von Braun: LinkBecoming a Racist: Women in Contemporary Ku Klux Klan and Neo-Nazi Groups: LinkThe Beast Reawakens: Fascism's Resurgence from Hitler's Spymasters to Today’s Neo-Nazi Groups and Right Wing Extremists: LinkReichsrock: The International Web of White-Power and Neo-Nazi Hate Music: Link

With Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 8 we get some of the creepiest elements so far this season. Weird children, dream manipulation, fiery deaths and a Tommy gun shoot out are added to our usual blend of real life horrors for a great episode of the show. Directed by: Sheree Folkson Written by: Tatiana Suarez-Pico Showrunner/Created by: John Logan Penny Dreadful "Hide and Seek" Cast Magda/Elsa/Alex/Rio played by Natalie DormerSantiago (Tiago) Vega played by Daniel ZovattoDoctor Peter Craft played by Rory KinnearMaria Vega played by Adriana BarrazaCouncilman Charles Townsend played by Michael GladisDetective Lewis Michner played by Nathan LaneCouncilwoman Beck played by Christine EstabrookMateo Vega played by Johnathan NievesDiego Lopez played by Adan RochaJosephina Vega played by Jessica GarzaSister Molly played by Kerry BishéFly Rico played by Sebastian ChaconMiss Adelaide played by Amy MadiganKurt played by Dominic SherwoodFrank played by Santino BarnardTom Craft played by Julian HilliardTrevor Craft played by Hudson WestGuest starring Patti LuPone as club singer Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 8 Summary Lewis confronts Townsend in his office and Tiago questions Adelaide, where he discovers Josefina is now a member of the Sister Molly's congregation. Rio implores Mateo to forget his old family and embrace her and the Pachucos. Peter visits Linda at the asylum, only to find her ready for war. Townsend and Kurt go on a dangerous outing, while Peter Craft argues with members of the German-American Bund. In the Craft home, Frank terrorizes Tom and Trevor as Maria fights to protect them from the demonic child. Join us for our Penny Dreadful Pub Quiz We've added our question for Episode 8 to our list of questions for the Pub Quiz. You can find them all here https://www.tvpodcastindustries.com/penny-dreadful-pub-quiz/ Made Possible with Patreon This series of Penny Dreadful is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. You can follow and support us here: https://www.patreon.com/tvpodcastindustries The music for our Penny Dreadful City of Angels Dreadful podcast is an edited version of "Latina" from Hicham Chahidi and is used under Creative Commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Next Week on Penny Dreadful City of Angles Episode 9 "Sing, Sing, Sing". We hope you'll join us again for next week's podcast. Here's the trailer for City of Angels Episode 9 https://youtu.be/qT87xnkPnyg

With Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 8 we get some of the creepiest elements so far this season. Weird children, dream manipulation, fiery deaths and a Tommy gun shoot out are added to our usual blend of real life horrors for a great episode of the show. Directed by: Sheree Folkson Written by: Tatiana Suarez-Pico Showrunner/Created by: John Logan Penny Dreadful "Hide and Seek" Cast Magda/Elsa/Alex/Rio played by Natalie DormerSantiago (Tiago) Vega played by Daniel ZovattoDoctor Peter Craft played by Rory KinnearMaria Vega played by Adriana BarrazaCouncilman Charles Townsend played by Michael GladisDetective Lewis Michner played by Nathan LaneCouncilwoman Beck played by Christine EstabrookMateo Vega played by Johnathan NievesDiego Lopez played by Adan RochaJosephina Vega played by Jessica GarzaSister Molly played by Kerry BishéFly Rico played by Sebastian ChaconMiss Adelaide played by Amy MadiganKurt played by Dominic SherwoodFrank played by Santino BarnardTom Craft played by Julian HilliardTrevor Craft played by Hudson WestGuest starring Patti LuPone as club singer Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 8 Summary Lewis confronts Townsend in his office and Tiago questions Adelaide, where he discovers Josefina is now a member of the Sister Molly's congregation. Rio implores Mateo to forget his old family and embrace her and the Pachucos. Peter visits Linda at the asylum, only to find her ready for war. Townsend and Kurt go on a dangerous outing, while Peter Craft argues with members of the German-American Bund. In the Craft home, Frank terrorizes Tom and Trevor as Maria fights to protect them from the demonic child. Join us for our Penny Dreadful Pub Quiz We've added our question for Episode 8 to our list of questions for the Pub Quiz. You can find them all here https://www.tvpodcastindustries.com/penny-dreadful-pub-quiz/ Made Possible with Patreon This series of Penny Dreadful is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. You can follow and support us here: https://www.patreon.com/tvpodcastindustries The music for our Penny Dreadful City of Angels Dreadful podcast is an edited version of "Latina" from Hicham Chahidi and is used under Creative Commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Next Week on Penny Dreadful City of Angles Episode 9 "Sing, Sing, Sing". We hope you'll join us again for next week's podcast. Here's the trailer for City of Angels Episode 9 https://youtu.be/qT87xnkPnyg

Steve Bassett was born, raised and educated in New Jersey, and, although far removed during a career as a multiple award-winning journalist, he has always been proud of the sobriquet, Jersey Guy. He has written for several publications, including the Pulitzer Prize winning Salt Lake Tribune. He’s worked for the Associated Press, where his exposés gained national recognition, and CBS television news in Los Angeles, earning three Emmy Awards for his investigative documentaries. His book, “Golden Ghetto: How the Americans and French Fell In and Out of Love During the Cold War,” was published in 2013. “Father Divine’s Bikes,” Book One in his Passaic River Trilogy was published in 2018. “Payback: Tales of Love, Hate and Revenge,” is the second novel in the trilogy continuing the historical noir crime drama surrounding Newark, NJ in the post WWII era. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION: - About “Payback – Tales of Love, Hate, and Revenge” and the Inspiration Behind the Story - The German-American Bund and the Minutemen - Redlining then and now – and other parallels in the story to current events - Personal Interest – on owning a 600 year-old property in Central France and the differences between French and American Culture Payback – Tales of Love, Hate and Revenge, the second book of the Passaic River Trilogy, is a drama so intense that it would be improbable anywhere but 1946 Newark. Across the country millions were dealing with the loss of loved ones, and horrible memories were being buried for the greater good. But not in Newark. Two mutilated bodies were pulled from the putrid Passaic River, and the sawed-off arm of a third man was found neatly wrapped and tied at the city dump. The three victims were members of the German-American Bund, Hitler lovers who had to pay the price for supporting a murderous madman. Someone was sending a message that only revenge could clear the mind and free the soul. CONNECT WITH STEVE BASSETT! Website: https://stevebassettworld.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevebassettworld/ Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/SteveBassett19 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevebassettauthor

A new volume begins with Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 1. The supernatural influence on LA in 1938 is felt on all sides of the city and Santa Muerte is collecting the souls. Directed by: Paco Cabezas Written by: John Logan Showrunner/Created by: John Logan https://open.spotify.com/episode/3u62VMrWa0P4KBBxEYmIbP Penny Dreadful "Santa Muerte" Cast Magda/Elsa/Alex played by Natalie DormerSantiago (Tiago) Vega played by Daniel ZovattoDoctor Peter Craft played by Rory KinnearMaria Vega played by Adriana BarrazaCouncilman Charles Townsend played by Michael GladisDetective Lewis Michner played by Nathan LaneSanta Muerte played by Lorenza IzzoLinda Craft played by Piper PeraboRaul Vega played by Adam RodriguezNed Vanderhoff played by Brent SpinerMateo Vega played by Johnathan NievesJosephina Vega played by Jessica Garza Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 1 Summary Los Angeles, 1938. LAPD detective Tiago Vega and his partner, Lewis Michener, investigate a murder. While at City Hall, Tiago's activist brother Raul Vega battles with the fiery Councilman Charlton Townsend over the construction of California's first freeway. Meanwhile, Peter Craft, the head of the German-American Bund, meets Elsa, the mysterious mother of one of his patients. Sensing danger, Tiago's mother Maria pleads with Santa Muerte to protect her family as the rising tensions in the city threaten to explode. Made Possible with Patreon This retrospective series of Penny Dreadful is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. All of our rewatch episodes will be available first on Patreon if you donate any amount to support the podcast. You can follow and support us here: https://www.patreon.com/tvpodcastindustries The music for our Penny Dreadful City of Angels Dreadful podcast is an edited version of "Latina" from Hicham Chahidi and is used under Creative Commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Next Week Penny Dreadful City of Angles Episode 2 "Dead People Lie Down" airs on Showtime. We hope you'll just us for our weekly podcast next time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeSTgGbEYdU&fbclid=IwAR0v0UQBRvxDGydLO0btBMJTBD7jRGZ7VlKHWUhpwasIrUuX7YbAVCBc6zo

A new volume begins with Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 1. The supernatural influence on LA in 1938 is felt on all sides of the city and Santa Muerte is collecting the souls. Directed by: Paco Cabezas Written by: John Logan Showrunner/Created by: John Logan https://open.spotify.com/episode/3u62VMrWa0P4KBBxEYmIbP Penny Dreadful "Santa Muerte" Cast Magda/Elsa/Alex played by Natalie DormerSantiago (Tiago) Vega played by Daniel ZovattoDoctor Peter Craft played by Rory KinnearMaria Vega played by Adriana BarrazaCouncilman Charles Townsend played by Michael GladisDetective Lewis Michner played by Nathan LaneSanta Muerte played by Lorenza IzzoLinda Craft played by Piper PeraboRaul Vega played by Adam RodriguezNed Vanderhoff played by Brent SpinerMateo Vega played by Johnathan NievesJosephina Vega played by Jessica Garza Penny Dreadful City of Angels Episode 1 Summary Los Angeles, 1938. LAPD detective Tiago Vega and his partner, Lewis Michener, investigate a murder. While at City Hall, Tiago's activist brother Raul Vega battles with the fiery Councilman Charlton Townsend over the construction of California's first freeway. Meanwhile, Peter Craft, the head of the German-American Bund, meets Elsa, the mysterious mother of one of his patients. Sensing danger, Tiago's mother Maria pleads with Santa Muerte to protect her family as the rising tensions in the city threaten to explode. Made Possible with Patreon This retrospective series of Penny Dreadful is made possible by our supporters on Patreon. All of our rewatch episodes will be available first on Patreon if you donate any amount to support the podcast. You can follow and support us here: https://www.patreon.com/tvpodcastindustries The music for our Penny Dreadful City of Angels Dreadful podcast is an edited version of "Latina" from Hicham Chahidi and is used under Creative Commons licence https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/legalcode Next Week Penny Dreadful City of Angles Episode 2 "Dead People Lie Down" airs on Showtime. We hope you'll just us for our weekly podcast next time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeSTgGbEYdU&fbclid=IwAR0v0UQBRvxDGydLO0btBMJTBD7jRGZ7VlKHWUhpwasIrUuX7YbAVCBc6zo

Steve and Bucky travel around and protect a Hawaiin harbor, free a prisoner of war, rally kids to spy on the German American Bund and more!

This week at In The Past Lane, the American History podcast, we learn about the February 20, 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was organized by a pro-Nazi, pro-fascist organization called the German American Bund and it drew a capacity crowd of 20,000. The event fused professions of American patriotism with vile antisemitism and pro-Nazi sentiment. But the Bund’s rally did not go unchallenged. As many as 100,000 anti-Nazis filled the streets around MSG to register their outrage. The negative publicity caused the Bund to lose members. Then six months later World War II started and the Bund was on its way into the dustbin of history.   And we also take a look at some key events that occurred this week in US history, like John Glenn’s history making orbit of the earth, the assassination of Malcolm X, and the publication of The Feminine Mystique. And birthdays, including February 17, 1942: Huey Newton February 21, 1936: Congressman Barbara Jordan February 22, 1732: George Washington Feature story:  On February 20, 1939 – 81 years ago this week – 20,000 people gathered in New York City‘s Madison Square Garden for what was billed as a “Pro American Rally.“ Upon entering the stadium, attendees saw a 30-foot tall banner featuring the image of George Washington. Red, white, and blue American flags were everywhere and the festivities began with a rousing rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” But this was no ordinary political gathering. Indeed, interspersed among all the symbols of American patriotism were swastikas, Nazi uniforms, and banners that read: Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans. It was 1939, six months before the start of World War II, and 20,000 American Nazis had come together to praise Hitler, pledge loyalty to America, and denounce Jews as a threat to white Christian America. It was one of the most flagrant and vile displays of anti-Semitism in U.S. history. The group behind the rally was the German American Bund – bund being the German word for federation. This German American organization had been founded in 1936 by a man named Fritz Kuhn. It wrapped its pro-fascist, pro-Nazi, anti-Semitism in the mantle of American patriotism. They presented themselves as defenders of America from subversive communists and Jews who were plotting to undermine American values and Christianity. The Bund held summer camps for families, published pamphlets and magazines, and held high profile public events like parades and rallies. Within a few years, the organization boasted tens of thousands of members, and countless more supporters and sympathizers. But in 1939, as American opposition to Hitler and the Nazi regime grew, Bund membership began to decline. So, in an effort to boost its fortunes, the German American Bund booked a rally in the nation’s premier venue: Madison Square Garden. The Bund’s founder, Fritz Kuhn, knew the event would spark outrage and protest. But he didn’t care. Controversy was just what he wanted. It was free advertising and, he thought, it would surely bring more Americans to support Nazism and fascism. New York City officials were less than thrilled about the event. Nonetheless, they rebuffed calls to stop the rally. Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia reasoned that the negative publicity from the event would actually hurt the Bund’s popularity. So instead of cancelling the event, the city put 1500 policeman in and around Madison Square Garden on the night of the rally. The heavy police presence proved a wise move, as tens of thousands of anti-Nazi protesters showed up, many looking for a fight. Inside Madison Square Garden, the rally went off perfectly – just as Fritz Kuhn had planned. There was music and speeches, interspersed by frenzied cheering, emphatic Nazi salutes, and shouts of Heil Hitler! The grand finale was a speech by Fritz Kuhn himself. He denounced Jews and communists as menaces to America. He likewise denounced President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, referring to him repeatedly as "Franklin Rosenfeld," and his popular New Deal programs as the "Jew Deal." Roosevelt, of course, wasn’t Jewish, but fascists like Kuhn saw him as an agent of Jewish-inspired socialism. “We, with American ideals,” shouted Kuehne, “demand that our government shall be returned to the American people who founded it” - implying, of course, that Jews were in control of the country and that they were not then, and never could be, true Americans. He continued, “If you ask what we are actively fighting for under our charter: First, a socially just, white, Gentile-ruled United States. Second, Gentile-controlled labor unions, free from Jewish Moscow-directed domination.” The crowd roared in approval and thousands of arms shot fourth in the Nazi salute. But then, something extraordinary occurred. A Jewish American man named Isador Greenbaum jumped on stage to denounce Kuhn and his hateful movement. Policemen and Bund guards pounced on Greenbaum and pummeled him with their fists before dragging him off stage. Greenbaum’s newly suicidal act of protest didn’t stop the rally.  But it stands out as an incredibly courageous and selfless act in defense of America’s ideals of democracy, tolerance, and inclusion. For his troubles, Greenbaum was arrested and fined $25 for disorderly conduct. Several dozen more protesters outside were also arrested for scuffling with police and Nazis. The Bund’s membership declined rapidly as the American public became more and more aware of the evil actions of the Nazi regime and as a full-blown anti-Nazi movement took hold in the US. Fritz Kuhn was soon arrested for embezzlement of Bund funds and sent to prison. During World War II, he was stripped of his US citizenship, and following the war, deported to Germany. To most 21st-century Americans, this story of American Nazis is alarming and hard to believe. Photographs of Bund events are especially shocking. I’ll post a link in the show notes to a photo essay that appeared in The Atlantic that shows thousands of Americans in suburban New York and New Jersey giving the Nazi salute as a German American Bond parade goes by. This story of the 1939 Madison Square Garden rally and these photos reveal a dark truth about American history: that forms of fascism, authoritarianism, white supremacy, and anti-Semitism have long attracted large followings, even if they’ve remained out of sight. We all became aware of that in 2017 when thousands of neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville, Virginia. But this story also reveals a brighter side of American history: that brave Americans - like Isador Greenbaum and the thousands of anti-Nazi protesters who showed up outside Madison Square Garden – have always stood up in the face of injustice. If you want to know more about the 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden, I highly recommend an episode by the magnificent podcast, The Memory Palace. It’s titled, Episode 109: The Year Hank Greenberg Hit 58 Home Runs. I also recommend the 2017 documentary about the rally titled “A Night at the Garden.” I’ll put links in the show notes to both these things. Links: The Memory Palace - Episode 109: The Year Hank Greenberg Hit 58 Home Runs “A Night at the Garden” https://anightatthegarden.com/ “American Nazis in the 1930s—The German American Bund,” The Atlantic, June 5, 2017 For more information about the In The Past Lane podcast, head to our website, www.InThePastLane.com  Music for This Episode Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com) The Joy Drops, “Track 23,” Not Drunk (Free Music Archive) Borrtex, “Perception” (Free Music Archive) Blue Dot Sessions, "Pat Dog" (Free Music Archive) Jon Luc Hefferman, “Winter Trek” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive) Production Credits Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci Website by: ERI Design Legal services: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Social Media management: The Pony Express Risk Assessment: Little Big Horn Associates Growth strategies: 54 40 or Fight © In The Past Lane, 2020 Recommended History Podcasts Ben Franklin’s World with Liz Covart @LizCovart The Age of Jackson Podcast @AgeofJacksonPod Backstory podcast – the history behind today’s headlines @BackstoryRadio Past Present podcast with Nicole Hemmer, Neil J. Young, and Natalia Petrzela @PastPresentPod 99 Percent Invisible with Roman Mars @99piorg Slow Burn podcast about Watergate with @leoncrawl The Memory Palace – with Nate DiMeo, story teller extraordinaire @thememorypalace The Conspirators – creepy true crime stories from the American past @Conspiratorcast The History Chicks podcast @Thehistorychix My History Can Beat Up Your Politics @myhist Professor Buzzkill podcast – Prof B takes on myths about the past @buzzkillprof Footnoting History podcast @HistoryFootnote The History Author Show podcast @HistoryDean More Perfect podcast - the history of key US Supreme Court cases @Radiolab Revisionist History with Malcolm Gladwell @Gladwell Radio Diaries with Joe Richman @RadioDiaries DIG history podcast @dig_history The Story Behind – the hidden histories of everyday things @StoryBehindPod Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen – specifically its American Icons series @Studio360show Uncivil podcast – fascinating takes on the legacy of the Civil War in contemporary US @uncivilshow Stuff You Missed in History Class @MissedinHistory The Whiskey Rebellion – two historians discuss topics from today’s news @WhiskeyRebelPod American History Tellers ‏@ahtellers The Way of Improvement Leads Home with historian John Fea @JohnFea1 The Bowery Boys podcast – all things NYC history @BoweryBoys Ridiculous History @RidiculousHSW The Rogue Historian podcast with historian @MKeithHarris The Road To Now podcast @Road_To_Now Retropod with @mikerosenwald   © In The Past Lane 2020

Fritz Kuhn created and led the German American Bund, using Nazi symbology and methods to form his political party in the United States. On February 20, 1939, Kuhn and 22,000 Bund members held a Nazi rally in Madison Square Garden. Night At The Garden: https://anightatthegarden.com/ Support: https://www.patreon.com/americathebizarre Sources: “Total Espionage” by Curt Riess “The Pledge of Allegiance” an article on USHistory.org “When Nazis Filled Madison Square Garden” by Gordon F. Sander “Americans Hold a Nazi Rally in Madison Square Garden” an article on History.com “When Nazis Took Manhattan” by Sarah Kate Kramer “A Night At The Garden” Short Documentary by Marshall Curry “When the Bund Strutted in Yaphank” by Hugh O’Haire “Fritz Kuhn, Former Bund Chief, Ordered Back to Germany” an article in The Evening Indpendent “Swastika Nation” by Arnie Bernstein “The Night Thousands of Nazis Packed Madison Square Garden For A Rally – And Violence Erupted” by Diane Bernard “Recounting a day of rage, hate, violence and death” by Joe Heim

Normandy. Anzio. Guadalcanal. Okinawa. Those are some of the historic landing sites for World War II invasions, legendary names that should never be forgotten. But there were lesser landings, as well, such as at Amagansett, New York, and Ponte Verdra Beach, Florida. That's right. There were at least two mini-landings in America, engineered by Germans, of course, not Allies. In the midst of World War II, two German submarines actually put men ashore at both of those locations. The invaders did not arrive with the intent of seizing and occupying territory, however. Their mission was sabotage. Their targets were some of the crown jewels of America's industrial might: major hydroelectric plants, important aluminum factories, critical railroad tracks, bridges and canals–and the water supply system of New York City. Well-trained and well-supplied, the saboteurs had good reason to be confident, but in the end they failed utterly. How and why that happened is a fascinating tale, partly because of what it reveals about the character of the two warring nations. The story begins shortly after Adolf Hitler declared war on the United States, just four days after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. Eager to prove to the United States that it was vulnerable despite its distance from Europe, Hitler ordered a sabotage operation to be mounted against targets inside America. The task fell to the Abwehr (defense) section of the German Military Intelligence Corps. The job was right up the Abwehr's alley. It already had conducted extensive sabotage operations against the Reich‘s European enemies, developing all the necessary tools and techniques and establishing an elaborate sabotage school in the wooded German countryside near Brandenburg. Lieutenant Walter Kappe, 37, a pudgy, bull-necked man, was given command of the mission against America, which he dubbed Operation Pastorius, after an early German settler in America. Kappe was a longtime member of the Nazi party, and he also knew the United States very well, having lived there for 12 years. To find men suitable for his enterprise, Lieutenant Kappe scoured the records of the Ausland Institute, which had financed thousands of German expatriates' return from America. Kappe selected 12 whom he thought were energetic, capable and loyal to the German cause. Most were blue-collar workers, and all but two had long been members of the party. Four dropped out of the team almost immediately; the rest were organized into two teams of four. George John Dasch, the eldest at 39, was chosen to lead the first team. He was a glib talker with what Kappe thought were American mannerisms. Dasch had served in the German army during World War I, then emigrated to America, where he had worked as a waiter. When war broke out in September 1939, he impulsively went home. The second man in the first team was Ernest Peter Burger, a stocky, intelligent man with slick black hair. Burger had been a Nazi almost as long as Hitler himself, playing an active role in the 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch–Hitler's abortive initial attempt to gain power. In 1927, Burger fled Germany for the United States to escape criminal charges for brawling. He stayed until 1933, working as a machinist in Detroit and Milwaukee, joining the National Guard, studying English and even becoming an American citizen. When Hitler came to power, however, Burger headed home, rejoined the Nazi Party and became aide-de-camp to Ernst Röhm, chief of the Nazi storm troopers. He escaped Hitler's bloody purge of that organization and went to college, but he soon got into trouble by writing a report critical of the Gestapo. He was arrested, jailed for 17 months, then released into the infantry. Heinrich Heinck and Richard Quirin were the other members of Dasch's team. Machinists by trade, they had gone to America in 1927, eventually joining different chapters of the German-American Bund. In 1939 both accepted Germany's offer to pay return passage for emigrants. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thehistoryexpress/support

Fritz Kuhn was the leader of the pro-Nazi group known as the German American Bund. He was a hero to his audience, and a scourge on the world to most others.

Marshall's Oscar-nominated documentary short, A Night at the Garden ... The German American Bund and its leader, Fritz Kuhn ... A Nazi rally and a Trump rally ... The Jewish protester who ran on stage ... The return of "America First" ... Marshall's 2005 documentary on Cory Booker's mayoral run, Street Fight ... Marshall: Booker is not a phony ... Will the stain of New Jersey corruption stick to Booker? ...

Fritz Kuhn was the leader of the pro-Nazi group known as the German American Bund. He was a hero to his audience, and a scourge on the world to most others.

In his new book, Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018), Bradley W. Hart, assistant professor at California State University, Fresno, examines Nazi sympathizers, noninterventionists, and others in American who advocated for Nazi Germany in the years before World War II.  Hart looks at a wide array of groups and individuals in his study, from the German-American Bund, the Silver Legion, religious leaders, members of Congress and of course Charles Lindbergh. Hitler’s American Friends ultimately shows that Americans are not immune to the lure of authoritarianism, and just how fragile our democracy is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018), Bradley W. Hart, assistant professor at California State University, Fresno, examines Nazi sympathizers, noninterventionists, and others in American who advocated for Nazi Germany in the years before World War II.  Hart looks at a wide array of groups and individuals in his study, from the German-American Bund, the Silver Legion, religious leaders, members of Congress and of course Charles Lindbergh. Hitler’s American Friends ultimately shows that Americans are not immune to the lure of authoritarianism, and just how fragile our democracy is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018), Bradley W. Hart, assistant professor at California State University, Fresno, examines Nazi sympathizers, noninterventionists, and others in American who advocated for Nazi Germany in the years before World War II.  Hart looks at a wide array of groups and individuals in his study, from the German-American Bund, the Silver Legion, religious leaders, members of Congress and of course Charles Lindbergh. Hitler’s American Friends ultimately shows that Americans are not immune to the lure of authoritarianism, and just how fragile our democracy is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018), Bradley W. Hart, assistant professor at California State University, Fresno, examines Nazi sympathizers, noninterventionists, and others in American who advocated for Nazi Germany in the years before World War II.  Hart looks at a wide array of groups and individuals in his study, from the German-American Bund, the Silver Legion, religious leaders, members of Congress and of course Charles Lindbergh. Hitler’s American Friends ultimately shows that Americans are not immune to the lure of authoritarianism, and just how fragile our democracy is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States (Thomas Dunne Books, 2018), Bradley W. Hart, assistant professor at California State University, Fresno, examines Nazi sympathizers, noninterventionists, and others in American who advocated for Nazi Germany in the years before World War II.  Hart looks at a wide array of groups and individuals in his study, from the German-American Bund, the Silver Legion, religious leaders, members of Congress and of course Charles Lindbergh. Hitler’s American Friends ultimately shows that Americans are not immune to the lure of authoritarianism, and just how fragile our democracy is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 1 of our miniseries on Hitler's American Friends from author Bradley Hart, we learn about the German American Bund, America’s leading organization for German sympathizers and Nazi imitators that could be found goose-stepping and saluting to their leader, Fritz Kuhn. Learn more about Hitler's American Friends: The Third Reich's Supporters in the United States by reading this episode's full transcript or picking up the book! Transcript on Quick and Dirty Tips: https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/history/who-was-fritz-kuhn-and-the-german-american-bund Buy the Book: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250148957

In the 1930s, a group of German-American Nazi sympathisers known as the German American Bund held rallies and summer camps across the US. Also, the lawyers who helped Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic defend himself against war crimes charges and how vandals attacked Denmark's famous Little Mermaid Statue.

In the 1930s, a group of German-American Nazi sympathisers known as the German American Bund held rallies and summer camps across the US. In Feburary 1939, they held a meeting for 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York.Lucy Burns speaks to Skip Eernisse, who remembers the Bund summer camp Camp Hindenburg in his home town of Grafton, Wisconsin. We also hear from Arnie Bernstein, author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German American Bund.(Photo: German-American Nazi sympathisers rally in the US. Credit: Library of Congress)

In the 1930s, a group of German-American Nazi sympathisers known as the German American Bund held rallies and summer camps across the US. In Feburary 1939, they held a meeting for 20,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York. Lucy Burns speaks to Skip Eernisse, who remembers the Bund summer camp Camp Hindenburg in his home town of Grafton, Wisconsin. We also hear from Arnie Bernstein, author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German American Bund. (Photo: German-American Nazi sympathisers rally in the US. Credit: Library of Congress)

Comedians Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds examine the German-American Bund summer Nazi camps of the 1930's. SOURCES TOUR DATES REDBUBBLE MERCH

Genealogist Rhoda Miller and the Jewish Genealogical Society of Long Island recently published Jewish Community of Long Island from Arcadia Press.  The book tracks the development of Jewish communities across Long Island from the late 19th century through the 1970s. Throughout the book Rhoda not only documents the rise of specific communities but also uncovers many personal stories. On this episode you'll hear about aviation pioneer Chalres A. Levine, Rabbi Lehrer and his work with Jewish patients in Long Island's state hospitals and the threatening presence of the Ku Klux Klan on the Island along with the German American Bund's Camp Siegfried in Yaphank. Save

Nazi spying operations in New York City didn't end with the Duquesne. Germans were reeling from the obliteration of their vast spy ring, and ample resources were dedicated to rebuilding German espionage in the USA.  This effort started with Operation Pastorius: a well- researched but poorly- executed effort to send saboteurs to bomb aluminum and magnesium plants, major bridges, and major railroad junctions.  This was a time when the German American Bund was going strong. However, it did not go as planned. One of the many errors in this plan was recruiting men of questionable loyalty to Germany.  Kate and Kathleen tell you all about the countless ways these plans went off the rails.Check out the Facebook page for lots of great pictures, including a some terrifying ones of the American Bund Rally in Madison Square Garden in 1939.

Occasionally you hear shrill news reports about American Nazis. Judging by the pictures of them, they are almost always skin-headed morons who can’t put two words together (other than “Sieg Heil” or some such). Often it’s not clear whether they are really Nazis or are just parodies of Nazis. Or maybe, hoping for a sick laugh, they’re just having us on. One thing is clear: they are very, very few. I can say with some confidence that National Socialism is not popular in the United States and never has been. Yet as Arnie Bernstein points out in his book Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund (St. Martin’s Press, 2013), there was a brief moment when some Americans took National Socialism seriously, namely the 1930s. This fact, of course, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. It is, however, important to remember that there was a time when Fascism was not seen as pure evil, but rather as a viable alternative to democratic Capitalism and authoritarian Communism. Fortunately for Americans (but unfortunately for the American Nazis), the “German-American Bund” was led by someone who was, well, not very serious–one Fritz Kuhn. He was not a skin-headed moron. He was, as Arnie makes clear, an opportunistic, philandering, unprincipled, pilfering buffoon. So much the better for us. Listen in to this fascinating–and largely forgotten–story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Occasionally you hear shrill news reports about American Nazis. Judging by the pictures of them, they are almost always skin-headed morons who can’t put two words together (other than “Sieg Heil” or some such). Often it’s not clear whether they are really Nazis or are just parodies of Nazis. Or maybe, hoping for a sick laugh, they’re just having us on. One thing is clear: they are very, very few. I can say with some confidence that National Socialism is not popular in the United States and never has been. Yet as Arnie Bernstein points out in his book Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund (St. Martin’s Press, 2013), there was a brief moment when some Americans took National Socialism seriously, namely the 1930s. This fact, of course, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. It is, however, important to remember that there was a time when Fascism was not seen as pure evil, but rather as a viable alternative to democratic Capitalism and authoritarian Communism. Fortunately for Americans (but unfortunately for the American Nazis), the “German-American Bund” was led by someone who was, well, not very serious–one Fritz Kuhn. He was not a skin-headed moron. He was, as Arnie makes clear, an opportunistic, philandering, unprincipled, pilfering buffoon. So much the better for us. Listen in to this fascinating–and largely forgotten–story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Occasionally you hear shrill news reports about American Nazis. Judging by the pictures of them, they are almost always skin-headed morons who can’t put two words together (other than “Sieg Heil” or some such). Often it’s not clear whether they are really Nazis or are just parodies of Nazis. Or maybe, hoping for a sick laugh, they’re just having us on. One thing is clear: they are very, very few. I can say with some confidence that National Socialism is not popular in the United States and never has been. Yet as Arnie Bernstein points out in his book Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund (St. Martin’s Press, 2013), there was a brief moment when some Americans took National Socialism seriously, namely the 1930s. This fact, of course, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. It is, however, important to remember that there was a time when Fascism was not seen as pure evil, but rather as a viable alternative to democratic Capitalism and authoritarian Communism. Fortunately for Americans (but unfortunately for the American Nazis), the “German-American Bund” was led by someone who was, well, not very serious–one Fritz Kuhn. He was not a skin-headed moron. He was, as Arnie makes clear, an opportunistic, philandering, unprincipled, pilfering buffoon. So much the better for us. Listen in to this fascinating–and largely forgotten–story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Occasionally you hear shrill news reports about American Nazis. Judging by the pictures of them, they are almost always skin-headed morons who can’t put two words together (other than “Sieg Heil” or some such). Often it’s not clear whether they are really Nazis or are just parodies of Nazis. Or maybe, hoping for a sick laugh, they’re just having us on. One thing is clear: they are very, very few. I can say with some confidence that National Socialism is not popular in the United States and never has been. Yet as Arnie Bernstein points out in his book Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund (St. Martin’s Press, 2013), there was a brief moment when some Americans took National Socialism seriously, namely the 1930s. This fact, of course, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. It is, however, important to remember that there was a time when Fascism was not seen as pure evil, but rather as a viable alternative to democratic Capitalism and authoritarian Communism. Fortunately for Americans (but unfortunately for the American Nazis), the “German-American Bund” was led by someone who was, well, not very serious–one Fritz Kuhn. He was not a skin-headed moron. He was, as Arnie makes clear, an opportunistic, philandering, unprincipled, pilfering buffoon. So much the better for us. Listen in to this fascinating–and largely forgotten–story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Occasionally you hear shrill news reports about American Nazis. Judging by the pictures of them, they are almost always skin-headed morons who can’t put two words together (other than “Sieg Heil” or some such). Often it’s not clear whether they are really Nazis or are just parodies of Nazis. Or maybe, hoping for a sick laugh, they’re just having us on. One thing is clear: they are very, very few. I can say with some confidence that National Socialism is not popular in the United States and never has been. Yet as Arnie Bernstein points out in his book Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn and the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund (St. Martin’s Press, 2013), there was a brief moment when some Americans took National Socialism seriously, namely the 1930s. This fact, of course, is hard for us to wrap our minds around. It is, however, important to remember that there was a time when Fascism was not seen as pure evil, but rather as a viable alternative to democratic Capitalism and authoritarian Communism. Fortunately for Americans (but unfortunately for the American Nazis), the “German-American Bund” was led by someone who was, well, not very serious–one Fritz Kuhn. He was not a skin-headed moron. He was, as Arnie makes clear, an opportunistic, philandering, unprincipled, pilfering buffoon. So much the better for us. Listen in to this fascinating–and largely forgotten–story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices