The “Stone Face” of Racism
On October 17, 1961, Parisian police attacked a group of Algerians. The event would be lost to French history until a Nazi collaborator was exposed.
How Thomas Mann Turned against the German Right
The best-selling author supported the Kaiser during World War I. What made him change his mind about politics later?
Germany’s Real-Life “Swing Kids”
Rebellious teenagers thumbed their noses at Hitler with jazz music, wild dancing, and the greeting “Swing Heil.” But how serious was their resistance?
Gender Identity in Weimar Germany
Remembering an early academic effort to define sexual orientation and gender identity as variable natural phenomena, rather than moral matters.
Reconsidering Appeasement
After 1938's Munich Agreement, "appeasement" became a dirty word in international relations. But scholars argue that appeasement can be a useful tool.
An Affordable Radio Brought Nazi Propaganda Home
In the 1930s, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels led the charge to create a radio cheap enough that even workers could own one.
Sophie Scholl and the Legacy of Resistance
Sophie Scholl has become the face of resistance to Nazism. That took decades, as the legacy of resistance itself was resisted.
Ernst Röhm, The Highest-Ranking Gay Nazi
Ernst Röhm, the highest-ranking gay Nazi, presents an interesting study in the construction and containment of masculinity by the right.
How the Netherlands Used Literature to Defy the Nazis
A new theory sheds light not only on the fate of the Franks, but on the extent of Dutch resistance to the Nazis.
The Weimar Republic: Gone But Not Forgotten
The Weimar Republic is famous for failing, but considering its turmoil and crisis, it's surprising how long it actually lasted.