Forum: Hitler: the Rise of Evil

H-German Media Forum on the miniseries: Hitler: the Rise of Evil

May/June 2003

Introduction:

On May 18 and 20th, during the "May Sweeps" period, CBS broadcast a four-hour film in two episodes entitled Hitler: The Rise of Evil, starring Robert Carlyle as Adolf Hitler. The project of making a film on such a topic is always fraught with difficulties, but this particular project provoked the criticism of Abraham Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League last August. Subsequently, the ADL issued a statement praising the final version of the film, although some CBS affiliates nonetheless chose not to air the broadcasts. Thus the film may be of interest to those following the continuing struggle for custody of the memory of the Third Reich in the US, and particularly to those who engage in scholarly studies of the media.

Additionally, this broadcast merits our attention for various reasons:

it is based in part on the first volume of Ian Kershaw's recent acclaimed Hitler biography it is likely that many current and future students will see it it is clearly being promoted by CBS as a ratings booster CBS is pitching it at as an educational film, offering a "teacher's guide" to the film on its website it will contribute to the public perception of Hitler and the history of the Third Reich in the USA

For these reasons, the film raises questions about how we, as academic historians, see our role in intervening in and finding a language to address this broad audience for history, a matter given weight recently by AHA president James McPherson's pronouncements on the public history/academic history divide.

H-German organized a discussion forum that sought to address these and other issues. Below you will find the three initial reviews as well as three preliminary responses solicited by the editors. Further comments follow in the order of their posting to the list.

Susan Boettcher
David Imhoof
Paul Steege
H-German Editors

Initial Reviews

Andrew Bergerson, Wednesday, 21 May 2003
Thedore Rippey, Wednesday, 21 May 2003
Gerhard Weinberg, Wednesday, 21 May 2003

Solicited Responses

David Bielanski, Friday, 23 May 2003
Erich Ehrenreich, Thursday, 22 May 2003
Thomas Pegelow, Friday, 23 May 2003

Discussion

**Thursday, 22 May 2003**
	Jane Caplan	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view
	Clare Spark	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view
	Eric Kohler	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

*Friday,* 23 May 2003**
	Ronald Shearer	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view
	Charles Maier	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

*Saturday,* 24 May 2003**
	M.E. Menninger Clare Spark	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

*Tuesday,* 27 May 2003**
	Robert Whealey	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view
	Harold Marcuse Daniel Macfarlane	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view
	Mark Cole	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

*Wednesday,* 28 May 2003**
	Nathan Stoltzfus	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

*Friday, 30* May 2003**
	Merel Boers Clare Sparks	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil" (history and mass media)	view

*Saturday, 31* May 2003**
	Peter Utgaard Robert Whealey	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil" (history and mass media)	view

**Sunday, 1 June 2003**
	Clare Sparks	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

**Monday, 2 June 2003**
	Charlotte Opfermann Robert Whealey Merel Boers	"Hitler: The Rise of Evil"	view

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