"Communazi" is an American political neologism, "coined by a reporter"[1] and made popular by Time (first September 11, 1939[2]) days after the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov[3]). It implied that both Communism and Nazism were one and the same because they were essentially totalitarian, whether left or right in belief.[1] It continues to receive mention, largely in its historical context, to the present.[4][5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/38/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H27337%2C_Moskau%2C_Stalin_und_Ribbentrop_im_Kreml.jpg/220px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H27337%2C_Moskau%2C_Stalin_und_Ribbentrop_im_Kreml.jpg)
History
editTime repeatedly referred to the Pact as the "Communazi Pact" and its participants as "communazis" through 1941.[6][7][8][9] Among Time writers and editors who used the term was Whittaker Chambers in his 1941 essay "The Revolt of the Intellectuals."[10][11][12]
Whether coined or popularized by Time, the term then started appearing in print in other publications, at first in labor-oriented (but non-Soviet-aligned) publications, then in wider-circulating publications, by right-wing writers (e.g., Joseph P. Kamp of the Constitutional Educational League), in other English-speaking countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, and eventually in German:
- Newspapers:
- Magazines:
- The Garment Worker (1939)[16]
- American Labor World (1939)[17]
- Frontiers of Democracy (1939)[18]
- Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters Journal (1939)[19]
- Dynamic America (1940)[20]
- Saturday Review (1940)[21]
- Political Correspondence of the Workers' League for a Revolutionary Party (1940)[22]
- Mexicana Review (1940)[23]
- Twice a Year by Dorothy Norman (1941)[24]
- Labour Monthly (1942)[25]
- Books:
- Yankee Reporter by S. Burton Heath (1940)[26]
- The Fifth Column Vs. the Dies Committee by Joseph P. Kamp (1941)[27]
- Common Cause by Giuseppe Antonio Borgese (1940)[28]
- Events and Shadows by Robert Gilbert Vansittart Baron Vansittart (1947)[29]
- Must We Perish? by Hershel D. Meyer (1949)[30]
- Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor (1970)[31]
- Labor Radical by Len De Caux (1970)[32]
- A Study in Liberty by Horace Mayer Kallen (1973)[33]
- United Nations: Perfidy and Perversion by Hillel Seidman (1982)[34]
- Lion Feuchtwanger by Volker Skierka (1984)[35]
- Dear editor: letters to Time magazine, 1923–1984 (1985)[36]
- Das mexikanische Exil by Fritz Pohle (1986)[37]
- America and the Holocaust: Barring the gates to America by David S. Wyman (1990)[38]
- Literatur für Leser (1992)[39]
- Argonautenschiff: Jahrbuch der Anna-Seghers-Gesellschaft (1992)[40]
- Which Side Were You On? by Maurice Isserman (1993)[1]
- Hollywood Party by Lloyd Billingsley (1998)[41]
- A Covert Life: Jay Lovestone by Ted Morgan (writer) (1999)[42]
- Communazis by Alexander Stephan (2000)[5]
- British and American Anticommunism Before the Cold War by FI:Markku Ruotsila (2001)[43]
- The FBI Encyclopedia by Michael Newton (2003)[44]
- Adolf Kozlik by Gottfried Fritzi (2004)[45]
- Überwacht, Ausgebürgert, Exiliert by Alexander Stephan (2007)[46]
- Adorno in America by David Jenemann (2007)[47][48]
- Engineering Communism by Steve Usdin (2008)[49]
- Shame and Glory of the Intellectuals by Peter Viereck (2007)[50]
- Antisemitism and the American Far Left by Stephen Harlan Norwood (2013)[51]
- Open a New Window by Ethan Mordden (2015)[52]
In 1940, the term "communazi" started to appear in the government records of the US,[53][54][55][56][57][58] the House of Commons of Canada,[59][60] and the UK House of Lords.[61][62]
"Communazi" is also the subject of a book, "Communazis": FBI Surveillance of German Émigré Writers, published in 2000 by Alexander Stephan.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Isserman, Maurice (1993). Which Side Were You On?: The American Communist Party During the Second World War. University of Illinois Press. pp. 44, 76, 79, 115. ISBN 9780252063367. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ "Russia: Arms & Art". Time. September 11, 1939. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Zabecki, David (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, LLC. p. 536. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
- ^ Kantorowicz, Alfred (1983). Politik und Literatur im Exil: deutschsprachige Schriftsteller. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ a b c Stephan, Alexander (2000). "Communazis": FBI Surveillance of German Emigré Writers. Yale University Press. ISBN 0300082029. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ "Children of Moscow". Time. September 18, 1939. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Moscow's Week". Time. October 9, 1939. Archived from the original on 21 May 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2021..
- ^ "Cinema: Revival: Oct. 9, 1939". Time. October 9, 1939. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Mexico: Communazi Columnists". Time. June 3, 1940. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Books: The Revolt of the Intellectuals". Time. January 6, 1941. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ Chambers, Whittaker (6 January 1941). "The Revolt of the Intellectuals". WhittakerChambers.org. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Chambers, Whittaker (1996). Ghosts on the roof: Selected Essays. Transaction Publishers. ISBN 9781412824590. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ "Allen Tells Dies Hitler Was 'Sound': Roosevelt Should Be Impeached With 'a Lot of Others,' AntiSemite Says at Inquiry: 'Communazi' Stumps Hime". New York Times. 25 August 1939. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Bennet, James (15 May 1995). "Two States, Two Gatherings and a Lot of Anti-Government Sentiment; At Michigan Rally, Unyielding Anger At the Brady Bill". New York Times. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Hoberman, J. (14 October 2014). "Fighting the Nazis With Celluloid". New York Times. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ "(unknown)". The Garment Worker. 1939. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Fight on "Communazis" is Urge by American Legion". American Labor World. 1939: 50. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help) - ^ "(unknown)". Frontiers of Democracy. 1939: 80. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "(unknown)". Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters Journal. 1939: 47. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "(unknown)". Dynamic America. 1939: 9–10. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "(unknown)". Saturday Review. 1940: 2. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "(unknown)". Political Correspondence of the Workers' League for a Revolutionary Party, Volumes 3-4. 1940: 22. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
{{cite journal}}
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "Communazi Columnists". Mexicana Review. 1940: 35. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ "Twice a Year, Issues 5-6". Twice A Year. 1941. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ "(unknown)". Labour Monthly. 1942: 217. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
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(help); Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ Yankee Reporter. W. Funk. 1940. pp. 75–76. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Kamp, Joseph P. (1941). The Fifth Column Vs. the Dies Committee. Constitutional Educational League, Inc. p. 30. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Common Cause. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. 1943. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Events and Shadows: A Policy for the Remnants of a Century. Hutchinson. 1947. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Must we perish?: The logic of 20th century barbarism. New Century Publishers. 1949. p. 65. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor, Volume 70. American Federation of labor. 1970. p. 264. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Labor radical: from the Wobblies to CIO, a personal history. Beacon Press. 1970. pp. 346, 361, 363. ISBN 9780807054444. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ A Study in Liberty. Greenwood press. 1 June 1973. pp. xiii, 102. ISBN 9780837165547. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ United Nations: Perfidy and Perversion. Beacon M.P. Press, Inc. 1982. pp. 2, 66, 75. ISBN 9780918220110. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Lion Feuchtwanger. Quadriga. 1984. ISBN 9783886791040. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Dear editor: letters to Time magazine, 1923–1984. Salem House. 1985. pp. 40, 47. ISBN 9780881621044. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Das mexikanische Exil: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der politisch-kulturellen Emigration aus Deutschland (1937–1946). J.B. Metzler. 1986. ISBN 9783476005939. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ America and the Holocaust: Barring the gates to America. Garland Publishers. 1990. ISBN 9780824045364. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Literatur für Leser. R. Oldenbourg Verlag. 1992. pp. 150–151, 157. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Argonautenschiff: Jahrbuch der Anna-Seghers-Gesellschaft Berlin und Mainz e.V., Volumes 1-3. Aufbau-Verlag. 1992. pp. 34, 243. ISBN 9783476005939. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Hollywood Party: How Communism Seduced the American Film Industry in the 1930s and 1940s. Forum. 1998. pp. 68–69, 81. ISBN 9780761513766. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ A Covert Life: Jay Lovestone: Communist, Anti-communist, and Spymaster. Random House. 1999. p. 133. ISBN 9780679444008. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ British and American Anticommunism Before the Cold War. Psychology Press. 2001. pp. 220, 224. ISBN 9780714651606. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ The FBI Encyclopedia. McFarland. 2003. ISBN 978-0-7864-1718-6. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Adolf Kozlik: Ein Sozialistischer Ökonom, Emigrant und Rebell: Leben und Werk Eines österreichischen Wissenschaftlers und Intellektuellen. P. Lang. 1 January 2004. p. 126. ISBN 978-3-631-52648-4. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Stephan, Alexander (2007). Überwacht, Ausgebürgert, Exiliert: Schriftsteller und der Staat. Yale University Press. pp. 15, 24, 382. ISBN 978-3-89528-634-6. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Adorno in America. University of Minnesota Press. 2007. p. 21. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Transmission: Adorno in America. University of Minnesota Press. 2003. p. 21. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Engineering Communism: How Two Americans Spied for Stalin and Founded the Soviet Silicon Valley. Yale University Press. 1 October 2008. ISBN 978-0300127959. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Shame and Glory of the Intellectuals. Routledge. 2017. ISBN 9781351491013. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Antisemitism and the American Far Left. Cambridge University Press. 19 August 2013. pp. 50, 65–66. ISBN 9781107036017. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s. St. Martin's Press. 7 April 2015. p. 154. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the Congress, Volume 86, Part 16. US GPO. 1940. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Independent Offices Appropriations Bill for 1945: Hearings. US GPO. 1944. pp. 1092–1093. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities in the United States. US GPO. 1944. p. 261. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Report of the United States Commissioner. US GPO. 1950. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Civil Rights: Hearings. US GPO. 1959. p. 923. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Hearings Relating to Various Bills to Repeal the Detention Act of 1950. US GPO. 1970. p. 3119. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Debates: Official Report. Canada Parliament House of Commons. 1942. p. 3660. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Official Report of Debates, House of Commons. Canada Parliament House of Commons. 1942. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).: House of Lords official report. House of Lords. 1947. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).: House of Lords official report. House of Lords. 1948. Retrieved 31 December 2018.