Hitler's American Friends - The Third Reich's Supporters in the United States

Americans who remember World War II reminisce about how it brought the country together. The less popular truth behind this warm nostalgia: until the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was deeply, dangerously divided.

Bradley W. Hart's Hitler's American Friends exposes the homegrown antagonists who sought to protect and promote Hitler, leave Europeans (and especially European Jews) to fend for themselves, and elevate the Nazi regime.

Some of these friends were Americans of German heritage who joined the Bund, whose leadership dreamed of installing a stateside Führer. Some were as bizarre and hair-raising as the Silver Shirt Legion, run by an eccentric who claimed that Hitler fulfilled a religious prophesy. Some were Midwestern Catholics like Father Charles Coughlin, an early right-wing radio star who broadcast anti-Semitic tirades. They were even members of Congress who used their franking privilege―sending mail at cost to American taxpayers―to distribute German propaganda. And celebrity pilot Charles Lindbergh ended up speaking for them all at the America First Committee. Hitler's American Friends is a powerful look at how the forces of evil manipulate ordinary people, how we stepped back from the ledge, and the disturbing ease with which we could return to it.

Each chapter covers a different group in detail, and provides a thorough introduction to the surprisingly numerous groups who support fascism and the rise of Hitler. Anyone with an interest in the World War II period and the rise of fascism should find this a fascinating read, as the author explains the politics, ambition and nefarious activities of these groups in an easily digestible way.

Table of contents:

• The Bund
• The Silver Legion and the Chief
• The Religious Right
• The Senators
• The Businessmen
• The Students
• America First!
• The Spies

Available from:
St Martin's Press