1 Reply Latest reply on May 18, 2020 6:38 PM by Jason Atkinson

Were there Nazi sympathizers in the USA during WWII?

Daniel Smith May 14, 2020 5:52 PM

My father, whose father was born in Germany, received a letter mailed from neutral Switzerland. It was an appeal for all children of the fatherland to support Germany's cause. My grandmother destroyed the letter immediately (but secretly I hope it still exists) lest they be caught with such a thing. They found this very scary since my grandfather, whose last name was originally Schmidt, had changed his last name to Smith during WWI because of the hatred of Germans. How somebody knew to put my father's name,Henry Smith, on a mailing list to be sent to the Nazis is disturbing. It would mean that somebody in sympathy with the Nazis was in Nashville, TN, compiling a list of names. Does anybody know about such a thing? Thanks!

Re: Were there Nazi sympathizers in the USA during WWII?

Jason Atkinson May 18, 2020 6:38 PM (in response to Daniel Smith)
Dear Mr. Smith,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

If your father never reported the mailing to authorities, there may not be an investigation file that would shed light in this specific incident. If others received the same mailing and reported it to authorities, or if the postal authorities took note of the mailings and informed the FBI, there may be files in the Records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (Record Group 65) and/or the General Records of the Department of Justice (Record Group 60) concerning the investigation of these mailings. Please contact Archives at College Park - Textual Reference (RDT2) via email at archives2reference@nara.gov for more information about requesting these records.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT2. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

It is well established that Nazi Germany attempted to recruit German Americans to its cause. The following sources may be of interest.

Holocaust Encyclopedia article on German American Bund
FBI Investigation of German American Bund
Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities in the United States by United States. Congress. House. Special Committee on Un-American Activities (1938-1944)
Between Third Reich and American American Way: Transatlantic Migration and the Politics of Belonging, 1919-1939
The Deutschtum of Nazi Germany and the United States. By Arthur L. Smith, Jr. [International Scholars Forum, Number 15.] (The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff. 1965. Pp. 172. Cloth Glds. 19.25, paper Glds. 16.75.)

We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research!
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Were there Nazi sympathizers in the USA during WWII?

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