Harry S. Truman: A President Who Shaped the Modern World
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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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Ernie Pyle (The Greatest Correspondent of World War II)
Ernest Pyle was the best-known, most beloved correspondent during World War II. My mother who was a journalist named me after him. She and Ernie were working journalists in Chicago in the 1930’s. Like [...]
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 [...]
The Economic Impact of D-day
The observance of the 75th anniversary of D-Day has deservedly caused universal celebration. Winston Churchill articulated the importance of defeating Hitler. It prevented us from “sinking into the abyss of a new Dark Age.” [...]
Ernie Pyle: The Man Who Told the Truth About D-Day
Ernie Pyle was beloved by readers and service members alike for his coverage of the war through the eyes of infantrymen on the front lines In this week’s New York Times Magazine, the article was [...]
Remembering D Day’s Lessons
The past few days have at one level been exhilarating. For Western leaders to celebrate the success of the greatest seaborne invasion in history is memorable in it self. Moreover, while only 4% of the [...]
Those Angry Days, Roosevelt, Lindbergh, and America’s Fight Over World War II, 1939-1941 by Lynne Olson
By Lynne Olson Personal Thoughts For me, the struggle against Fascism represented the clearest example of good versus evil. I would have loved to have actively participated on the side of those who favored [...]
Roosevelt’s Second Act: The Election of 1940 and the Politics of War by Richard Moe
Because this book is so focused on a single, but pivotal year, I am hesitant to recommend it. That is, one has to be a committed World War II Buff to enjoy it. Richard Moe, [...]
Five Days in London, May 1940
Five Days in London, May 1940 By John Lukacs The days from May 24 to May 28, 1940, altered the course of the history of this century, as the members of the British War Cabinet [...]
No Ordinary Time Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by Doris Kearns Goodwin
No Ordinary Time Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt by Doris Kearns Goodwin I recently reread Goodwin’s book in which she recounted the war years, 1940 through 1945, from the perspective of the American Presidency. Both Franklin [...]
The Nazi Hunters by Andrew Nagorski
By Andrew Nagorski My sister, (Joella Werlin) knowing of my ongoing interest in World War II, sent me, The Nazi Hunters. While the book was not easy reading, it did provide me some interesting insights [...]
The Duel: 10 May- 31 July 1940 – The Eighty-Day Struggle Between Churchill and Hitler by John Lukacs
By John Lukacs I am already starting work for my upcoming class on Modern American History which will begin in January 2016. Our first few lectures will be on World War II—the war that saved [...]
Harrison Report to President Truman on the Status of Displaced Jews, August 1945
Introduction: In my judgment (1) the abhorrent treatment of Jews following the end of World War II both in displaced persons’ camps or in their native countries such as Poland, Rumania, and Germany, (2) the [...]
Normandy Invasion
Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade…. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march [...]
Franklin Roosevelt’s Key Foreign Policy Leadership Role
INTRODUCTION If I were an excellent cartoonist like my friend, Mel Gerstein, I would draw a cartoon of Franklin Roosevelt, with a cigarette holder clenched in his mouth holding up the world like the mythical [...]
Franklin Roosevelt: A First Class Temperament
I recently completed an enjoyable book, A First Class Temperament. This work seeks to capture the essence of Franklin Roosevelt’s personality. President Roosevelt was indeed a remarkable person. A man who suffered such debilitating paralysis [...]
Japanese Decision to Attack Pearl Harbor
Over the past few years I have enjoyed immensely Fateful Choices, Ten Decisions that Changed the World, 1940-1941 by Ian Kershaw. This essay is devoted to the Japanese Decision to Attack Pearl Harbor. Their choice [...]
Battle of Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad 08/21/1942—2/02/1943 Overview The Battle of Stalingrad is considered by many historians to been the turning point in World War II in Europe. In essence, the battle bled the German army dry in [...]
Normandy Remembered
"Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade…. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march [...]
Churchill and the Jews
By Sir Martin Gilbert (Official Biographer for Winston Churchill) Introduction: Martin Gilbert wrote Churchill and the Jews for several reasons: First of all, Gilbert wanted to highlight Churchill’s moral courage. His fondness for Jews was [...]
Italy, the Achilles Heel of the Axis
“This whipped jackal, Mussolini, who to save his own skin made all Italy a vassal State of Hitler’s Empire, comes frisking up at the side of the German tiger with yelping not only of appetite…but [...]
Why Hitler Invaded the Soviet Union rather than Pursue a Mediterranean Strategy?
History Buffs have always been fascinated about the rationale for Hitler’s disastrous invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 rather than pursue a Mediterranean Strategy. I am currently reading a book called Fateful [...]
Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Hitler’s Racial Laws
By Bryan Rigg, a Cambridge University Researcher While many of us have heard the phrase, “Love and War make strange bedfellows,” many of us are not aware that many Jews served in the German army. [...]
Truman’s Recognition of the State of Israel
About a decade ago, I was intrigued by the prospect of somebody writing a play about Truman’s decision to recognize Israel. Over the years, I have reflected repeatedly about the strange sequence of events [...]
Operation Bagration Russian Contribution to Allied Success on D-day
Russian Contribution to Allied Success on D-Day Started June 22, 1944 “Invading Russia. It is always a bad idea.” Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery “People of Western Europe: A landing was made this morning on the [...]
Operation Market-Garden September 19 to September 26, 1944 ” A Bridge Too Far”
I recently returned from a two week trip that sought to replicate the important battle engagements of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division. Our group of some twenty-five people was stimulated by the presence [...]
Japanese American Soldiers in WWII The Nation’s Most Decorated Soldiers
The 100th/442nd Regimental Combat Team initially consisted of Japanese American volunteers from the mainland United States and the Hawaiian Islands. This team became the most decorated unit in United States history. 18,000 total awards, including [...]
Bastogne: Battle of the Bulge – If you do not know what “Nuts” means
“The enemy (Germany) is at present fighting a defensive campaign on all fronts; his situation is such that he cannot stage major offensive operations.” December 15,1944 Field-Marshal Montgomery The Battle of the Ardennes was the [...]