Podcasts about waitman beorn

This week Dr. Waitman Beorn drops in to talk about Defiance (2008) and his work researching the Holocaust in Europe during World War II.About our guest:Dr. Waitman Wade Beorn is an associate professor in History at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.  Dr. Beorn was previously the Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, VA and the inaugural Blumkin Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.  His first book, Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard University Press) Dr. Beorn is also the author of The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (Bloomsbury Press, 2018) and has recently finished a book on the Janowska concentration camp outside of Lviv, Ukraine. That book Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv was released in August 2024 from Nebraska University Press.  Between the Wires was recognised as a Finalist for the National Jewish Book Award in the United States.

WARNING: This episode includes discussion of  issues surrounding the Holocaust and genocide which some listeners may find distressing.In this episode, the hosts engage in a profound discussion with Dr. Waitman Beorn about the controversial topic of whether the Allies could and should have bombed Auschwitz during World War II. They explore the historical context, the knowledge the Allies had about the Holocaust, the technological capabilities of air power at the time, and the moral implications of such a decision. The conversation delves into the complexities of wartime decision-making and the tragic consequences of inaction, ultimately questioning the Allies' response to the Holocaust.You can read more about Waitman's work hereMarching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht in BelarusAlso discussed in this episode: Michael Neufeld (Editor): The Bombing of Auschwitz.Send us a textSupport the showPlease subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams. Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

Subscriber-only episode***Episode available on general release on Wednesday 11 December 2024WARNING: This episode includes discussion of  issues surrounding the Holocaust and genocide which some listeners may find distressing. In this episode, the hosts engage in a profound discussion with Dr. Waitman Beorn about the controversial topic of whether the Allies could and should have bombed Auschwitz during World War II. They explore the historical context, the knowledge the Allies had about the Holocaust, the technological capabilities of air power at the time, and the moral implications of such a decision. The conversation delves into the complexities of wartime decision-making and the tragic consequences of inaction, ultimately questioning the Allies' response to the Holocaust.You can read more about Waitman's work hereMarching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht in BelarusAlso discussed in this episode: Michael Neufeld (Editor): The Bombing of Auschwitz. Send us a textPlease subscribe to Never Mind The Dambusters wherever you get your podcasts. You can support the show, and help us produce great content, by becoming a paid subscriber from just $3 a month here https://www.buzzsprout.com/2327200/support . Supporters get early access to episodes and invitations to livestreams. Thank you for listening! You can reach out to us on social media at @RAF_BomberPod (X) or @NeverMindTheDambusters (Instagram)You can find out about James' research, articles, lectures and podcasts here .You can read more about Jane's work on her website at https://www.justcuriousjane.com/, and listen to podcasts/media stuff here

'History Rage' invites you back to the tumultuous landscape of World War II with Dr. Waitman Beorn, as he vents his frustration over the egregious comparisons between Hamas and the Nazis, and the shocking survival of Holocaust denial. Explore the broader scope of the Nazi genocidal project, the heart-wrenching tales of resistance, and the vexing questions surrounding the Allies' response to the Holocaust. This episode is a profound reflection on the responsibilities of historians and the enduring impact of the past on the present.1. Introduction: - Delve into a comprehensive discussion on WWII and the Holocaust. - Gain insights from experts as they analyse historical events and perspectives.2. Understanding Perspectives: - Explore the challenges faced by leaders of Jewish councils in Nazi-occupied territories. - Learn about the difficult decisions they had to make to protect their communities.3. Escape and Resistance: - Uncover the strategies employed by prisoners to evade capture and survive. - Hear inspiring stories of resilience and bravery amidst adversity.4. Allies' Response and Controversies: - Examine the Allies' knowledge of the Holocaust and their potential interventions. - Debate the ethical dilemmas surrounding the bombing of Auschwitz and organised rescue efforts.5. Role of Institutions: - Discuss the actions, or lack thereof, taken by institutions like the Catholic Church during WWII. - Explore the potential impact of institutional intervention on the outcome of the Holocaust.6. Conclusion: - Reflect on the importance of public history in understanding and commemorating the Holocaust. - Discover avenues for further exploration through podcasts, books, and events related to WWII history.Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of WWII and the Holocaust from diverse perspectives, shedding light on this dark chapter of human history.Do check out Waitman's own Holocaust History Podcast wherever you found us and also follow the podcast on Twitter @HolocaustpodYou can follow Waitman on Twitter @waitmanb You can join our 'Angry Mob' on Patreon as well. £5 per month gets you episodes 3 months early, the invite to choose questions, entry into our prize draws and the coveted History Rage mug. Subscribe at www.patreon.com/historyrageRemember to leave us a review on Apple, Podchaser, or Amazon, and follow us on Twitter @HistoryRage for more historical revelations. Stay passionate, stay informed, and most importantly, stay angry! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Kevin Levine, Waitman Beorn, and Rich Condon drop in to talk about the most famous battle of the Civil War. We jump into Ted Turner's 1993 production, asking if it is an apologist film, talk about the events surrounding the battle, and talk about our favorite Civil War books and films.About our guests:Waitman Beorn is an assistant professor in History at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.  Dr. Beorn was previously the Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, VA and the inaugural Blumkin Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.  His first book, Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard University Press) Dr. Beorn is also the author of The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (Bloomsbury Press, 2018) and has recently finished a book on the Janowska concentration camp outside of Lviv, Ukraine. That book Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv will be released in August 2024 from Nebraska University Press.Kevin Levine is an experienced and award-winning educator, author, and historian with expertise in high school and college classroom instruction, historic site tours, collaborations with museums, and history teacher training. His research and writing are focused primarily on the history and legacy of the Civil War era. He is the author and editor of three books, including most recently, Searching For Black Confederates: The Civil War's Most Persistent Myth (2019), Remembering The Battle of the Crater: War as Murder (2012) and Interpreting the Civil War at Museums and Historic Sites (2017). He is currently at work on A Glorious Fate: The Life and Legacy of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, which is under advance contract with the University of North Carolina Press as well as editing the collected wartime and postwar correspondence of Captain John Christopher Winsmith.Rich Condon is a public historian from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Shepherd University. For over a decade, he has worked with a multitude of sites and organizations, including The Battle of Franklin Trust, Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall and Museum, and the National Park Service. Rich has written for Civil War Times Magazine, The Civil War Monitor, American Battlefield Trust, as well as Emerging Civil War, and operates the Civil War Pittsburgh blog. He currently lives in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Waitman Beorn joins us to talk about Holocaust Memorial Day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr. Waitman Beorn shares his expertise on what he refers to as "the Nazi genocidal project" which includes not only the mass murder of European Jews in the Holocaust but also the systematic murder of other populations with a focus on Eastern Europe. As Dr. Beorn notes, many have suggested that the unimaginably violent fighting in Eastern Europe was the exception, compared to the fighting in Western Europe, but historic evidence suggests the reverse is more accurate. Dr. Beorn's books are linked below. Links Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674725508) The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/the-holocaust-in-eastern-europe-9781474232180/) Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv (https://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/nebraska/9781496237590/) Visualizing Janowska: Creating a Digital Architectural Model of a Nazi Concentration Camp (https://www.waitmanwbeorn.com/visualizingjanowska) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mother-of-tanks/message

On this episode of Parallax Views, the noted genocide studies scholar A. Dirk Moses, author of The Problems of Genocide: Permanent Security and the Language of Transgression, returns to his intervention on the debate about whether or not what is happening in Gaza constitutes a genocide. He recently wrote the piece in the Boston Review entitled "More than Genocide". In addition to this we also discuss his scathing take on the open letter of solidarity signed by Jurgen Habermas and other major German intellectuals. In the second segment of the show, Dr. Waitman W. Beorn joins the show to discuss how British writer Douglas Murray, fashion model Fabio, and others are distorting Holocaust history by making defenses of the Third Reich in light of the Oct. 7th Hamas attack. These commentators are making the case that the Nazis were "ashamed" of the Holocaust, concealed their crimes as a result, and were remorseful for their action. Dr. Beorn begs to differ and believes this Nazi apology, like the clean Wehrmacht myth, could lead down dangerous paths.

Episode 4 of the CEU Press Podcast Series introduces one of the Press's new series, entitled Perpetrators of Organized Violence: Eastern, Central and South-Eastern Europe. The series editors, Waitman Wade Beorn, Weronika Grzebalska and Iva Vukušić talk about the aims of the series, ethical considerations when researching perpetrators of organized violence, and about the book proposals they are interested in. This new series aims to publish work contributing to the burgeoning field of Perpetrator Studies, with a focus specifically on the East, Central and Southeast Europe region. You can read more about the series on the CEU Press's website here. If you have a book or edited volume proposal that you think would fit the series, or you would like to have a chat about your project, get in touch with either the series editors or with Jen McCall (McCallJ@press.ceu.edu), who is our acquisitions editor for the series. The series editors can be reached at: ·    Waitman Beorn: waitman.beorn@northumbria.ac.uk ·    Weronika Grzebalska: w.grzebalska@politic.edu.pl  ·    Iva Vukušić: I.Vukusic@uu.nl  The CEU Press Podcast Series delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We will also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and talk about their series or books. Interested in the CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more. Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and all other major podcast apps.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Episode 4 of the CEU Press Podcast Series introduces one of the Press's new series, entitled Perpetrators of Organized Violence: Eastern, Central and South-Eastern Europe. The series editors, Waitman Wade Beorn, Weronika Grzebalska and Iva Vukušić talk about the aims of the series, ethical considerations when researching perpetrators of organized violence, and about the book proposals they are interested in. This new series aims to publish work contributing to the burgeoning field of Perpetrator Studies, with a focus specifically on the East, Central and Southeast Europe region. You can read more about the series on the CEU Press's website here. If you have a book or edited volume proposal that you think would fit the series, or you would like to have a chat about your project, get in touch with either the series editors or with Jen McCall (McCallJ@press.ceu.edu), who is our acquisitions editor for the series. The series editors can be reached at: ·    Waitman Beorn: waitman.beorn@northumbria.ac.uk ·    Weronika Grzebalska: w.grzebalska@politic.edu.pl  ·    Iva Vukušić: I.Vukusic@uu.nl  The CEU Press Podcast Series delves into various aspects of the publishing process: from crafting a book proposal, finding a publisher, responding to peer review feedback on the manuscript, to the subsequent distribution, promotion and marketing of academic books. We will also talk to series editors and authors, who will share their experiences of getting published and talk about their series or books. Interested in the CEU Press's publications? Click here to find out more. Stay tuned for future episodes and subscribe to our podcast to be the first to be notified. You can find us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and all other major podcast apps.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history

Every now and then we get the chance to talk to a scholar with a little extra knowledge on a particular subject. In this case, Dr. Waitman Beorn drops in to talk about Brad Pitt's tank film, Fury. Waitman knows the film well, especially since he commanded a tank prior to becoming a historian. Listen in now to hear him talk not only about WWII, but his experiences serving in the Tank Corps and how the lessons learned transcended his time there.  It's a fun and fascinating talk.About our guest:Dr. Waitman Wade Beorn is an assistant professor in History at Northumbria University in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.  Dr. Beorn was previously the Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond, VA and the inaugural Blumkin Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.  His first book, Marching Into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard University Press) Dr. Beorn is also the author of The Holocaust in Eastern Europe: At the Epicenter of the Final Solution (Bloomsbury Press, 2018) and has recently finished a book on the Janowska concentration camp outside of Lviv, Ukraine, tentatively entitled Between the Wires: The Janowska Camp and the Holocaust in Lviv.  His next research project is The Revenants: The Postwar Lives of Nazi Perpetrators. Dr. Beorn has published work in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Central European History, German Studies Review, Holocaust Studies: A Journal of Culture and History, Politics and Governance, and the Geographical Review in addition to chapters in several edited volumes.  He has been awarded National Endowment for the Humanities, Fulbright Foundation, Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation, and Claims Conference fellowships. He is also active in the digital humanities.  As a public-facing scholar, Dr. Beorn has published pieces in the Washington Post, The New Republic, and The Forward.  He has also appeared on MSNBC, CNN, Richard French Live on WRNN, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and TRT. He is an active contributor to public history and engagement on Twitter as well. Dr. Beorn teaches courses in Holocaust History, Comparative Genocide, German history, Eastern European history, Antisemitism, Modern European history, Public history, and Digital history. 

This week we welcome historian, author and lecturer in Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Northumbria Dr. Waitman Beorn who joins Paul and Kyle to discuss Wehrmacht war crimes, how the Wehrmacht is up to its neck in the atrocities across occupied territory and how those who choose to re-enact SS really need to explain some things.You can follow Waitman on Twitter @waitmanb You can follow History Rage on Twitter @HistoryRage and let us know what you wish people would just stop believing using the Hashtag #HistoryRage.Support the show

Dr Waitman Beorn, Senior Lecturer in History at Northumbria University, talks about the Wehrmacht and motivation to participate in the Holocaust on the Eastern Front in WW2. In the interview, he talks about the extent and nature of Wehrmacht involvement in the Holocaust on the Eastern Front. He points out that while Nazi death squads routinely carried out mass executions on the Eastern Front, many units of the regular German army conducted and participated in such actions. Waitman explains what motivated them to carry out such actions which they frequently…

“December 1941 is the time the decision was made for the physical extermination of all the Jews in Europe”Al and James are joined by Waitman Beorn to discuss the Wannsee Conference and how the Nazis began the Holocaust.A Goalhanger Films productionProduced by Harry LinekerExec Producer Tony PastorTwitter: #WeHaveWays@WeHaveWaysPodWebsite: www.wehavewayspod.comEmail: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week's episode we are joined by Dr Waitman Beorn to talk about war and genocide on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. If you'd like to get in touch, you can find us on Twitter @KhakiMalarkey. Edited by Zack O'Leary (@zickzack142). Hosted by Phoebe Style (@ph0ebestyle) and Olivia Smith (@__OliviaSmith__).

This week, I sit down with two historians of genocide to discuss concentration camps and whether the camps in which are concentrating refugees here in the United States are concentration camps. Spoiler: they are. www.patreon.com/outlawhistory Follow me on Twitter @OutlawHistorian Follow Waitman Beorn on Twitter @waitmanb Follow Michael Carter on Twitter @DeckofCarter --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/outlawhistorian/support

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of the Jews and other victims the Nazis murdered in the Holocaust were from Eastern Europe, and the vast majority of the actual killing was done there. In his new book,  The Holocaust in Eastern Europe (Bloomsbury Academic, 2018), Waitman Beorn gives us a detailed overview of the Holocaust precisely here, in what he well called “the Epicenter of the Final Solution.” Waitman does an excellent job of describing Eastern European Jewry, the crooked path the Nazis took in deciding to attempt to obliterate it, the various ways in which they put that horrible decision into practice, and the ways the Jews resisted. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi genocidal program. In other words, the identified cases were isolated exceptions. Who was at fault? Why, the SS of course. This view was spread by German generals in post-war memoirs, by the German government and courts, and by the German press and the public that read it. The “Good Wehrmacht” image was influential: many people–including scholars of the war–in countries that had fought Germany could be found rehearsing it. In his eye-opening book Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard UP, 2013), Waitman Beorn challenges the “Good Wehrmacht” image. By focusing on a few units that participated in the invasion and occupation of Belarus in the late summer and fall of 1941, he is able to show without any doubt whatsoever that regular Wehrmacht forces not only participated in executions of Jews and others, but initiated them. The leaders of these units ordered them to aid the Einsatzgruppen in organizing mass murder and to actively hunt down “partisans” who were nothing but innocent Jews. Waitman does an excellent job of not only documenting Wehrmacht complicity, but also of trying to explain it. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi genocidal program. In other words, the identified cases were isolated exceptions. Who was at fault? Why, the SS of course. This view was spread by German generals in post-war memoirs, by the German government and courts, and by the German press and the public that read it. The “Good Wehrmacht” image was influential: many people–including scholars of the war–in countries that had fought Germany could be found rehearsing it. In his eye-opening book Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard UP, 2013), Waitman Beorn challenges the “Good Wehrmacht” image. By focusing on a few units that participated in the invasion and occupation of Belarus in the late summer and fall of 1941, he is able to show without any doubt whatsoever that regular Wehrmacht forces not only participated in executions of Jews and others, but initiated them. The leaders of these units ordered them to aid the Einsatzgruppen in organizing mass murder and to actively hunt down “partisans” who were nothing but innocent Jews. Waitman does an excellent job of not only documenting Wehrmacht complicity, but also of trying to explain it. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi genocidal program. In other words, the identified cases were isolated exceptions. Who was at fault? Why, the SS of course. This view was spread by German generals in post-war memoirs, by the German government and courts, and by the German press and the public that read it. The “Good Wehrmacht” image was influential: many people–including scholars of the war–in countries that had fought Germany could be found rehearsing it. In his eye-opening book Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard UP, 2013), Waitman Beorn challenges the “Good Wehrmacht” image. By focusing on a few units that participated in the invasion and occupation of Belarus in the late summer and fall of 1941, he is able to show without any doubt whatsoever that regular Wehrmacht forces not only participated in executions of Jews and others, but initiated them. The leaders of these units ordered them to aid the Einsatzgruppen in organizing mass murder and to actively hunt down “partisans” who were nothing but innocent Jews. Waitman does an excellent job of not only documenting Wehrmacht complicity, but also of trying to explain it. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi genocidal program. In other words, the identified cases were isolated exceptions. Who was at fault? Why, the SS of course. This view was spread by German generals in post-war memoirs, by the German government and courts, and by the German press and the public that read it. The “Good Wehrmacht” image was influential: many people–including scholars of the war–in countries that had fought Germany could be found rehearsing it. In his eye-opening book Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard UP, 2013), Waitman Beorn challenges the “Good Wehrmacht” image. By focusing on a few units that participated in the invasion and occupation of Belarus in the late summer and fall of 1941, he is able to show without any doubt whatsoever that regular Wehrmacht forces not only participated in executions of Jews and others, but initiated them. The leaders of these units ordered them to aid the Einsatzgruppen in organizing mass murder and to actively hunt down “partisans” who were nothing but innocent Jews. Waitman does an excellent job of not only documenting Wehrmacht complicity, but also of trying to explain it. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi genocidal program. In other words, the identified cases were isolated exceptions. Who was at fault? Why, the SS of course. This view was spread by German generals in post-war memoirs, by the German government and courts, and by the German press and the public that read it. The “Good Wehrmacht” image was influential: many people–including scholars of the war–in countries that had fought Germany could be found rehearsing it. In his eye-opening book Marching into Darkness: The Wehrmacht and the Holocaust in Belarus (Harvard UP, 2013), Waitman Beorn challenges the “Good Wehrmacht” image. By focusing on a few units that participated in the invasion and occupation of Belarus in the late summer and fall of 1941, he is able to show without any doubt whatsoever that regular Wehrmacht forces not only participated in executions of Jews and others, but initiated them. The leaders of these units ordered them to aid the Einsatzgruppen in organizing mass murder and to actively hunt down “partisans” who were nothing but innocent Jews. Waitman does an excellent job of not only documenting Wehrmacht complicity, but also of trying to explain it. Listen in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The question of Wehrmacht complicity in the Holocaust is an old one. What might be called the “received view” until recently was that while a small number of German army units took part in anti-Jewish atrocities, the great bulk of the army neither knew about nor participated in the Nazi... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices