Guenter lewy biography books

American historian

Guenter Lewy (born 22 August 1923) is a German-born American author and political person who is a professor ex- of political science at decency University of Massachusetts Amherst. Wreath works span several topics, on the other hand he is most often related with his 1978 book team the Vietnam War, America tight spot Vietnam, and several controversial oeuvre that deal with the aptness of the term genocide greet various historical events, where Lewy denies both the Romani carnage and the Armenian genocide.

In 1939 he migrated from Deutschland to Palestine. After World Hostilities II, he migrated to dignity United States to reunite inspect his parents. Lewy earned copperplate BA at City College birdcage New York City and practised MA and PhD at River University. He has been take away the faculties of Columbia Establishment, Smith College, and the School of Massachusetts Amherst.

He freshly lives in Washington, D.C., cope with was a frequent contributor collect Commentary.

Early life

Lewy was aboriginal in Breslau, Germany, (now Wrocław, Poland) in 1923. At loftiness age of nine he wedded conjugal a German-Jewish scouts organization known as Die Greifen (lit.

"the griffins"), which he has suggested was important in shaping his demand for an academic career.^[1] Affirmed by Lewy as a "quasi-Romantic" group, Die Greifen emphasized refrain, literature, and song, particularly Landsknechtlieder, encouraging the youths to keep off becoming "Spiessbürger" ("philistines").^[1] By 1938, as persecution of Jews copy Germany increased, Lewy began concentrate on lobby his family to end Germany behind.^[2] After Kristallnacht, elaborate November 1938, when his curate was interned in Buchenwald sect four months and he was beaten, his parents sent him to Mandatory Palestine.

Later delete the war, when Lewy was of fighting age, he recognizance took up arms against Deutschland, serving in the Jewish Brigade.^[3]

Areas of research

The Catholic Church tube Nazi Germany

Further information: Catholic Communion and Nazi Germany

First published enjoy 1964, Lewy's The Catholic Service and Nazi Germany has prove both controversial and influential.^[4]Rolf Hochhuth's play The Deputy had comed only a year earlier, indicting the Vatican for failing get to act to save the Jews during the Holocaust; amidst blue blood the gentry Vatican's outrage with the have, Lewy's text continued in loftiness same vein, "One is open to conclude that the Vicar of christ and his advisers—influenced by righteousness long tradition of moderate anti-Semitism so widely accepted in Residence circles—did not view the case of the Jews with tidy real sense of urgency squeeze moral outrage.

For this averment no documentation is possible, nevertheless it is a conclusion unruly to avoid."^[5]

The text received all the more praise, including that of King Grosser, who characterized the passage as a "terribly precise volume" which demonstrated that "all blue blood the gentry documents show the Catholic Creed cooperating with the Nazi regime".^[6] The Vatican opted to reply the critical allegations by let go a series of documents course to refute the growing vision of the Vatican having archaic conniving in the Holocaust.

Sole Jesuit priest answering Lewy's passage on behalf of the Residence suggested that Lewy's conclusions were based "not on the tape measure but on a subjective conviction ... This ready acceptance of orderly Nazi-inspired wartime legend is clever measure of Lewy's inability appraise plumb the motives of Pius XII ...

There is no exposition, in this book or anyplace else, that Pius XII threatening Nazism was a 'bulwark' put into operation defense of Christianity."^[5]

In the situation of other historical works examining the legacy of the Residence in the era of birth Holocaust, Lewy's work has antique described as "exceedingly harsh".^[7]

America bring into being Vietnam

Main article: America in Vietnam

Lewy had suggested that his America in Vietnam, published in 1978, would "clear away the cobwebs of mythology that inhibit honesty correct understanding of what went on—and what went wrong—in Vietnam."^[8] The text, which argues wreck traditional or "orthodox" interpretations chastisement the war as an needless, unjust, and/or unwinnable war full with disastrous mistakes and prevalent American atrocities, has proven valuable for many western scholars dump share similar views of nobleness conflict.

It predated and sham other reinterpretations including those show consideration for Norman Podhoretz,^[9]Mark Moyar, and Archangel Lind. America in Vietnam so attracted both criticism and establish of Lewy for belonging principle the "revisionist" school on Vietnam.^[10][11][12] Lewy argues,

It is prestige reasoned conclusion of this study ...

that the sense of sin created by the Vietnam fighting in the minds of numberless Americans is not warranted courier that the charges of officially, condoned illegal and grossly wicked conduct are without substance. In reality, detailed examination of battlefield reveals that the loss noncombatant life in Vietnam was regardless great than in World Hostilities II and Korea and think about it concern with minimizing the desolation of the war was mighty.

To measure and compare picture devastation and loss of sensitive life caused by different battle will be objectionable to those who repudiate or resort grant military force as an tool of foreign policy and haw be construed as callousness. Up till as long as wars break up take place at all tedious remains a moral duty test seek to reduce the desperation caused by war, and significance fulfillment of this obligation must not be disdained.

I yearning that this book may support demonstrate that moral convictions performance not the exclusive possession receive persons in conscience opposed come to war, and that those who in certain circumstances accept high-mindedness necessity and ethical justification donation armed conflict also do interest about human suffering.^[13]

Lewy criticizes what he terms the "war knavery industry", and what he perceives to be the double jus gentium \'universal law\' of the Western media, which, he alleged, neglected to reverberation equally on the crimes worry about Vietnamese communists, giving the tariff of 36,725 political assassinations perpetrated by the VC/NVA between 1957 and 1972.^[14] About the crimes committed by American soldiers, Lewy asserts that "between January 1965 and March 1973, 201 Bevy personnel in Vietnam were erring by court-martial of serious offenses against Vietnamese.

During the day of March 1965 to Sage 1971, 77 Marines were guilty of serious crimes against Vietnamese."^[15]

In recalling the 1971 congressional confirmation of some American veterans who were critical of the fighting, one of whom compared Denizen action in Vietnam to fire, Lewy suggests that some "witnesses sounded as if they challenging memorized North Vietnamese propaganda."^[16] Rank book is critical of home opponents of American participation demand the Vietnam War.

In motivating the phrases "peace activists" person above you "peace demonstrations", Lewy often puts quotation marks around the locution "peace", implying alternative motivations shield the activism. The author alleges a possible connection between cases of sabotage in the Merchant marine and the anti-war movement: "Between 1965 and 1970, the Fleet experienced a growing number confiscate cases of sabotage and fire-raising on its ships, but ham-fisted evidence could be found depart antiwar activists had directly participated in a sabotage attempt acquittal a Navy vessel.

Cases put fragging and avoidance of brave may well have been instigated at times by antiwar militants, though no hard evidence always organized subversion was ever discovered."^[17]

The text was praised by Annam veteran and United States Official Jim Webb, Andrew J. Pierre of Foreign Affairs,^[18] and descendant several newspapers, including The Economist, which described it as "in many ways the best portrayal of the war yet reveal appear".^[19] Critics included historians be more or less the "orthodox" school as able-bodied as polemical critics such renovation linguist and Vietnam War challenger Noam Chomsky.^[20] Chomsky, after paper singled out for criticism chunk Lewy in the book, wrote that "every state has sheltered Guenter Lewys".^[20] According to Linguist, Lewy's "concept of the handwriting of moral-historical tracts ...

is detraction of documents, uncritical regurgitation advice government claims, and dismissal resembling annoying facts that contradict them, and [his] concept of excellence is such as to rightful virtually any atrocity against civilians once the state has discover its commands."^[21]

Winter Soldier Investigation

Main article: Winter Soldier Investigation

America in Vietnam, which appeared seven years aft the Winter Soldier Investigation, became controversial in the context admire the 2004 United States statesmanlike election.

Presidential hopeful John Kerry had been involved with primacy Winter Soldier Investigation; in integrity context of the campaign, Lewy's suggestion that the Winter Warrior Investigation was dishonest and politically motivated was frequently cited save impugn John Kerry's reputation.^[22]Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the heap of which Kerry had antiquated a part, alleged that Dweller war policy and conduct be glad about Vietnam was resulting in battle crimes being committed.

Lewy suggests that the group used "fake witnesses" in the Winter Warrior hearing in Detroit, and think about it its allegations were formally investigated.^[16]

Government officials have said they be endowed with no record of any much Naval Investigative Service report, nevertheless that it is possible skill could have been lost exposition destroyed.

Lewy later said drift he had actually seen high-mindedness alleged report. "I don't determine Lewy is interested in visuals any of [the Winter Man-at-arms testimony] as truthful", University exert a pull on Richmond history professor Ernest Unfasten told the Chicago Tribune. "He has an angle on leadership war as a whole." Fix in place said it is impossible do tell whether Lewy fairly defined the naval investigative report due to no other historian had out of the ordinary it.^[23][24][25]

The Nazi Persecution of influence Gypsies

Further information: Porajmos

Lewy argues overcome The Nazi Persecution of rendering Gypsies, published in 2000, stray the Gypsies' overall plight does "not constitute genocide within honourableness meaning of the genocide convention".^[26] Lewy concludes that in rank case of the Nazi ordeal of the Gypsies the "use of the term 'genocide' would seem to involve a dilution of the concept",^[26] but roam the question is not put the finishing touches to determine if the Holocaust go over the main points the Nazi's worst crime; blow up refuse the "genocide" label esteem not, Lewy argues, a road to minimize the sufferings care for Gypsies, Poles, Russians and agitate non-Jewish victims of Nazism.

Magnanimity introduction is devoted to ethics long history of violence disagree with Gypsies before the Nazis took power, with a special best part on the laws adopted scuttle Bavaria and some other European Länder at the end emancipation the 19th century and nearby the beginning of the Ordinal century, showing the continuity amidst the last year of ethics Weimar Republic and the cardinal years of Nazi regime.

Summon a section entitled "Roots very last Hostility", Lewy argues that distinction main reason of the abuse against Gypsies before 1933 was prejudice. Though Gypsies are troupe a violent people, he adds that prejudice is not at all times the single reason; the naughtiness of a minority among itinerant Gypsies contributed also to enmity and prejudices.^{[citation needed]}

The book was praised by Saul Friedländer, who called it "a work exert a pull on great compassion and exemplary scholarship".^[27] According to Holocaust historian Raul Hilberg, "Lewy's account of Totalitarian measures against the powerless Gypsies is unsurpassed in the Arts language." Henriette Asséo, lecturer refer to the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences, hotshot of Gypsy history, wrote range Lewy's book "requires humility, scratchy a new, considerable documentation", summation, however, that the rejection slow "genocide" label can be "discussed"^[28]Hans Mommsen agreed completely with Lewy, including with the rejection be the owner of "genocide" qualification.^[29] Peter Black states that "this book is a- well-documented history of Nazi ordeal of the German and European Gypsies.

Yet Lewy wastes dense intellectual energy in demonstrating rove the totality of the calamity that befell the Gypsies cannot be compared to the Judaic Holocaust. This leads him achieve a few questionable conclusions."^[30]

The paperback was criticized by Norman Distorted. Finkelstein who wrote in goodness Süddeutsche Zeitung:

Lewy's argument goes like this: Gypsies were restructuring ruthlessly slaughtered by the Einsatzgruppen as the Jews, but unique because they were suspected imitation spying; Gypsies were deported resign yourself to Auschwitz like the Jews, however only "to get rid lecture them, not to kill them;" Gypsies were gassed at Chelmno like the Jews, but solitary because they had contracted typhus; most of the few surviving Gypsies were sterilized like grandeur Jews, not however to lesser their propagation but only surrender "prevent contamination of 'German blood.'"^[31]

The book has also been singled out for criticism, particularly descendant Romani scholars, who believe avoid it blames the Roma be sociable for their own massacre.^[32] Lewy's work has been criticized select being "one-sided"^[33] and as spruce text which "overstates" the differences of the persecution of Jews and the persecution of Roma in the Nazi era,^[34][35] check a manner indicative of "the priorities of latter-day scholarship, get on with the way that the homicide of the Jews has antiquated promoted to obscure so ostentatious of the rest of loftiness Nazi record of atrocity".^[36]

"Were Earth Indians the Victims of Genocide?"

Further information: Genocide of Indigenous peoples § Indigenous peoples of the Americas (pre-1948)

In September 2004, Lewy accessible an essay in Commentary favoured "Were American Indians the Chumps of Genocide?": "[E]ven if callous episodes can be considered genocidal—that is, tending toward genocide—they undeniably do not justify condemning doublecross entire society."^[37] The paper assay highly critical of Ward General, particularly in regards to coronate attributing the word "genocide" hug the destruction of American Amerindian civilization.

Lewy dismissed as ripoff Churchill's assertion that the Merged States Army intentionally spread pox among American Indians by wall off infected blankets in 1837.^[37][38]

Views policy the Armenian genocide

The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Open Genocide

Lewy's book The Armenian Massacres in Ottoman Turkey: A Undecided Genocide was published in 2006 by University of Utah Tangible after it was rejected moisten eleven publishers.^[39][40] In the volume, Lewy argues that there psychotherapy insufficient evidence of the Verdant Turk regime organizing the massacres of Armenians in the Hassock Empire.^[41] In Lewy's view, they have not been proven subsidy have been governmentally organized.^[42] Insist on the number of Armenian boobs, Lewy argues that it "can only be estimated, because rebuff death statistics for this console exist"; calculating the total victims of Ottoman Armenians between 1914 and 1919, Lewy uses interpretation figure of 1,750,000 individuals collect the pre-war population in character whole Ottoman Empire, figure worn by historians like Charles Dowsett and Malcolm E.

Yapp, followed by estimate the number of survivors in 1919 to around 1,108,000, making an average of very many estimations, including the tabulation promote George Montgomery (American official ancestry the Paris Peace Conference derive charge of Near East) post the figure of the Ethnos National Council of Constantinople; straightfaced, Lewy estimates the total losings for World War I be proof against around 642,000.^[43]

Lewy's position that approximately is insufficient evidence to destroy that the Armenians were casualties of genocide is in discriminate to the view of domineering historians and genocide scholars.

Significance reception of the book was negative overall, with several scholars criticizing the book for realistic errors and cherry-picking sources more fit Lewy's thesis.^[45][40][46] The sociologist Taner Akçam published a prolonged review of Lewy's work, peevish his methodology and lack replicate familiarity with the workings gaze at the Ottoman state.

He as well faulted him for basing fulfil arguments on questionable premises gift making select use of variety which conform to his make an effort views and conclusions.^[47]

According to Carpenter Albert Kechichian, writing in honourableness International Journal of Middle Orient Studies:

Lewy has been expansively rewarded by Turkish authorities necessitate Ankara and abroad through dignity launching of a massive ambition to distribute his book painless of charge to libraries become more intense to select groups of diplomats.

Equally noteworthy, Lewy has antediluvian decorated at a special festival in Ankara with, ironically, glory İnsanlığa Karşı İşlenen Suçlar Yüksek Ödülü (High Award for Combat in Opposition to Crimes Combat Humanity) ... [by] a well-known give shelter to whose mission includes the systematized denial of the Armenian erno through propagandistic and partisan trial and publications; the organization recapitulate sponsored and underwritten by honesty Turkish government.^[48]

Some scholars consider Lewy's book to represent Armenian destruction denial, indeed to be tending of "the key texts magnetize modern denial".^[49][40][39] Historian A.

Bayonet Moses states that Lewy gifts collective guilt to all Armenians for the military actions style some. "The collective guilt citation is unacceptable in scholarship, categorizer alone in normal discourse take precedence is, I think, one attention to detail the key ingredients in genocidal thinking."^[50]

SPLC lawsuit

According to Mark Potok, editor of the Intelligence Report journal of Southern Poverty Banned Center,^[51] the facts of picture Armenian genocide are quite lob known.

The ruling party remind you of the day massacred intellectuals, nominal hundreds of thousands of Armenians into what amounted to grip marches, and systematically despoiled rectitude victims of their property. Academician Raphael Lemkin coined the expression "genocide" in 1943 with character Armenian slaughter in mind. Up-to-date 2005, the International Association insensible Genocide Scholars (IAGS) wrote grandeur Turkish foreign minister to make remember him that the massacre comatose Christian Armenians was indeed "a systematic genocide".^[52]

On 17 November 2008 Lewy filed a defamation operation against the Southern Poverty Knock about Center, Inc., and writer-editor King Holthouse in the United States District Court for the Resident of Columbia.^[53] On 28 Sep 2010 the case was gang when the SPLC agreed separate publish a retraction and remorseful to Lewy for suggesting go wool-gathering he was "a Turkish agent".^[54] In its statement, the SPLC stated that it had understood in assuming that "any pupil who challenges the Armenian carnage narrative necessarily has been financially compromised by the government pay no attention to Turkey."^[54] The settlement with Lewy included an undisclosed monetary payment.^[54] Lewy's counsel in the argue, David Salzman and Bruce Fein, lead the Turkish Coalition loom America's Turkish American Legal Answer Fund.^[54]

Uniqueness of the Holocaust

Multiple historians have accused Lewy of gaining an agenda in his adjustment, to emphasize the uniqueness good buy the Holocaust and discredit another claims of genocide regardless castigate the evidence.^[55][56]David B.

MacDonald states that Lewy "seems unwilling foresee allow any other genocide trigger compete with the Holocaust".^[57] Show the Journal of Genocide Research, David Stannard called Lewy "one of the last of on the rocks disappearing breed: the extreme 'uniqueness' advocate determined to assert—in honesty face of contrary and progressively overwhelming fact and logic—that, castigate all the mass killings ramble have ever occurred in dignity history of the world, sole the Holocaust ...

rose to authority level of true 'genocide.'"^[58]

Lewy responded, stating that he believed grandeur Cambodian genocide and Rwandan conflagration were genocides, and adding: "With Yehuda Bauer I would telephone call the Holocaust unprecedented but battle-cry unique, because the term distinctive suggests that something like glory Holocaust can never happen again."^[59]

Published works

References

External links