Dialogues in Holocaust Studies and the Second World War

Ari Barbalat

This podcast features interviews with authors of new research, fresh monographs and recent books about the Holocaust and World War II.

  1. Pontus Järvstad, *Postwar Mnemonic Anti‑Fascism: From the Spanish Question to the Nordic Committees against the Greek Junta, 1946–1974*. New York: Routledge, 2026.

    5日前

    Pontus Järvstad, *Postwar Mnemonic Anti‑Fascism: From the Spanish Question to the Nordic Committees against the Greek Junta, 1946–1974*. New York: Routledge, 2026.

    Send us Fan Mail This book investigates the transnational initiatives and political activism of a Nordic social movement formed to resist the junta that seized power in Greece after the military coup of 1967. The focus is primarily on the anti-fascist aspects of the opposition movement. It demonstrates how the various committees established across the Nordic nations framed their resistance to the military regime as a continuation of the historical struggle against fascism. As a result, even in the midst of the profound ideological divide between the Soviet Union and the United States, Nordic politicians and activists were able to rise above political ideologies during the Cold War. While encompassing a broad political spectrum, the Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish Committees were largely shaped by social democratic members. Nevertheless, it is clear that despite their strong connections with social democratic governments, these anti-fascist activists were prepared to breach legal boundaries in their clandestine efforts to unify the Greek democratic opposition, advocating for the assassination of Junta officials and direct resistance actions within Greece. This book argues that the Nordic Committees on Spain and Greece fostered a collective anti-fascist identity. By labeling these regimes as fascist, the activists sought to rekindle the historical battle against fascism in a post-war setting. This transnational social movement gained momentum for its cause by evoking memories of the past, particularly the Spanish Civil War and the Nazi occupation of Denmark and Norway. The military coup in Greece was viewed as a 'critical juncture,' disrupting the established democratic order and heightening fears of fascism in Europe. This book is likely to attract scholars interested in anti-fascism, social movements, memory studies, and the far right.

    1時間50分
  2. Nadia Wheatley, *Strange New World: Belsen's First Year of Freedom*. Melbourne, Australia: Monash University Press, 2026.

    5月27日

    Nadia Wheatley, *Strange New World: Belsen's First Year of Freedom*. Melbourne, Australia: Monash University Press, 2026.

    Send us Fan Mail The liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp on April 15, 1945, was hailed as a major British triumph over Nazi Germany. Yet, for the 55,000 survivors of the 'Horror Camp', this newfound liberty was accompanied by profound grief: a quarter of them died in the following five weeks. For many who lived through it, liberation meant barbed wire, military control, and a different kind of imprisonment. Relocated to a nearby army barracks, which would soon evolve into Europe’s largest Jewish Displaced Persons’ camp, the survivors faced widespread illness, bureaucratic indifference, and an uncertain future. Josef Rosensaft, a Jewish political figure in the camp, characterized the first year of freedom as 'more oppressive to our souls than the years in the hell of Auschwitz and Belsen': “we saw before us a new kind of world, cold and strange”. This monograph reveals the untold narrative of the Belsen survivors. They refused to be seen merely as victims, opting instead to reclaim their agency, foster a community, and forge new lives from the ruins. Their story resonates today as millions of displaced people worldwide navigate the difficult terrain between rescue and true freedom. Listeners are invited to learn more about Nadia Wheatley's work on her website. Link: https://www.nadiawheatley.com.

    1時間23分
  3. Grace Huang, *Chiang Kai-Shek's Politics of Shame: Leadership, Legacy and National Identity in China*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2021.

    5月21日

    Grace Huang, *Chiang Kai-Shek's Politics of Shame: Leadership, Legacy and National Identity in China*. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2021.

    Send us Fan Mail Once a powerful leader who prevented the disintegration of China and led the nation to triumph alongside the Allies during World War II, Chiang Kai-shek eventually found himself in exile following his defeat in the Chinese civil war in 1949. As attention turned to Mao Zedong’s communist policies, Chiang was relegated to the pages of history. In this examination, Grace C. Huang reassesses Chiang’s leadership and legacy by employing a remarkable and unfiltered collection of his diaries, telegrams, and speeches carefully compiled by his aides. She creates a new and engaging portrayal of this twentieth-century figure who advocated for a Confucian political approach based on shame to confront the Japanese invasion of China and promote unity among his fellow citizens. By also comparing Chiang’s responses to imperialism with those of Mao, Yuan Shikai, and Mahatma Gandhi, Huang broadens the implications of her findings to explore alternatives to Western nationalism and modernity, demonstrating how leaders of vulnerable nations can leverage significant cultural tools to inspire their people and cultivate a lasting national identity.

    1時間20分
  4. Christopher Harrison, *Genocidal Conscription: Drafting Victims and Perpetrators under the Guise of War*. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2023.

    5月10日

    Christopher Harrison, *Genocidal Conscription: Drafting Victims and Perpetrators under the Guise of War*. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2023.

    Send us Fan Mail In this monograph, Christopher Harrison delineates and contrasts the tactics used by two genocidal regimes engaged in warfare – the Ottoman Empire during World War One and Hungary under Axis control in World War Two – which instituted specific military service policies to seize and eradicate their targets amidst the disorder of modern warfare. Following this historical comparative examination, Harrison summarizes significant implications and ongoing issues. The conclusion provides insights into conscription practices by contemporary authoritarian regimes. By analyzing these histories and crises, the book suggests that multiple states are currently at risk of enacting genocidal conscription. While it is challenging and unlikely, due to political disincentives, the implications of this analysis consider reforms that may prevent states from repeating similar policies and actions in the future.

    1時間56分
  5. Philip Uninsky, *Invented Lives from Troubled Times: A Jewish Family’s Forms of Resilience after Surviving Pogroms, Revolution and the Holocaust*. Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2026.

    5月1日

    Philip Uninsky, *Invented Lives from Troubled Times: A Jewish Family’s Forms of Resilience after Surviving Pogroms, Revolution and the Holocaust*. Boston: Academic Studies Press, 2026.

    Send us Fan Mail This work offers an intriguing and unique viewpoint on the complex routes to resilience, narrating the saga of a large Jewish family that survived decades of intense trauma in the 20th century. In addition to exploring his family’s shared memories, which were interwoven with fabrications, misdirection, and whimsical creativity, the author employs archival sources and years of observations and interactions to reveal their diverse and shifting paths to persistence. These survivors were not, as is often assumed, inevitably weakened by profound trauma and the loss of security and tangible connections to their past. Instead, they succeeded in navigating the present, inventing lives with a wide array of personalities that emerged as a canvas of extremes, from the eccentric to the conventional, the humble to the triumphantly comedic, the conscientious citizen to the rebellious criminal. This is a refreshing look at painful experiences in twentieth-century history.

    1時間44分
  6. Frank Stahnisch, *Great Minds in Despair: The Forced Migration of German-Speaking Neuroscientists to North America, 1933 to 1989*. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025.

    5月1日

    Frank Stahnisch, *Great Minds in Despair: The Forced Migration of German-Speaking Neuroscientists to North America, 1933 to 1989*. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2025.

    Send us Fan Mail The twentieth century saw two catastrophic world wars that resulted in the displacement of millions. Among those affected were numerous neuroscientists and biological psychiatrists from Nazi Germany and neighboring regions who had to flee during the 1930s and 1940s. A significant number of them found new homes in North America, where they made a lasting impact on the evolution of biomedical sciences. Focusing on the period from 1933 to 1989, this study investigates the enduring consequences of this forced migration on the scientific and medical landscapes in North America, as well as on the researchers themselves. Frank Stahnisch chronicles the journeys and careers of around four hundred German-speaking doctors, scientists, and researchers across two generations. Adjusting to new research environments in Canada and the United States, they contributed to the advancement of neuroscience, psychiatry, clinical psychology, and cognitive sciences, all while reconstructing their lives amidst numerous challenges such as cultural adaptation and the complexities of relicensing. Stahnisch delves into how generational dynamics, gender, international collaborations, refugee organizations, and national funding bodies influenced their experiences and impacted postwar remigration. This book offers a significant reevaluation of the brain gain thesis in migration studies by highlighting the working conditions and social integration of a prominent group of academic refugees in North America.

    1時間55分
  7. Stefanie Fischer, *Jewish Cattle Traders in the German Countryside, 1919-1939: Economic Trust and Antisemitic Violence*. Jeremiah Riemer, trans. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2024.

    5月1日

    Stefanie Fischer, *Jewish Cattle Traders in the German Countryside, 1919-1939: Economic Trust and Antisemitic Violence*. Jeremiah Riemer, trans. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 2024.

    Send us Fan Mail This study delves into the intricate social and economic networks that this group navigated, highlighting the resilient yet informal connections between Jewish cattle traders and farmers, bonds so strong that not even relentless Nazi assaults could sever them. Stefanie Fischer employs a blend of social history, economic history, and sociology to confront the entrenched stereotype of the dubious Jewish cattle dealer. By emphasizing trust and social ties over mere economic trends, Fischer reveals the numerous contradictions that plagued the expulsion of Jews from Germany. This monograph scrutinizes the nuanced dynamics between Jews and non-Jews involved in economic and social exchanges. In doing so, Fischer reexamines prior perceptions of daily life under Nazi governance and uncovers innovative ways in which Jewish agency emerged as a pivotal force amid the exclusionary measures enacted in Hitler's Germany.

    54分
  8. Mia Swart, *On Bonifratrow Street: How a Boy from Lwow Escaped the Nazis: Based on the Life of Michael Katz*. Hannover & Stuttgart, Germany: Ibidem Verlag, 2024.

    4月28日

    Mia Swart, *On Bonifratrow Street: How a Boy from Lwow Escaped the Nazis: Based on the Life of Michael Katz*. Hannover & Stuttgart, Germany: Ibidem Verlag, 2024.

    Send us Fan Mail This work tells the tale of Michael Katz, a Jewish boy who survived by hiding 'in plain sight' on the streets of Warsaw after escaping the Janowska concentration camp in Lviv (Lwow) during the Holocaust. He adopted a new name to fit in and became part of the Polish resistance. Michael participated in the Warsaw Uprising and was among the last 200 individuals to evacuate the city. This book unveils his remarkable story.

    1時間9分
すべて見る（28）

番組について

This podcast features interviews with authors of new research, fresh monographs and recent books about the Holocaust and World War II.

情報