Nazis on the Run: How Hitler's Henchmen Fled Justice
1
July 2014, Volume 42, Number 3 105 questions (is this really Adolf Hitler’s skull?) that may not be very representa- tive of the way that most historians will want to use—or critique—DNA testing. Williams explains some technical concepts, but no more than one might find in a quality newspaper article. Sci- entifically literate critical thinking has to go well beyond inviting students to look on as the experts are consulted (an experience only marginally superior to watching popular TV shows such as Bones). The problem is that the sub- ject matter is so technical that learn- ing to tell a valid interpretation from a specious one requires teaching a cer- tain amount of actual science. That, in turn, would require a more special- ized focus: There probably isn’t room to explain blunt-force trauma and how to spot a forged Vermeer in the same book. These are pedagogical dilemmas that The Forensic Historian does not solve. ISAAC LAND Indiana State University Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis Steinacher, Gerald Nazis on the Run: How Hitler’s Henchmen Fled Justice Whiteside, Shaun, trans. Oxford: Oxford University Press 409 pp., $19.95, ISBN 978–0–19–964245–8 Publication Date: October 2012 Nazis on the Run: How Hitler’s Hench- men Fled Justice is a study of how Nazi war criminals, both Germans and other Europeans, evaded the courts of post- war Europe and established new lives. This is the type of historical topic that attracts popular attention; stories of es- caped Nazis can be found in the Cold War thriller novels of Helen McGin- nis and movies such as The Boys from Brazil, The Odessa File, and Marathon Man. One might expect this topic to be well-trod ground for professional his- torians. Not so. Only a small group of scholars, including Uki Go˜ ni, Ernst Klee, Holger Mendig, Matteo Sanfil- ippo, and Guy Walters, have tackled the subject, and all but Walters have published in German or Italian. Gerald Steinacher joins this group with Nazis on the Run, translated from the German by Shaun Whiteside. Steinacher is cur- rently an assistant professor at the Uni- versity of Nebraska-Lincoln and has held prestigious fellowships at Harvard and the United States Holocaust Mu- seum. He has published extensively on subjects related to Italy and Germany during and after the Nazi period and is eminently qualified to write on this topic. This book is clearly organized, with obvious topics separated into chapters. The first chapter details the escape route through Italy by which war criminals, with the help of ethnic Germans in the South Tyrol, fled Europe. The sec- ond chapter shows how the Interna- tional Committee Red Cross (ICRC) inadvertently helped war criminals ac- quire travel documents and new identi- ties, apparently based on the flimsiest documentation. The third chapter fo- cuses on the involvement of the Vati- can, particularly on the role of European clergymen such as Alois Hudal and Krunoslav Draganovi´ c, in providing aid to known members of the SS, the Croa- tian Ustaˇ se, and other fascist organiza- tions. The fourth chapter examines the ways that war criminals were recruited by Western, particularly American, in- telligence services to serve the cause of anti-Communism. The final chapter discusses the ways that war criminals established new identities and lives in Argentina. This structure promises the reader a very interesting story—both because it covers a subject neglected by aca- demic historians writing in English and as a shocking, if entertaining, tale of unsavory characters and criminal be- havior. Indeed, the author’s research in American, German, Austrian, Italian, and other archives is exhaustive, and Nazis on the Run is a valuable contribu- tion to existing scholarship on the Nazi period and beyond. Unfortunately, the book suffers from its origins as a disser- tation. The clear-cut and very sensible chapter divisions described above do not reflect its true organization, which is rambling and somewhat muddled. For example, much of the information in the chapter about intelligence services and war criminals is, in fact, about the role of the Catholic Church. Several of the war criminals described in the final chapter, on Argentina, do not actually end up in Argentina. The author is enamored of his re- search, an experience many profes- sional historians will remember from their own dissertations. He seems to try to include every story he uncov- ered, whether or not it adds to his ar- gument. Undoubtedly, he has left an enormous amount out of the book, but what is left is cluttered. The book is also quite repetitive, with characters ap- pearing over and over, and in some cases introduced several times, as if the chapters were originally separate arti- cles that have been cobbled together. Some of this may be unavoidable given the complex threads of the escape line, but it is surprising that Oxford did not insist on a more careful edit. In spite of these quibbles, the book is truly valuable for professional his- torians, who will overlook its organi- zational and stylistic flaws and focus on its admirable research. It should be noted that the book won a National Jewish Book Award in 2011. The sub- ject attracts a nonacademic audience that is likely to be disappointed by the dissertation-like flavor of this book. Readers of popular history are more likely to enjoy Peter Levenda’s sensa- tionalistic treatment in Ratline: Soviet Spies, Nazi Priests, and the Disappear- ance of Adolf Hitler (Ibis Press, 2012). Academic historians and history buffs alike may find Guy Walters’s Hunting Evil: How the Nazi War Criminals Es- caped and the Hunt to Bring Them to Justice (Bantam, 2009) to be the most satisfying scholarly study of this fasci- nating topic. ANNI BAKER Wheaton College Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis Irwin, Ryan M. Gordian Knot: Apartheid and the Unmaking of the Liberal World Order New York: Oxford University Press 256 pp., $45.00, ISBN 978-0-199-85561-2 Publication Date: September 2012 Gordian Knot: Apartheid and the Un- making of the Liberal World Order highlights a previously ignored chapter in the antiapartheid struggle: the diplo- matic battles waged during the 1960s by representatives of newly independent African states at the United Nations to delegitimize the apartheid regime. In fighting these battles, argues author Ryan Irwin, these states sought to es- tablish themselves as a legitimate po- litical force in the international politi- cal system. Irwin explores the response of Kennedy and Johnson administration
Transcript of Nazis on the Run: How Hitler's Henchmen Fled Justice
July 2014, Volume 42, Number 3 105
questions (is this really Adolf Hitler’sskull?) that may not be very representa-tive of the way that most historians willwant to use—or critique—DNA testing.
Williams explains some technicalconcepts, but no more than one mightfind in a quality newspaper article. Sci-entifically literate critical thinking hasto go well beyond inviting students tolook on as the experts are consulted (anexperience only marginally superior towatching popular TV shows such asBones). The problem is that the sub-ject matter is so technical that learn-ing to tell a valid interpretation from aspecious one requires teaching a cer-tain amount of actual science. That,in turn, would require a more special-ized focus: There probably isn’t roomto explain blunt-force trauma and howto spot a forged Vermeer in the samebook. These are pedagogical dilemmasthat The Forensic Historian does notsolve.
ISAAC LANDIndiana State University
Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis
Steinacher, GeraldNazis on the Run: How Hitler’sHenchmen Fled JusticeWhiteside, Shaun, trans.Oxford: Oxford University Press409 pp., $19.95,ISBN 978–0–19–964245–8Publication Date: October 2012
Nazis on the Run: How Hitler’s Hench-men Fled Justice is a study of how Naziwar criminals, both Germans and otherEuropeans, evaded the courts of post-war Europe and established new lives.This is the type of historical topic thatattracts popular attention; stories of es-caped Nazis can be found in the ColdWar thriller novels of Helen McGin-nis and movies such as The Boys fromBrazil, The Odessa File, and MarathonMan. One might expect this topic to bewell-trod ground for professional his-torians. Not so. Only a small groupof scholars, including Uki Goni, ErnstKlee, Holger Mendig, Matteo Sanfil-ippo, and Guy Walters, have tackledthe subject, and all but Walters havepublished in German or Italian. GeraldSteinacher joins this group with Nazison the Run, translated from the Germanby Shaun Whiteside. Steinacher is cur-rently an assistant professor at the Uni-
versity of Nebraska-Lincoln and hasheld prestigious fellowships at Harvardand the United States Holocaust Mu-seum. He has published extensively onsubjects related to Italy and Germanyduring and after the Nazi period andis eminently qualified to write on thistopic.
This book is clearly organized, withobvious topics separated into chapters.The first chapter details the escape routethrough Italy by which war criminals,with the help of ethnic Germans inthe South Tyrol, fled Europe. The sec-ond chapter shows how the Interna-tional Committee Red Cross (ICRC)inadvertently helped war criminals ac-quire travel documents and new identi-ties, apparently based on the flimsiestdocumentation. The third chapter fo-cuses on the involvement of the Vati-can, particularly on the role of Europeanclergymen such as Alois Hudal andKrunoslav Draganovic, in providing aidto known members of the SS, the Croa-tian Ustase, and other fascist organiza-tions. The fourth chapter examines theways that war criminals were recruitedby Western, particularly American, in-telligence services to serve the causeof anti-Communism. The final chapterdiscusses the ways that war criminalsestablished new identities and lives inArgentina.
This structure promises the readera very interesting story—both becauseit covers a subject neglected by aca-demic historians writing in English andas a shocking, if entertaining, tale ofunsavory characters and criminal be-havior. Indeed, the author’s research inAmerican, German, Austrian, Italian,and other archives is exhaustive, andNazis on the Run is a valuable contribu-tion to existing scholarship on the Naziperiod and beyond. Unfortunately, thebook suffers from its origins as a disser-tation. The clear-cut and very sensiblechapter divisions described above donot reflect its true organization, which isrambling and somewhat muddled. Forexample, much of the information inthe chapter about intelligence servicesand war criminals is, in fact, about therole of the Catholic Church. Several ofthe war criminals described in the finalchapter, on Argentina, do not actuallyend up in Argentina.
The author is enamored of his re-search, an experience many profes-sional historians will remember fromtheir own dissertations. He seems totry to include every story he uncov-ered, whether or not it adds to his ar-
gument. Undoubtedly, he has left anenormous amount out of the book, butwhat is left is cluttered. The book isalso quite repetitive, with characters ap-pearing over and over, and in somecases introduced several times, as if thechapters were originally separate arti-cles that have been cobbled together.Some of this may be unavoidable giventhe complex threads of the escape line,but it is surprising that Oxford did notinsist on a more careful edit.
In spite of these quibbles, the bookis truly valuable for professional his-torians, who will overlook its organi-zational and stylistic flaws and focuson its admirable research. It should benoted that the book won a NationalJewish Book Award in 2011. The sub-ject attracts a nonacademic audiencethat is likely to be disappointed bythe dissertation-like flavor of this book.Readers of popular history are morelikely to enjoy Peter Levenda’s sensa-tionalistic treatment in Ratline: SovietSpies, Nazi Priests, and the Disappear-ance of Adolf Hitler (Ibis Press, 2012).Academic historians and history buffsalike may find Guy Walters’s HuntingEvil: How the Nazi War Criminals Es-caped and the Hunt to Bring Them toJustice (Bantam, 2009) to be the mostsatisfying scholarly study of this fasci-nating topic.
ANNI BAKERWheaton College
Copyright © 2014 Taylor & Francis
Irwin, Ryan M.Gordian Knot: Apartheidand the Unmaking of the LiberalWorld OrderNew York: Oxford University Press256 pp., $45.00,ISBN 978-0-199-85561-2Publication Date: September 2012
Gordian Knot: Apartheid and the Un-making of the Liberal World Orderhighlights a previously ignored chapterin the antiapartheid struggle: the diplo-matic battles waged during the 1960s byrepresentatives of newly independentAfrican states at the United Nationsto delegitimize the apartheid regime.In fighting these battles, argues authorRyan Irwin, these states sought to es-tablish themselves as a legitimate po-litical force in the international politi-cal system. Irwin explores the responseof Kennedy and Johnson administration
