Americans were not prepared for Hitler’s rise to power nor for the extent of the horrors perpetrated by the Third Reich. The Americans who were in Germany at the time, either as diplomats, journalists, tourists or athletes, only slowly recognized the threat that was unfolding. Among the observers were William Shirer, Dorothy Thompson, William Dodd, Charles Lindbergh, Jesse Owens and George Kennan. In various ways, they helped their countrymen understand and prepare for the struggle ahead.
Andrew Nagorski, an award-winning journalist and author, is Vice President and Director of Public Policy at the EastWest Institute, a New York-based international affairs think tank. During a long career at Newsweek, he served as the magazine’s Bureau Chief in Hong Kong, Moscow, Rome, Bonn, Warsaw and Berlin.