PDF Summary:Prequel, by Rachel Maddow

In Prequel, Rachel Maddow exposes the alarming history of individuals and groups in the United States who embraced fascist and Nazi ideologies during the years preceding WWII. The roots of the threat trace back to figures like Philip Johnson and Lawrence Dennis, admirers of Hitler and Mussolini, who openly advocated for authoritarian, un-American models of governance inspired by fascism.

The book details how these dangerous beliefs gained traction through anti-Semitic propaganda, hate groups like the Silver Shirts, and shocking conspiracies aimed at undermining the government. Maddow sheds light on a network of influencers—legislators, media barons, and cultural figures—who amplified fascist messaging using official channels. Her investigation lays bare the unexpected reach these forces achieved through dubious means, before ultimately facing scrutiny.

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Arnold Sevareid conducted a thorough examination of the activities of the Silver Shirts in Minneapolis.

Maddow recounts the story of a bold reporter who penetrated the ranks of the Silver Shirts in Minneapolis, exposing their clandestine operations.

The investigative efforts of Sevareid exposed William Dudley Pelley as the principal leader of the Silver Shirts group.

In 1936, Arnold Sevareid, a reporter for The Minneapolis Journal, initiated an investigative journey to expose the operations of the Silver Shirts, a secretive group gaining infamy in his city. Sevareid, known for his conservative views and proficiency with hunting and firearms, quickly earned the confidence of the group from Minneapolis referred to as the Silver Shirts. He attended their open meetings, their training sessions, their private social gatherings, all while documenting their wild, paranoid, racist, and distinctly violent worldview.

Despite threats from his terrified editors and objections from prominent figures in the Jewish community, who were afraid that publicity about the Silver Shirts would increase antisemitism in their city, he published his devastating six-part exposé. Sevareid revealed the deep-seated veneration the Silver Shirts held for their originator, William Dudley Pelley, as well as their aggressive intentions to eradicate Jews and communists from the United States.

Reactions to Sevareid's investigative reporting were varied; he was praised by some for his courage, yet criticized by others for giving a platform to radical perspectives.

Maddow illuminates the complex reactions from the public to Sevareid's bold disclosures, revealing the unsettling level of support for pro-fascist factions in the Minneapolis area. While a few individuals, particularly from the Jewish community, commended Sevareid for bringing attention to this peril, a host of critics surfaced, including certain law enforcement officials who seemed to lend support to the prejudiced falsehoods spread by an extremist group, alongside his colleagues in the media and community religious leaders who accused Sevareid of overstating the threat and threatened him with physical violence.

The threat posed by the Silver Shirts remained, despite media portrayals often painting them as oddities, evidenced by their efforts to acquire weapons.

Despite various attempts by journalists and community figures to diminish the impact of an extremist group known as the Silver Shirts, Maddow illustrates that their effect extended beyond mere words. Their accumulation of armaments was occurring at an alarming rate, as they acquired them in large quantities. Maddow gravely warns of the Silver Shirts as a truly menacing paramilitary organization, warranting utmost alarm.

The Dies Committee conducted an inquiry into actions considered to be un-American.

The book by Rachel Maddow details the early investigations by lawmakers into actions considered to be in violation of American values within the nation, revealing both illuminating and troubling findings.

The initial inquiries of the panel focused on communists, even as signs of fascist endeavors were becoming more apparent.

The committee, formed in 1938 and commonly known by the name of its Texan chair, Martin Dies, focused mainly on probing into communist activities. In the United States, the Communist Party started to build its influence and collaborated closely with existing democratic movements, although many members of Congress continued to portray any group with leftist tendencies as a potential threat. Dies and his associates frequently labeled ideas that conflicted with their views with the label of communism. They utilized this approach to diminish the strength of labor unions, cast doubt on the legitimacy of changes that were enacted during Roosevelt's era of reform, and confront the trustworthiness of social movements that fought for the rights of women, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, or workers.

John Metcalfe delivered a persuasive narrative, bolstered by photographic evidence, that meticulously detailed the activities and Nazi-aligned beliefs of the German American Bund.

During its inquiries, the Dies Committee unintentionally revealed a menace that was significantly more formidable and disturbing, even though it frequently followed erroneous paths. Journalist John C. Metcalfe, who infiltrated the German American Bund by feigning allegiance for a year, provided the committee with irrefutable evidence of Nazi backing across various American cities, as demonstrated by pro-Hitler gatherings, paramilitary drills, and the indoctrination of youth in camps akin to the Hitler Youth.

The committee was unexpectedly and deeply troubled by the assortment of photographs displayed by Metcalfe. The book portrayed young Americans clad in uniforms, marching in lockstep and offering salutes reminiscent of those used by Nazis, while they practiced with guns and sharp implements. Maddow contends that these occurrences were not limited to nations abroad. The location was exactly here. Within the boundaries of the United States.

The committee's investigation ultimately uncovered Deatherage's conspiracy to overthrow the government, which implicated the participation of General Moseley.

Following Metcalfe's disclosure, the committee called upon two pivotal figures for testimony: the controversial ex-military leader General George Van Horn Moseley, and George Deatherage, who led a fascist group bearing resemblances to the KKK. Moseley's announcement led to significant worry. He unabashedly declared his profound admiration for Hitler and his belief that Jews were undermining the fundamental values of America, calling for urgent measures. He also confirmed his involvement in the creation of a fascist paramilitary organization spanning the nation, aimed at placing Moseley at the helm of a violent insurrection.

The limited effectiveness of the Dies Committee was due to a lack of resources and the biases inherent in its membership.

Madden highlights the efficiency of the government's probe into pro-fascist and Nazi activities within the United States before its entry into World War II, setting a standard for governmental effectiveness despite limited resources. The investigation concluded without any convictions or legal repercussions. The committee continued to focus intently on communist factions, yet overlooked the fact that the threat from extreme right-wing groups was substantially more serious. As the committee intensified its anti-communism efforts, the emphasis in their report that highlighted the workings of Nazi propaganda diminished.

The film industry played a crucial role in raising awareness about the threats of the Nazi government.

Maddow highlights how Hollywood was instrumental in alerting Americans to the dangers of authoritarianism, despite the industry's focus on profits and concerns over negative responses from Nazi Germany.

The release of "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" by Warner Brothers was pivotal in alerting the American public to the dangers of espionage and propaganda.

In 1939, a prominent movie production company undertook a significant project to create a film depicting Nazi espionage operations that were actively occurring on American soil. The film, based on true incidents, highlighted Germany's significant efforts in a secret operation to steal U.S. defense secrets and sway public opinion in America, fostering discord across racial, religious, and political boundaries, while simultaneously working to keep the U.S. military out of the growing conflict in Europe initiated by the Nazis.

Warner Brothers faced considerable challenges during the movie's production, such as intimidation by the Nazis and opposition from industry regulators.

The film's production faced significant hurdles, such as protecting the confidentiality and well-being of informants and those in jeopardy, dealing with opposition from German authorities who were resolute in their efforts to stop the project, and responding to criticisms from within the movie industry that the film was more propagandistic than entertaining, overly harsh on the Nazis, and might damage Hollywood's lucrative global market.

The creation of Hollywood movies that stood against the Nazis signified a pivotal shift in the perceptions of the public.

The family named Warner remained steadfast in their pursuit, undeterred by the obstacles they encountered. Upon being made available to the public, "Confessions of a Nazi Spy" garnered widespread acclaim in the early months of 1939. The executives at Warner Bros. were praised for their courage in resisting the threats posed by the Nazi regime. More important, the film’s success broke the dam. As summer ended, Hollywood studios accelerated their efforts to begin creating movies that denounced Hitler, as well as fascist and Nazi beliefs. The country initiated its relationship with a variety of collectives.

Practical Tips

• You can foster awareness of historical and current social issues by starting a book club focused on non-fiction works that delve into these topics. By selecting books that explore the roots and impacts of ideologies like fascism and anti-Semitism, you encourage informed discussions and a deeper understanding of how these issues have been addressed in the past. This can lead to a greater awareness of the importance of unity and vigilance in combating such ideologies today.
• Enhance your media literacy by regularly analyzing news articles and broadcasts for bias and representation of different groups. This practice can help you understand the challenges faced by journalists like Sevareid and the importance of diverse perspectives in media. By sharing your findings on social media or blogs, you contribute to a more informed and critical readership.
• Create a personal project to document and share stories of local social justice efforts through photography, writing, or video. This can be a way to highlight the ongoing work of individuals and groups in your community who are addressing issues similar to those Lewis and his network tackled. Sharing these stories can inspire others to support or join these efforts, continuing the legacy of grassroots activism.

The links between domestic extremist factions and the disinformation efforts by the United States during the era associated with Nazi Germany are clear.

Maddow delves deeper into the investigation, revealing the most astonishing aspect of the narrative: the manner in which the Nazi regime, leveraging the positions of power held by individuals, even individuals within the legislative body of the United States, orchestrated an extensive disinformation operation targeting the citizens of the United States.

The German initiative stood out due to its intricate nature and extensive scope.

Rachel Maddow illuminates the intricate and expansive strategies employed by the Nazi administration to deepen divisions within American society and politics among different groups.

Sophisticated strategies, including the creation of proxy groups and targeted postal outreach, played a pivotal role in disseminating propaganda to influential individuals within the United States.

Drawing upon the meticulous research of a private citizen, Henry Hoke, Maddow lays out the sophistication and scale of this operation. Officials from Germany discreetly masterminded a widespread disinformation campaign, employing organizations with innocuous-sounding names to sway key individuals in the realms of academia, faith, and the press. These organizations deployed state-of-the-art direct mail campaigns to reach millions of Americans with anti-Semitic, anti-British, explicitly Nazi, and ardently isolationist screeds.

The strategy involved crafting messages that were specifically designed to appeal to certain groups, including educators, religious leaders, and financial contributors.

Maddow emphasizes the strategic methods the Nazis employed to tailor their messaging. Jewish Americans were portrayed as proponents of pulling the United States into another costly global conflict. The book portrayed the British as a colonial force determined to extend their influence across Europe and resolute in their pursuit of American support for their armed forces' operations. Black Americans, Catholics, labor union leaders, and immigrants were also targeted with messages that spread the belief that their loyalty to communism was seen as a danger to the United States' primarily white and Christian population. In the New Deal period, Roosevelt's policies were often branded as "socialist."

The public's attitudes were significantly swayed by the considerable monetary support provided to the campaign.

The endeavor was also associated with significant costs. Maddow reports that Germany had access to a special $5 million slush fund to interfere with the American elections, and many times that figure for the day-to-day operations of this influence operation to soften up the American public. They maintained exceptionally stringent criteria for both manufacturing and dissemination. The Nazi party members typically employed sophisticated, meticulously designed, and articulately formulated methods to disseminate their beliefs.

Henry Hoke independently investigated how Nazis were improperly exploiting Congressional mailing privileges.

Henry Hoke's shrewd tactics are recognized by Maddow for exposing the sinister scheme. His unwavering commitment to impartiality and meticulous gathering of evidence led to a federal grand jury delivering indictments that culminated in criminal convictions.

Hoke revealed the widespread dissemination of Nazi propaganda across the United States using envelopes with postage paid by the government.

In 1940, the widespread dissemination of Nazi propaganda greatly troubled Henry Hoke, who was a prominent figure in New York's advertising scene. He began gathering a range of informational resources including pamphlets, newsletters, mimeographed papers, and press cuttings, all highlighting the steadfast viewpoint that the United States should maintain neutrality, steering clear of any engagement with Hitler and refraining from backing Britain in the conflict.

Hoke meticulously examined a variety of envelopes, paying particular attention to those without postage, a sign that they had been mailed utilizing the special rights granted to congressional members to send official mail simply by signing it. He discovered that members of the US Congress who harbored sympathies for the Nazis enabled a troubling legal loophole, which permitted the dissemination of pro-Nazi propaganda via mail sent under congressional privilege.

Senator Burton Wheeler was identified as a key conspirator.

Hoke's investigation uncovered the complicity of two prominent political figures in the plot: Senator Burton K. Wheeler, a Democrat from Montana, along with Hamilton Fish, a Republican representative from New York who held a significant position on the House's foreign affairs committee and chaired the National Committee to Keep America Out of Foreign Wars, maintaining a close connection with George Sylvester Viereck.

Despite encountering initial indifference or no reaction at all, Hoke worked tirelessly to notify the appropriate authorities.

Hoke's comprehensive investigation revealed the alarming truth that the Government Printing Office, supported by taxpayer dollars, replicated a significant quantity of materials promoting Nazi ideology, subsequently disseminating it through the advantages of congressional postage, thus exposing a troubling connection between German agents devoted to Hitler and American lawmakers tasked with safeguarding the interests of U.S. citizens. Upon presenting his discoveries to the federal law enforcement authorities and the leader of the postal service in the United States, their reaction was notably indifferent. Hoke rightfully contested the claim that the data exhibited were free of indications of legal violations.

George Sylvester Viereck was instrumental in creating the infrastructure that distributed details regarding legislative activities.

The investigation conducted by Rachel Maddow uncovered the central figure in this plot. George Sylvester Viereck, who had once been involved in German propaganda efforts in the United States during World War I, had now cleverly integrated himself into the heart of American political circles, persuading various members of Congress to participate effectively in a misinformation campaign masterminded by the Nazis.

In Viereck's plan to spread German propaganda, Senator Ernest Lundeen and Representative Hamilton Fish played a pivotal role by ensuring its inclusion in the Congressional Record.

Maddow outlines Viereck's plot, which he directed from Washington D.C., drawing upon data sourced from grand jury records, judicial archives, and newly accessible documents from the German Foreign Office. Viereck secured backing from a couple of prominent non-interventionists, including Minnesota's Farmer-Labour Party Senator Ernest Lundeen and Hamilton Fish, a Republican representative from New York, both of whom unknowingly became the public representatives of his deceptive campaign. He persuaded Lundeen and Fish to insert verbatim speeches and writings by Viereck or from the German Foreign Office in Berlin into the Congressional Record, thereby facilitating their dissemination to the American public through the use of Congressional members' mailing rights.

He created organizations that functioned as facades, utilizing German funds to remunerate assistants of congressional members, who subsequently spread propaganda via the mail system.

Viereck, a shrewd businessman, recognized that improving a quality product could simultaneously result in decreased expenses. To expand the influence of Nazi propaganda beyond the confines of Lundeen and Fish's followers, Viereck established organizations with seemingly harmless names like the “Make Europe Pay War Debts Committee.” He also secretly funded congressional aides from the German Foreign Office to oversee these organizations during their standard work hours, orchestrating the use of these groups to spread Nazi propaganda across the United States by leveraging the franking privilege.

Viereck's orchestrated dissemination of propaganda effectively reached a wide segment of the American population.

Assisted by his colleagues in Congress, Lundeen and Fish, along with their dedicated teams, Viereck compiled a comprehensive roster that included prominent individuals from different walks of life in America, including academia, the arts, religious organizations, the business community, the financial industry, and multiple tiers of government. The regime supported the extensive dissemination of a variety of pamphlets. The initiative achieved significant success. Until it ended.

Prominent Americans and their roles in furthering the goals of the Nazi hierarchy.

Maddow reveals a complex network of collaboration that includes not just extreme right-wing groups but also prominent figures in American business, media, the military, and, disturbingly, within the ranks of US legislators.

Charles Lindbergh’s increasingly anti-Semitic rhetoric and his warnings that Jews would be targeted if America entered the war

Maddow describes the transformation of an acclaimed American hero into the leading proponent of Hitler's doctrines in the United States. After returning from his 1938 journey to Germany, Lindbergh began to give widely publicized speeches warning Americans against the folly of entering into a conflict with the German leader. He praised the might of Hitler's military, belittled the British and French as feeble and inefficient, expounded on the futility of a U.S. victory over Germany in a European conflict, advocated for an isolationist position by the U.S. to allow German dominance in Europe, and in his most notorious statements, he explicitly charged the British, Jewish community, and the Roosevelt government with pushing America into conflict.

Lindbergh voiced the opinion that Jewish Americans should utilize every possible tactic to oppose the United States entering a war against Nazi Germany, as they would be among the first to face the consequences. Endurance of differing views is a quality that is contingent upon both tranquility and fortitude. Historical records indicate that tolerance lacks the resilience to endure times of turmoil and destruction. Charles Lindbergh's hesitance to endorse the United States' involvement in World War I may be partially attributed to his father's pronounced opposition to the conflict in Congress, yet Maddow highlights that his increasingly explicit antisemitic convictions provide a more transparent understanding of his true motivations.

Henry Ford financially supported Elizabeth Dilling's publications, which gained notoriety for their views against Jewish people.

Rachel Maddow details the shameful and carefully documented cases where Henry Ford supported financially other influential individuals in the United States who shared Nazi sympathies. Leslie Fry was one of the initial supporters who bolstered Ford's beliefs by providing him with fabricated documents, purported to be proof of a worldwide plot orchestrated by Jews, referred to as the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." After a hiatus of fifteen years from vigorous public activism, Fry, now residing in Los Angeles, resumed her campaign to incite violence fueled by antisemitic beliefs. Maddow outlines how Ford began channeling financial aid through proxies in the year prior to the Spanish Civil War, laying the economic groundwork for the creation of the American Nationalist Confederation, an organization with fascist beliefs that prominently featured a symbol associated with Nazism and aimed to dominate Boyle Heights, a predominantly Jewish neighborhood in Los Angeles.

In the United States, Elizabeth Dilling's outspoken opposition to communism received notable support from Ford. Maddow details Ford's monetary backing of Dilling, which facilitated the creation and dissemination of numerous publications filled with anticommunist and highly antisemitic material, attracting a readership that spanned tens of millions of people throughout the nation.

Burton Wheeler's opposition to Roosevelt's efforts to aid Britain was marked by his use of rhetoric that echoed the language of the Nazis.

Rachel Maddow portrays Senator Burton Wheeler as the principal opponent of President Roosevelt's efforts to support Great Britain with resources, after he effectively hindered the revocation of the Neutrality Act and the implementation of a conscription bill in 1940. Maddow reveals the roots of the expression "plow under every fourth American boy," which Wheeler employed to illustrate the possible consequences of Roosevelt's Lend-Lease policy, and links it to the Nazi regime's propaganda efforts in Berlin, designed to erode American determination, drawing on Henry Hoke's research and post-war admissions by Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi minister of propaganda.

Practical Tips

• You can enhance your media literacy by creating a personal checklist to evaluate the credibility of information you encounter. Start by noting down common red flags of disinformation, such as emotionally charged language, lack of credible sources, or connections to known propaganda efforts. Each time you read an article or social media post, run it through your checklist to practice identifying potential disinformation.
• Develop a habit of cross-referencing historical events with multiple sources to build a more nuanced understanding. When you come across a historical claim, especially one that seems controversial or charged, look it up in at least three different sources, such as a library book, a reputable online history database, and a peer-reviewed academic paper. This will help you see how narratives can be shaped differently and recognize the importance of context and source diversity.
• Engage in conversations with friends or family about the impact of financial support on public opinion. Use current events as a starting point to discuss how funding from individuals or groups might influence media narratives or political campaigns. This doesn't require any special skills, just a willingness to talk and listen. It's a way to understand the modern parallels to historical events and the importance of transparency in funding.

The official inquiry and subsequent court actions concentrated on groups that advocated for Nazi or Fascist beliefs and their dissemination of propaganda supporting these views.

Maddow examines the American judiciary's erratic and often unsuccessful efforts to confront these disturbing crimes.

The grand jury initiated the investigation and subsequently issued charges.

Maddow outlines the early 1941 events that prompted the Justice Department to take action, emphasizing the critical influence of Nazi propaganda revelations in Congress as covered by the Washington Post, the actions initiated by the Dies Committee, and the effects of the acclaimed movie Confessions of a Nazi Spy.

The Justice Department formed a specialized team to closely examine Nazi activities, serving primarily as a section dedicated to countering misinformation campaigns.

Attorney General Robert Jackson selected William Power Maloney, a young, ambitious, and media-savvy deputy prosecutor recognized for his energetic approach to intricate and substantial legal cases, to lead a freshly created section tasked with combating propaganda within the criminal division of the Department of Justice.

William Power Maloney conducted an in-depth probe that revealed the intricate web of connections established by Viereck with legislators.

Maloney, known for his meticulous and forceful style, used his grand jury to meticulously examine the techniques the Nazis used to take advantage of the congressional mailing privilege. He called upon the accounts of over 150 people, examined numerous records, and followed the trajectory of Henry Hoke's manual, which originated from covertly spread Nazi propaganda among Americans, passed through pro-Nazi works by Elizabeth Dilling and Leslie Fry, and influenced organizations like the American Nationalist Confederation, the Steuben Society of New York City, and the American Fellowship Forum, eventually impacting prominent individuals such as a legislator from New York and the late Senator Ernest Lundeen.

Twenty-eight entities faced formal allegations of involvement in a conspiracy to topple the government.

In July of 1942, Maloney announced formal charges against twenty-eight individuals following nearly a year of secretive deliberations. They were charged with fomenting insurrection, conspiring to overthrow the government, and diverting government resources, in part because of their stockpiling of arms and ammunition intended for use in an armed revolt.

The media's substantial role brought widespread attention to the controversy.

Maddow attributes the exposure of the scandal and the ensuing investigations and legal proceedings to the courageous deeds of Henry Hoke, along with the crucial impact of media reporting.

The relentless investigative efforts of Dillard Stokes at The Washington Post brought to light evidence that had been hidden by congressional aides.

Stokes, who was both a talented newsman and a licensed attorney, used his legal background and his connections in the Justice Department to stay steps ahead of the prosecutors and make sure The Washington Post had full and comprehensive reporting as the story unfolded. His unyielding probe played a pivotal role in revealing the complicity of congressional aides who exploited their governmental roles to disseminate propaganda favoring the Nazis across the United States, all the while receiving monetary rewards from agents of the Nazi regime. His narrative prowess held the attention of listeners through its precise and thorough nature, coupled with a delivery that was both enthralling and persuasive.

Drew Pearson’s columns and his revelations about Senator Lundeen’s involvement with Viereck

Rachel Maddow emphasizes the considerable impact that Drew Pearson's "Merry-Go-Round" column had in exposing the darker and more corrupt elements of the political landscape in Washington. Pearson was able to use his sources inside the FBI and the Justice Department to reveal the connections between the late Ernest Lundeen and the Nazi agent George Sylvester Viereck. The initial revelation that Henry Ford had financed Elizabeth Dilling's antisemitic publications came from Pearson.

Arthur Derounian's well-known book, "Under Cover," provides a comprehensive analysis of fascist movements and their operations across the United States.

Another key individual, Maddow observes, plays a crucial role in laying the groundwork for

Practical Tips

• You can develop critical thinking skills by analyzing current news articles for bias and propaganda techniques. Start by selecting a range of news sources with different political leanings and compare how they report on the same event. Look for loaded language, omissions of fact, and unverified claims. This practice will sharpen your ability to discern trustworthy information from potential propaganda.
• Enhance your media literacy by creating a personal blog or social media page dedicated to fact-checking and debunking misinformation. Choose a topic you're passionate about, research claims made in the media, and post your findings with evidence to support your conclusions. This not only improves your research skills but also contributes to informed public discourse.
• Volunteer with a local civic education organization to help others understand the importance of a fair judiciary and transparent legal processes. By assisting in workshops or community programs, you'll help spread awareness about the role of the judiciary in upholding democracy and the dangers of extremist ideologies. This engagement will also deepen your own understanding of the legal system's function in society.