World War II was a time of intense global conflict, and while most Americans fought for the Allies, there were a few who chose a different path. This article explores the intriguing story of Americans who fought for Germany during the war, shedding light on their motivations and actions.
Before declaring war on the United States on December 11, 1941, Adolf Hitler had a complex view of America. He saw it as a country weakened by racial issues and social inequalities. Despite his disdain, he and his close circle secretly enjoyed American movies, although they were banned for the German public to prevent the spread of what he considered “decadence.” Hitler underestimated the United States, believing that the ultimate battle for world dominance would be between Nazi Germany and the USA.
As World War II loomed, Hitler encouraged people of German descent living outside Germany, known as Volksdeutsch, to return to their homeland. Many German immigrants in America remembered the anti-German sentiment that arose during World War I, leading to boycotts of German-related activities and the disappearance of the German language from schools and public life. This historical resentment, combined with admiration for Germany’s post-World War I recovery, led some German Americans to reconnect with their roots through organizations like the German American Bund.
During the 1930s, more Germans returned to Germany from America than those who emigrated there. Many felt it was their patriotic duty to support Germany when it went to war with Britain in 1940. Those who returned often joined combat units and fought alongside German soldiers. However, much of the documentation about these individuals was lost during the war, making it difficult to estimate their numbers.
One notable figure was Herbert Bergman, born in Minnesota to German immigrant parents. He worked as a broadcaster for a German radio station during the war and was later convicted of treason. Another infamous individual was Martin James Monty, an American pilot who defected to Germany, stole an American plane, and worked as a propaganda broadcaster. Monty was eventually captured, tried, and sentenced for his actions.
While the exact number of Americans who fought for Germany remains unknown, their stories highlight the complex identities and loyalties during a tumultuous time. These individuals were often used as propaganda tools, and their actions left a lasting impact on history.
The story of Americans who fought for Germany during World War II is a fascinating chapter in history. It serves as a reminder of the diverse experiences and choices people faced during the war, influenced by their heritage, beliefs, and circumstances.
Research a notable figure mentioned in the article, such as Herbert Bergman or Martin James Monty. Create a presentation that explores their motivations, actions, and the consequences they faced. Present your findings to the class, highlighting how their stories reflect the complex identities and loyalties during World War II.
Participate in a class debate on the topic: “Was it justified for German Americans to fight for Germany during World War II?” Prepare arguments for both sides, considering historical context, personal identity, and moral implications. Engage in a respectful discussion to understand different perspectives.
Write a fictional diary entry from the perspective of a German American who chose to fight for Germany. Describe their thoughts, feelings, and experiences during a day in the war. Use historical details from the article to make your entry authentic and reflective of the era.
Watch a documentary about World War II that includes the role of Americans who fought for Germany. Analyze how the documentary portrays these individuals and compare it with the information from the article. Write a short essay discussing any similarities or differences in the portrayal.
Reflect on your own heritage and identity. Participate in a class discussion about how heritage can influence personal choices and loyalties. Consider how the experiences of German Americans during World War II relate to broader themes of identity and belonging in today’s world.
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Now, let’s discuss the Americans who fought for Germany during World War II (1933-1945). Before he declared war on the USA on December 11, 1941, Hitler viewed the United States as a decadent country plagued by racial problems and social inequalities. It is widely known that Hitler and his entourage watched American movies, but for the German public, they were banned for fear of spreading decadence. In Hitler’s opinion, the Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt was a nuisance who was not leading America properly. He also discounted the United States due to its neutrality laws and the America First policy of isolationism. Although he believed that the final conflict for world hegemony would be fought between Nazi Germany and the USA, he underestimated his future enemy.
As World War II rapidly approached, he urged the Volksdeutsch (people of German heritage outside the Reich) to return home to the fatherland and help defend it. Many German immigrants who came to America still remembered the anti-German hysteria that swept across the United States towards the end of World War I. Many things associated with Germany were boycotted, and public pressure brought an end to most German language newspapers, German-specific social and cultural activities, and the use of the German language in churches. In many places, even Beethoven was banned. In 1914, 24% of American high school students studied the German language, but later on, German language courses practically disappeared from schools. Streets, neighborhoods, suburbs, towns, foods, and breeds of dogs lost their German names. Many families with German surnames Americanized or anglicized them, or at least changed the names of their businesses. Sauerkraut was even renamed “liberty cabbage.”
Resentment grew among some German Americans about how they had been treated during this time, especially as they reflected on how the German language and culture had been admired by many Americans before the outbreak of World War I. There was a growing admiration for how Germany had recovered after the war under the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, becoming a new dynamic and reinvigorated nation. German Americans once again became proud of their heritage and, through organizations such as the German American Bund, reconnected with their Germanic roots. However, this also meant that these immigrants were increasingly exposed to a glamorized version of German National Socialism, partly due to the German government’s strong links with the German American Bund, which was gaining popularity and becoming more nationalistic.
Many felt it was their patriotic duty to return to Germany when it went to war with Britain in 1940. Each year in the 1930s, more Germans returned to Germany from America than emigrated there, reversing the previous trend. Those who did return were mostly absorbed into combat units and fought alongside their new fellow countrymen. George Nafzger wrote in his German Order of Battle that the Waffen-SS had five U.S. Volksdeutsch (Americans of German descent). However, much documentation regarding the immigration and repatriation of such soldiers did not survive the war, as these documents were kept in major cities that were bombed and are now lost to history. Therefore, the number of American Germans who went to fight for Germany during World War II is impossible to estimate, but some were used as propaganda tools.
One notable example was Herbert Bergman, who was born in Minnesota to German immigrant parents. He had served in the U.S. State Department, and when the war broke out between Germany and the United States, he went to work as a broadcaster in Berlin for the German English-language radio station, which claimed to be the voice of all free America but actually broadcast from Bremen, Germany. After the war, he was convicted of 13 acts of treason. His defense was that he had been insane at the time and had been coerced into doing the broadcasts by the Gestapo. Nevertheless, he was sentenced to between 6 and 20 years in prison and died in federal custody in 1953.
By far the most notorious of these individuals was Martin James Monty, an American from Missouri whose mother was of German heritage. In 1942, he joined the United States Air Force and qualified to fly the P-38 Lightning and P-39 Airacobra. Monty was promoted to first lieutenant, but his loyalty seemed to lie with the new Germany. When stationed in India in August 1944, he deserted, managed to get a lift on a military cargo plane to Cairo, Egypt, and then caught a follow-on flight to Tripoli, Libya. Afterward, he talked himself aboard a plane to the Allied-occupied Italian city of Naples. After a few days of maneuvering, he requisitioned a Lockheed F5E Lightning for a test flight, stole the newly repaired American reconnaissance plane, and defected to the Germans. The Luftwaffe quickly replaced the aircraft’s U.S. markings and gave it a new call sign before sending it to Germany, where it served its new owners until the war’s end.
Initially, Monty worked as a propaganda broadcaster in a unit called “Standard Coutegas” under the pseudonym Captain Martin Vith. In his broadcasts, he tried to convince American combat troops that the USA should fight alongside Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union. However, after only a few speeches, his job changed to writing propaganda leaflets distributed to Allied prisoners of war. Monty even became an intern in the Waffen-SS and was ordered to fight in northern Italy in April 1945. Shortly after his arrival, in early May, the American-born Waffen-SS officer in German uniform surrendered to the U.S. Fifth Army in Milan and tried to convince them that he was an escaped American POW.
Initially, Monty was court-martialed for being AWOL and for misappropriation of the F5E Lightning. He was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. At that early stage, prosecutors did not know of his defection or his propaganda activities on behalf of Germany. In early February 1946, President Harry Truman commuted his sentence to time served, contingent on his re-enlistment in the Air Force as a private. Monty did so and, within two years, had climbed to the rank of sergeant. Meanwhile, Army intelligence officials, pouring over captured records in Germany, uncovered evidence of his contribution to the Nazi war effort. On November 1, 1947, a Washington Post reporter broke the story. On January 26, 1948, minutes after the Army granted Monty an honorable discharge, the FBI arrested him after psychiatrists deemed him fit to stand trial. A federal grand jury indicted him for 21 overt acts of treason. The minimum penalty was a five-year prison term and a $10,000 fine; the maximum was death. During the trial, Monty pleaded guilty, and the judge imposed a prison sentence of 25 years and a fine of $10,000.
Now, we will never know how many Americans of German heritage responded to the call to return to the fatherland. It was not just answered from America but also from around the world, though most likely in very small numbers.
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Americans – Citizens or inhabitants of the United States, often associated with the cultural and historical developments of the nation. – During the Great Depression, many Americans faced severe economic hardships, leading to significant changes in government policy.
Germany – A country in Central Europe, known for its pivotal role in European history, particularly during the 20th century. – After World War I, Germany faced economic and political instability, which contributed to the rise of the Nazi Party.
World War II – A global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world’s nations, including the major powers, which were divided into the Allies and the Axis. – World War II resulted in significant geopolitical changes and set the stage for the Cold War.
Hitler – Adolf Hitler, the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party), who became Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and led the country during World War II. – Hitler’s aggressive expansionist policies and the Holocaust had a profound impact on world history.
Heritage – The traditions, achievements, beliefs, and cultural elements that are passed down from previous generations. – The cultural heritage of ancient civilizations like Greece and Rome has greatly influenced modern Western societies.
Propaganda – Information, especially biased or misleading, used to promote a political cause or point of view. – During World War II, propaganda was used extensively by both the Allies and the Axis to influence public opinion and morale.
Combat – Active fighting between armed forces during a conflict or war. – The soldiers experienced intense combat during the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the deadliest battles in history.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs, and the interpretation of those events. – Understanding history is crucial for learning from past mistakes and shaping a better future.
Loyalties – Feelings of allegiance or devotion to a person, group, or cause, often tested during times of conflict. – During the American Civil War, loyalties were divided between the Union and the Confederacy, even within families.
Immigrants – People who move to a foreign country for permanent residence, often contributing to the cultural and economic development of their new home. – Immigrants played a crucial role in the industrial growth of the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
