A list of all of Doc Werlin’s writings pertaining to history.
Harry S. Truman: A President Who Shaped the Modern World
Click on the image below to see Doc's presentation: "Harry S. Truman: A President Who Shaped the Modern World"
Japan’s Decision to Surrender After the Atomic Bombings
Introduction I recently read Road to Surrender by Evan Thomas that describes the atmosphere leading to the Japanese surrender ending World War II. There were several key issues that led to that decision. Many historians [...]
The Tragedy of the Failure of MS St. Louis to Help Jewish Refugees Escape from Europe
Introduction My friends know my ongoing interest in events surrounding World War II. They have asked me from time to time why Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) did not allow Jewish refugees into the United States after [...]
The Cossacks: The Scourge of Russian Jews
Several weeks ago, I saw, for the fifth time, Fiddler on the Roof, which is based on Sholem Aleichem’s short stories. Sadly, for hundreds of years Russian Tsars used the Cossacks to implement murderous pogroms [...]
The Importance of the Fall of Constantinople in 1453
Introduction For several years I have taken courses online through thegreatcourses.com and also on their app. The Great Courses provides access to highly acclaimed teachers on video. The current course that I am attending [...]
Does the Collapse of the French Third Republic in 1940 Provide Lessons for America?
Introduction Today, I participated in a weekly telephone conference with colleagues. Our discussion focused on the enormous power of the Executive Branch of our government at the expense of Congress. These developments are troubling [...]
Acquiescence of the American Government in the Murder of the Jews During WWII (Re-post )
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
“Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.”
“Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.” — Book of Hosea, The Bible Introduction Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yeh Atid Party, 14th Prime Minister of Israel wrote for The Economist and shared, “America [...]
An Overview of the Kurds, Including the Discrimination They Face
Introduction Recent tensions involving Iran have placed the Kurdish population of the Middle East in a complicated position. Many Kurds have long sought an independent nation, commonly referred to as Kurdistan. However, independence for [...]
Jan Karski: Conscience of a Silent World (1914-2000)
Context I recently saw a one act play about Jan Karski, a recipient of Yad Vashem’s designation as “Righteous Among the Nations.” After World War II, Karski spoke about the moral responsibility and failure [...]
Acquiescence of the American Government in the Murder of the Jews During WWII
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
Pope Pius XI and Mussolini
The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer David Kertzer provided a wonderful overview not only about the complex relationship between [...]
The Splendid and The Vile By Erik Larson
The Splendid and The Vile By Erik Larson I recently finished the book, The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson. Larson focuses on the first year of Winston Chuchill’s ascendency to become Prime [...]
American Revolution 1775-1776
Introduction I recently heard a lecture by David McCullough on the first 18 months of the American Revolution. McCullough highlighted that the odds were great against a successful revolution given that Great Britain had [...]
Just How Dangerous is Europe’s Rising Far Right?
Today’s New York Times highlighted the growing role of the far-right parties in Europe. Anti-immigration parties with fascist roots—and an uncertain commitment to democracy—are now mainstream. The growth of right-wing populism often takes the [...]
J Street Seeks a Middle Path on Gaza. Is That Possible Anymore?
Today’s New York Times wrote an article describing the purpose of J Street. The article raised the question of whether a middle path on Gaza is possible. Please note… Large parts of this essay [...]
Japanese American Incarceration During World War II
Introduction I was not made aware of the internment of about 112,000 persons of Japanese ancestry who lived on the U.S. mainland, mostly along the Pacific Coast, until about 20 years ago. About two-thirds [...]
Lessons Learned from the Band of Brothers
Originally published in January 2003 This past week three of members of Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U. S. Army spent significant time with the fixed income department of Lazard [...]
The American Story, by David Rubenstein
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. David Rubenstein, who has enjoyed a remarkable career, interviewed leading historians. For the most part, these historians discussed the subjects of their biographies. While one can read this [...]
Officials Neglect Covid Vaccines’ Side Effects By Allsyia Finley
Introduction Allsyia Finley, writing for the Wall Street Journal, exposed several disturbing issues: (1) While we do not know the percentage of people taking the covid vaccine that have suffered very serious negative consequences, [...]
Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S. – by Hannah Dreier
Alone and Exploited, Migrant Children Work Brutal Jobs Across the U.S. --by Hannah Dreier The New York Times uncovered that an overwhelming number of migrant children are ending up in very dangerous jobs. Largely [...]
Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
"The United States government did something that was wrong—deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens... clearly racist." "To the survivors, to the wives [...]
Lessons from The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer
By William Shirer “History never repeats itself, but it does rhyme.” --Mark Twain Introduction Over the past 50 years I have read this wonderful chronicle of the rise and fall of Nazi Germany from [...]
All White Democratic Primaries – 1944
Over the years I have mentioned that Blacks were effectively denied suffrage in the South until 1944. The fifteenth amendment, providing male suffrage, was emasculated through a series of laws. The Civil Rights laws [...]
Animal Farm By George Orwell
Introduction Animal Farm is an allegorical novel by George Orwell first published in England in August 1945. The book is both fun to read and informative. Orwell related how the ideal of the Russian Revolution [...]
Verdict in Vichy: Power and Prejudice in the Vichy France Regime by Michael Curtis
Introduction For those of us who remain fascinated by World War II, an area of discussion is France. We ask ourselves how such a great nation could have accepted defeat only some 31 days after [...]
50 Children: The Rescue Mission of Mr. and Mrs. Kraus, Spring 1939
“To take a child from its mother seemed to be the lowest thing a human being could do,” one journal entry went, describing the moment when the Krauses met with parents in Austria. “Yet it [...]
Interview with David Rubinstein and Taylor Branch: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Interview between David Rubinstein and Taylor Branch, best known for writing a trilogy of books chronicling the life of Martin Luther King Introduction I have thoroughly enjoyed, The American Story, a compilation of interviews between [...]
Dreyfus Affair
Introduction Over the past forty years I have read several books about the Dreyfus Affair. Over time, my focus has shifted from the personal tragedy of Alfred Dreyfus, unjustly convicted and brutally treated, to the [...]
Acquiescence of the American Government in the Murder of the Jews During World War II
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
The Washington War: FDR, Politics & World War II by James Lacey
By James Lacey “World War II challenged Americans to rise to greatness. . . . Roosevelt led the way and stood at the pinnacle of events.” --President Roosevelt before the joint session of Congress on [...]
President Trump Raises Profound Concerns About Abuse of Power by the Executive Branch in Punishing Enemies and Favoring Allies
I concur with Trump’s critics who believe that his actions have lowered the morale of the Justice Department because he is undermining its apolitical tradition and setting up a precedent where America could become a [...]
What Americans Know About the Holocaust
"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" --George Santayana Pew research uncovered the following: Most U.S. adults know what the Holocaust was Most know approximately when it happened Two-Thirds [...]
Battle of Britain: With Wings Like Eagles by Michael Korda
Michael Korda’s book, With Wings Like Eagles, relives all the exhilaration, heroism, fear, and epochal significance of the Battle of Britain. 70 years later the battle retains its deserved luster. Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister, [...]
1948: Harry Truman’s Improbable Victory by David Pietrusza
Until the 2016 Trump election, most of us thought that polling techniques had improved so much that we could confidently predict presidential outcomes. We assumed that Harry Truman’s surprise victory over Thomas Dewey was not [...]