Dialogues in Holocaust Studies and the Second World War

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

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

    2H AGO

    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.

    1h 56m
  2. 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.

    MAY 1

    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.

    1h 44m
  3. 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.

    MAY 1

    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.

    1h 55m
  4. 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.

    MAY 1

    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 min
  5. 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.

    APR 28

    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.

    1h 9m
  6. Jacky Comforty and Martha Aladjem Bloomfield, *Stories We Were Never Told: Visualizing the Holocaust in Bulgaria and Beyond*. Self-Published by Jacky Comforty, 2026.

    APR 24

    Jacky Comforty and Martha Aladjem Bloomfield, *Stories We Were Never Told: Visualizing the Holocaust in Bulgaria and Beyond*. Self-Published by Jacky Comforty, 2026.

    Send us Fan Mail For many years, the Holocaust in Bulgaria remained poorly studied, inadequately represented, and obscured by various political and economic agendas. A common myth arose, claiming that no Holocaust took place in Bulgaria. The narrative of the Jewish community that lived through these times has yet to be fully told. A combination of resistance and political and social factors enabled most Bulgarian Jews to survive the Holocaust, despite facing extremely difficult and harsh conditions. The Bulgarian government did not protect its Jewish citizens in Nazi-occupied Europe, leading to their deportation to Auschwitz. Jews living in territories annexed by Bulgaria were deported and later murdered in Treblinka. At least 12,000 Jews fell victim to Bulgaria's role in the Final Solution. The author, Jacky (Jacob) Comforty, was previously interviewed by Ari Barbalat on the *New Books in Jewish Studies* podcast regarding his prior book:  Jack (Jacob) Comforty (with Martha Aladjem Bloomfield), *The Stolen Narrative of the Bulgarian Jews and the Holocaust*. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2021. Link: https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-stolen-narrative-of-the-bulgarian-jews-and-the-holocaust Link: https://newbooksnetwork.com/more-on-bulgarian-jews-and-the-holocaust

    58 min
  7. Dariusz Jeziorny, *British Diplomacy and the Concept of the Eastern Pact (1933-1935): Analyses, Projects, Activities*. Stuttgart: Ibidem-Verlag, 2017

    APR 23

    Dariusz Jeziorny, *British Diplomacy and the Concept of the Eastern Pact (1933-1935): Analyses, Projects, Activities*. Stuttgart: Ibidem-Verlag, 2017

    Send us Fan Mail In this monograph, Dariusz Jeziorny explores British diplomatic relations from 1933 to 1935, shedding light on London's viewpoint regarding the Eastern Pact and highlighting the reasoning and actions of British diplomacy within the framework of both European and global matters. Was His Majesty's Government truly invested in the success of the initiative promoted by Moscow and Paris? Did it grasp the motivations of its advocates? How did it react to the resistance from countries that were reluctant to accept such a matter? Who were London's primary negotiating partners? Can the Foreign Office be regarded as capable of tackling European challenges, especially those related to Eastern Europe? Were the earlier conclusions in academic literature correct in assessing the roles of certain powers in the failure of the Eastern Pact concept? Jeziorny tackles these inquiries through an in-depth analysis of governmental documents located in the National Archives in London, particularly the general correspondence of the British Foreign Office. He offers a captivating glimpse into the inner workings of British diplomacy and its perspectives on the French initiative.

    1h 38m
  8. David Stahel, *The Cambridge Companion to the Nazi-Soviet War*. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2025.

    APR 14

    David Stahel, *The Cambridge Companion to the Nazi-Soviet War*. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2025.

    Send us Fan Mail The Nazi-Soviet War stands as the most extensive and savage theatre of the Second World War, waged between two of the most merciless regimes ever to have existed. Uniting twenty-four of the most distinguished historians from both German and Soviet backgrounds, this Cambridge Companion offers the most authoritative yet remarkably accessible guide to this conflict. Each chapter delves into a significant facet of the war, covering topics such as military strategy, the opposing forces and their campaigns, as well as issues of criminality, occupation, alliances, the home fronts, and the legacies and myths that emerged postwar. The authors illustrate that the Nazi-Soviet War was not only a conventional confrontation where millions of soldiers engaged in monumental battles, but also an unconventional conflict marked by the systematic murder of countless non-combatants by soldiers and security forces. It was a struggle over resources, industry, mobilization, administration, and public support, with ramifications that continue to influence discussions on European security to this day.

    1h 7m
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This podcast features interviews with authors of new research, fresh monographs and recent books about the Holocaust and World War II.

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