Dr Rosenfeld,

thank you so much for doing this. I have read both of your books mentioned above with great interest and look forward to your upcoming one.

I have several questions for you:

• As a place where the interested public engages with historians on the internet, we get a lot of questions about Hitler, specifically about his thoughts on various subjects and personal preferences, which is an interest sledom expressed in academia for various reasons. Having written about Hitler memes and the culture of information about Nazism on the internet, would you say that this interest in the person of Adolf Hitler is a result of that and an extension of the normalization of Nazism?

• In your book Hi Hitler you discuss the current trends in historiography and genocide studies quite critically, specifically Bloxham and Moses. What is your position in the uniqueness debate of the Holocuast?

• In your book The World Hitler never made you discuss, among other things, Philipp K. Dicks deeply held anti-fascist sentiments when it comes to The Man in the High Castle. What are your thoughts on the show?

• What has lead you to your work about counter-factual history?

Thank you so much!

Hi all,

Here's assignment #1:

Compare and contrast digital versions of Berlin's Great Domed Halls from HBO's Fatherland (mid-1990s) and The Man in the High Castle (2015--)

And....there off!

https://rivarblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/25/geography-depicted-in-film-fatherland/#jp-carousel-30

https://arminius1871.deviantart.com/art/The-man-in-the-high-castle-Great-Hall-with-train-659596129

Hi Prof. Rosenfeld,

Thank you very much for hosting this AMA, it's wonderful to have you here!

As you note, you've written extensively about the normalisation of the Nazi German past in modern popular culture. The casual, pervasive and incredibly widespread employment of references to Hitler, Nazis, fascism and genocide in 'Internet' culture would likely surprise and horrify academics who aren't familiar with such spaces. In my experiences in video-gaming communities and here on Reddit these kinds of references are almost constant - and I also find that the people who employ them so casually will, when challenged, also allege that they're only joking in their usage, and these activities cause no harm.

Has your research examined how Internet communities engage with and casually employ references to Nazism? If so, what is the impact of these kinds of activities vis a vis normalising Nazi atrocities?

Many thanks once again for sharing your time and expertise with us.

Thank you so much for joining us for this AMA! One question I have, which I hope you can offer your thoughts on, relates to my own research these days. What do you see as the appeal of conspiracy theories regarding the survival of Hitler and/or Eva Braun after World War II and the escape to various locales? The popularity of shows like "Hunting Hitler" and sensationalist books like "Grey Wolf" helps to demonstrate that there is a market for it, and it is certainly nothing new judging by earlier media that followed a similar vein. I've seen many different opinions, some complementary, some quite divergent, on just why it is so popular and never goes away, so I was hoping you might have some particular insight into why, given the focus of your own work. Thank you!

Dr Rosenfeld,

Thank you for hosting this AMA!

I was wondering if you've researched the cultural perception of Nazis in professional military circles (as well as on certain corners of the internet), specifically the near-worship of their fighting prowess; whether assigning memoirs of German generals to read, or adopting elements of German military terminology or doctrine (using words like Schwerpunkt or Auftragstaktik for example), there does seem to be something to the allegations of 'Wehrmacht penis envy' in American military culture, to use one historian's provocative phrasing. More generally, how would you lay out the meaning and significance of the perception of the Nazis being (and I wretch to phrase it this way) 'badass'?

Dr. Rosenfeld,

Thank you for this chat!

Other historical figures once associated with war and violence are largely remembered in 21st Century culture as cartoonish characters. (i.e. Napoleon, Vlad the Impaler) Do you see a risk of Hitler being trivialized to this degree?

Good Afternoon, I am wondering if the glut of Hitler and Nazi pop cultural references is seen primarily in America, or does it occur in other countries as well? I would be surprised if the casual and humorous references to Hitler are common in Germany or Israel.

Dr Rosenfeld,

Currently in many forms of media, Nazism or rather the interest in seems to be on the rise. Many will point out that Internet forums in the west often have waves of people defending WW2 Germany, excusing the Nazi Regime, or otherwise romanticizing the events. This seems to be common in the West, but more and more recently this is happening in the east as well. Popular Anime have shown Nazi characters and personification is positive (or non-genocidal) lights (The Anime Drifters, Strike Witches, and Hetalia: Axis Powers). In addition we hear of Nazi Theme parties and restaurants from all over the East (Singapore made the news a few years back, as did Indonesia with a Hitler Themed restaurant).

So, my Question is: What is causing this Eastern Trend? The Nazis movement would not seem at first glance to be kind towards Asians, Africans, Indian Sub Continentals, or SE Asian peoples, yet to one degree or another there seems to be a growing idolatry towards Nazism, or at least the persons who ran the Nazi Party.

I'm probably being dense here but what exactly does "normalisation" mean in regard to history?

How is William Shirer's "Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" regarded today?

I'm currently reading it and enjoying it.

I am also writing a comprehensive history of counterfactual history, from Antiquity to the Present.

That sounds very interesting. Can you share more about it? In particular, the methods people used before the internet to share wrong information?

Edit: Would you do an AMA in r/Judaism ever?

How does a historian work with counterfactual history?

What’s your impression of Professor Joel Goldfield who teaches French at Fairfield University?

Are there noticeable differences in internet culture and the Holocaust between Germany and the US? How sensible do you find Hitler comparisons in contemporary political discourse?

I'll do my best to keep it all on topic.

Could it be possible that introducing nazis into our media via memes, videogames (wolfenstein), movies etc EVEN as the enemy can create an effect of sorts where some people are already against the establishment of the allies automatically switch over to become nazi flagbearers solely to go against the mainstream? So the more we make nazis the enemies in our media, the more a small deluded number of people will find good in their ideology?

Are the Nazi Colonies in Chile like Villa Baviera any real threat for a potential nazi return to power/"4th Reich" or is it safe to say that they are their own people who just so happened to be descended from Nazis?

Is it appropriate to compare ANY world leader of official to Hitler? If so, who would you deem are appropriate candidates? Or rather, who wouldn't be appropriate to call a Hitler but is often assaulted with such comments?

I hope these are all on topic, Thanks for your time!

Hi! Thank you for this really interesting AMA.

Are you familiar with the "grand strategy" computer game series Hearts of Iron? If not, it is a series where you take charge of a country leading up to and through World War II. Unlike a lot of video games featuring World War II, it allows you to play as the Axis. Partly for legal reasons, the series is largely purged of war crimes and crimes against humanity, though it is disturbingly common to see people complain about the fact that they cannot implement the Holocaust when playing as Germany. Unfortunately, this also leads to an extremely sanitized experience where people can romp around the East with their Tigers and Panthers without a thought on the slaughter of millions of innocent civilians and PoW:s.

Do you think such video game experiences may play a role in "normalizing" Nazism? Do you think there would be any appropriate way to include the crimes of World War II in such an experience, in a way that could counteract such normalization?

Thank you for your time Professor Rosenfeld,

I am sure you have seen the 1967 Mel Brooks movie, The Producers. How would you relate the portrayal of Nazis and Hitler in that movie to the normalization of Nazism you see in today's popular culture? Was this movie an early example of this normalization, or is it something else entirely? It seems to me that on the Internet often the victims of Nazism and the Holocaust are ignored or mocked and I felt that this movie was careful to make the butt of every joke either Nazis or people ignorant or dismissive of Nazi crimes. Do you think that matters at all or do you think most jokes about Nazis, no matter their intention, can contribute to this normalization?

I seem to recall that historians often reject counterfactual and alt-history due to its speculative nature. Have you come across that in your work? How do you respond to such criticism?

Also what is your favourite alt-history novel about the Nazis?

Have there been any counter factual histories or novels that were once popular and have since faded (ie something like what if Napoleon conquered Europe, what if Genghis Khan died later)

Thank you for doing this! How did Nazisploitation media like Ilsa, She-Wolf of the S.S. come to be a thing in American culture?

Hello, is nazism right or left wing, if so, why?

Thank you for the AMA! How do you feel alternative history/speculative fiction, such as for instance Michael Chabon's Yiddish Policemen's Union, has influenced openness to counter-factual narratives?

Hello professor Rosenfeld, thank you for this AMA!

Would you say the recent normalisation of Hitler and nazism in general is more a product of internet culture than the passing of time itself and the increasing chronological distance between the present day and the Holocaust?

Thank you for this AMA! How do you think remembering Nazism and the Holocaust will change after there won't be any contemporary witnesses left in a few years? What's your explanation for how the fictional TV Series "Holocaust" could have such a big impact on the public view of the mass murder of the European Jews that it established it being called Holocaust?

I've always thought that the prevalence of Hitler, Nazism and the Holocaust in popular culture and memes was due mainly to the timespan separating younger generations from World War II. When "The Producers" was first put on in 1967, for example, I've heard that it was incredibly offensive even to make fun of Hitler, since the Holocaust was then in recent memory.

My generation, however, is separated by three generations from the Holocaust. It's still one of the biggest topics in our historical education (possibly the biggest) and the taboo remains, but I feel like it's a taboo not sincerely held by most people my age and so desirable to transgress against (much like the similar popularity of suicide jokes). Would you say this is true or is there something bigger and more sinister at play?

Thank you for taking the time to do this AMA. A youtube video made by Lindsey Ellis a while back commented on the The Producers video and a certain fascination some less than desirable sections of internet culture seem to have with using Mel Brooks as an example for why they can make many anti-semitic jokes. In it she goes over how avowed Nazis have responded to movies like American History X and noted that The Producers does not get reappropriated in a similar fashion. How do you view satirical content and the effect they have in normalizing the third reich? Has the absurdist humor of The Producers crossed with our current obsession with absurdist humor (rick and morty, bojack horseman, etc) far enough that it may be just as strong of a normalizer?

Edit: The Producers

Can you give us a preview of your upcoming book? I have read about the so-called werewolf but was that ever taken seriously? What other fears of Nazis returning were there?

Hi Dr. Rosenfeld, a pleasure to have you here.

My question is about the cultural memory surrounding Nazi militaria. It is very common to see individuals sharing, buying, and displaying militaria and other objects from Nazi Germany openly online in forums, message boards, and other groups dedicated to the Second World War. What place does "collectibles"/militaria have in the normalization of Nazi Germany in our present day culture?

What is your relationship to German culture? In your teachings, do you try to be empathic why Germans created Nazi Germany?

Dr. Rosenfeld,

I was recently rereading Baudrillard’s Holocaust and was wondering if you were familiar with the work/had any insights on it.

It’s fairly dense and borrows from MacLuhan which is also dense. Thanks in advance!

Dr Rosenfeld, thank you for doing this AMA. What are some of your favourite alt-history divergence points or stories? Are there any that you think deserve more attention?

Hi prof Rosenfeld!

Thanks for this AMA!

I wanted to ask your thoughts about the Wehrmacht weren't nazis myth/though/whatever it's called.

I read "Tigers in the mud" by Otto Carius, a famous Tiger tank commander. Now he states (or at least I interpreted it that way) that the Wehrmacht were only defending and fighting for their country like anyone else would have (Brits, Russians, French and so on) and that they didn't all agree with Hitler and his policies. The SS on the contrary were the true Nazis, and the ones who should be blamed for a lot that happened during the war, not the Wehrmacht. So what do you think of this? Thanks a lot!

What post war time period are you referring to? as I can think of popular culture references to Nazis/WWII/Hitler going back quite some time. Definitely the 1970s had tv shows, movies, games, jokes, etc covering these things in the casual manner suggested by the other comments here so wouldn’t say it’s any uniquely recent phenomenon

I might be late to the party, but here goes....

How do people who seriously study counterfactual history regard the author Harry Turtledove? On the one hand, Harry Turtledove has a Ph.D. in Byzantine history and wants to keep his counterfactual history as plausible as he can, but on the other hand his primary goal is to write entertaining stories and sell books.

What are your thoughts on the current global state of populism and demagoguery? Do you see any particularly troubling parallels with the 1930s, or is there something else amiss to you?

Longshot since I'm late, but what's your take on which of the translations of Mein Kampf one ought to read? The goal being to get a most accurate understanding of AHs thinking.

What would you think would be a good level of knowledge in this subject for primary level students to have by the time they enter secondary school?

Very basic question but I think it easily becomes really complicated when you weigh up exposing some one so young to such a horrible and traumatic event in our collective history. Also on the other hand how harmful it could be to hold back and ‘sanitise’ History in order to make it more digestible.

Welcome, Gavriel!

I have had always these 2 questions in the back of my head for a while, and now I have a perfect opportunity in front of me.

• I once heard the Nazis compared to the Galactic Empire from Star Wars in the following phrase:"The Nazis are like the Empire: you like them until you realize they are the good guys".

What makes them so attractive, in spite of the general knowing full well the reach of their actions and fully condemning them?

• You speak about normalisation. Is it inevitable? I often think of how acts that in the day must have been horrible, but the emotional load they bring becomes diluted in time. For example, how we have to make a conscious effort to remember the atrocities of the Roman Empire or the Mongols, while being much too often blinded to its more positive accomplishments. Will we see the Nazis in the same way 200, 500 years into the future?

What do you think of Norman Finklestein? I am not some kind of weirdo holocaust denier, but I know that guy has pissed off a lot of Holocaust historians and fellow Jews. What are your thoughts on Timothy Snyder? I read Bloodlands and it seems like the "Holocaust by bullets" had a far larger death toll than historians previously realized.

Does the cultural memory fluctuate between more interest and less interest, or is it on a steady decline?

Follow up, is there any evidence the cultural memory of the Holocaust differs in staying power from the cultural memory of other historic events like the assassination of Franz Ferdinand (for instance)?