Enemy of the People: The Untold Story of the Journalists Who Opposed Hitler

by Terrence Petty

A stirring true story of the journalists who dared to oppose Hitler—and the campaign waged against them.

After serving in the First World War, Adolf Hitler encountered a serious obstacle to his plotting for power when the Munich Post, drawing on sources within the Nazi Party, began tracking the corruption and dark dreams of his inner circle. With leaked documents from Hitler’s political rivals, who were shocked by his violent rhetoric and fearing the worst, the Post battled Hitler for ownership of the truth.

After starting with libel lawsuits and anti-press propaganda and proceeding to assaults on editors at the Post, the Nazis finally resorted to raiding the paper’s offices, shutting production down, and rounding up the staff. Enemy of the People brilliantly captures the dangerous times of Germany’s Weimar era and the courage of the free press—people driven to speak louder than the enemy himself.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Short Stories, War, Politics, Journalism

51 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 18, 2018

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The story that follows shows how the light of truth went out in Germany and across all of Europe in the 1930s and 1940s.”
― Terrence Petty, Enemy of the People: The Untold Story of the Journalists Who Opposed Hitler

This is a true story.

I want to do this great book justice, but am so tired right now, so am doing a partial review.

The Munich Post was a Newspaper, who opposed Hitler, and was not shy about showing it.

This story is stark, and horrifying and its focus is on another aspect of those awful years -- the journalists.

The reporters who would not, and could not, be intimidated. I don't think they had it IN them to be intimidated.

These are their stories laid bare, and I'll say stories about this period in time, always horrify me, but this is a must read.

The Munich Post was relentless in their calling out of the Nazis, and their prose was tough, unyielding, mixed with deep snark, an unbeatable combination.

Of Course, Hitler hated the Munich Post, and the Nazis hated them, because their hate-leader despised them, and a good Nazi ALWAYS does what they're told.

I found this to be so well researched, horrifying and also -- ALSO -- utterly chilling because of the times we live in now.

"We will not be intimidated" was the battle cry of the Munich Post.

Hitler wanted to make Germany great again.

Sickening.

Enemy of the people isn't long but it IS impactful . I found it almost accidently, but am so very GLAD that I did.

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 3 out of 5]

*read for free with Kindle Unlimited*

Why didn't they teach this in my history classes in highschool? This was an interesting and scary part of history that everyone should know about.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enemy of the People, a gem of a book by journalist Terrence Petty, focuses on the efforts of the Munich Post to oppose the rise and rule of Adolf Hitler from the 1920s to the early 1930s when the paper was shut down and its editors driven into hiding and exile or murdered by the Nazis' killing machine. The infamous camp at Dachau isn't far from Munich, after all.

During its feisty and courageous battle with Hitler and his cronies, the Post's editors had their offices ransacked and often were taken to court for, unbelievably, libeling Hitler and company. The Post accurately foretold the Nazis' plans to deal with the Jews in Germany as a first priority after taking power. And as we know, that's what happened.

This account of journalism standing up to authoritarianism is deeply researched and vividly written. It's an historical response to today's intimidation tactics, including cries of false news and butchering journalists in consulates or detaining them in prisons or finding other ways to silence them.

What's particularly interesting here is the fact that Hitler's methods and intentions were obvious to those German journalists who had the courage to look at them, analyze them, and denounce them. Hitler didn't emerge out of a dark cloud that suddenly appeared German skies. People knew who he was and what he was up to. And yet only a few brave souls stood up to him and opposed him. This is an excellent account of what some of those brave souls did to warn their nation of the perils of a man whose project was to make Germany great again--at any cost.

[Martin Bakner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting point

Look at this as a prelude to further study, not just of Nazi Germany but of journalism within any oppressive state.

[Ellie Midwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We Will Not Be Intimidated” - with this headline one of the last issues of the Munich Post hit the shelves - an extremely brave act of defiance against the fascist regime considering that Hitler was already in power. The liberal Bavarian newspaper that fought against the fascist administration until the very end, exposing their hate-filled, xenophobic rhetorics, hypocrisy, and ultra-nationalism, knew that the Nazis would ultimately retaliate; yet, the truth and democracy was much too dear to them to simply go silent just like millions did, hoping to weather the storm and stay under the radar of the Nazis.

“Hitler hypnotized large segments of the German populace with theatrical performances at rallies where he promised to make their country great again. The Munich Post staff wasn’t buying it. They saw right through Hitler. They knew he had to be stopped. And they weren’t about to give up, even at the risk of their own safety.”

Sounds familiar? I bet. It eerily echoes the playbook of the former (thankfully) administration and sentiments of the present-day right-wing politicians calling the press “fake” and going as far as announcing them “the enemy of the people.” It’s a testament to the courage of the journalists of today and their predecessors that lived and fought for truth and democracy more than seventy years before them that they refuse to be silenced and intimidated, serving the nation bravely and - in the case of the Munich Post staff - paying with their lives for this privilege and uneasy duty. “The Enemy of the People,” tells their story - the story of ultimate courage.

Read it. You won’t regret it.

[Stephanie ((Strazzybooks)) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enemy of the People was interesting and unsettling.

There were obvious modern parallels to the treatment of the press in the Weimar Republic/Nazi Germany and Trump’s attack on the press today.
Aside from that (slightly terrifying) aspect, this kindle short was also a side of German history that I haven’t yet read much about.

“For about ten years the newspaper had been fighting with Hitler, telling of murder plots, documenting Hitler’s intention to seize power, and warning of catastrophes to come if he did.” “…essentially accusing [Hitler] - not Jews - of being the true enemy of the people.”

It was eye-opening to see how newspapers did try to shed light on how dangerous Hitler and the response from the public and government. It makes you consider that freedom of the press will always be vulnerable, in the places it even does exist.

This is a good read for anyone interesting in WWII history, Nazi Germany, or the history of journalism.

[April Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book made me even more aware of the bullet that America just dodged. Hitler promised to “make Germany great again.” He hated the media and frequently sued them. He held rallies where he came in on a plane to wow his supporters. Sound familiar?

The only thing I wish had been different was the length of this book. For something that took the author 10 years of research, it’s shockingly short.

[Brendan M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a journalism nerd, I knew some of the stories here, as they were recounted already in Ron Rosenbaum's Explaining Hitler. So it was a delight to see that, in the acknowledgements, Perry gives Rosenbaum his due as a pioneer in this particular segment of history. Perry does an excellent job at telling a streamlined version of the story - perhaps a little too streamlined, as I learned at the end he's been working on this for 10 years...and the end result is only 50 pages.

Still, it's worth your time, if only for stories like the American GIs whose job it was, after the fall of the Nazi regime, to go around and find all the missing journalists (many of whom had spent the lead-up to the war busting Hitler's balls) or the ones who had went into exile and get them to start post-war newspapers. Or this remembrance, at a funeral: "He may not have died a victor, but he died a warrior."

[Jim Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok. It read more like a high school student's research paper than a professional piece but it was ok.

[WendyB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too brief, barely covers what the description says it's about.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think a full length book about this would be great!

[Arminda Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This subject is of utmost importance and I was looking forward to a much deeper dive than what the author delivers. I thought the afterward more thorough than the book, itself. What he does provide is fascinating but feels more like an introduction than a complete telling.

[Emily Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short but interesting read about the journalists of the Munich Post in Germany as they bravely defied Adolf Hitler as he and the Nazis rose to power. As a journalist myself, it was both fascinating and heartbreaking to read as these men strove to continue reporting the truth, all the while the forces surrounding them turned them into pariahs. They were beaten and sued and eventually the newspaper was forcibly put out of business and the editors forced into hiding lest they be killed, but the message about standing up for what you believe in and continuing to tell the truth really resonated with me, especially in this day and age. I do wish it was a bit longer because I think there is still more to tell about this story, but a good, quick read overall.

[Thérèse Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of the press!! I have so many thoughts, but this made me incredibly grateful for freedom of the press. It's crazy to think not many people would have known about these journalists unless Petty decided to research them... and that makes me wonder about the stories we still don't know about...

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hum... the recounting of the Hitler rise to power in this day is paralleled in the rise of the previous U.S. President... is the worst yet to come for the western hemisphere.
"Hitler employed drama, rhetorical skills, and promises about making Germany great again to win over voters."

[Laurie G Radler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely read of Hitler’s impact on the press

Let’s hope we learn from history. Very frightening account of how Hitler used his power to censor those that did not agree with him

[Blanche Padgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never read about this before

This is the first book I have read about people writing newspapers during Hitler's reign. It's very interesting and it was great to know there were people who stood up for what they believed in

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read book.

You can almost take any speech by Hitler and read what Trump is saying today and it's just about word for word. The violent attitudes about Democratic Socialism is the same today as it was in Nazi Germany. We are repeating history here and those who don't go back to history to see how such a regime came into existence in the 30s are behaving exactly at the Nazi supporters did back then. It's frightening. Hitler's call to "...make Germany great again" is Trump's mantra. But back then the Germans blamed the Democratic Socialists for the very things that the Nazi Party were to blame for.

[Chuck Steffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Important to revisit the past and those who stood up against tyranny.

Well researched.. it was uncanny or deliberate how much the current administration is using rallying cries similar to the Nazis.

[Gwen - Chew & Digest Books - · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short encouraged and scared the pants off of me. First that there were and are journalists that were ready to call out Hitler and second the price they paid. While 45 doesn't have stormtroopers yet, he sure uses his voice and his power to shut out journalists. I hope that some of our journalists and editors don't have to face what those of the Munich Post did. We believe in you and will fight for your voice, you are not alone.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great topic but way to short.

This was a very interesting read, and it’s very topical in today’s current climate. I just wish there was more of it, there is no depth. We never really get to know these men mentioned in the story, it’s just a brief summary of certain events. I just wanted more. If your looking for an in depth account of the journalists who were against Hitler, this isn’t going to really satisfy you. However, it’s a good introduction to some of these journalists, the Munich Post, and the very real dangers in what they were doing. Makes me want to seek out more information.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine being a journalist or reporter covering politics and government and being told your work is deemed antigovernment or anti-administration. While most of your competitors have begun to tone back their negative coverage for fear of losing their jobs or worse, possible jail time. Many of you are already thinking Trump, some of you may even be thinking Obama. But in reality this is the environment many found themselves in during the Third Reich under Adolph Hitler and the nazis. In fact your news agency would likely be ransacked, equipment taken or destroyed, and workers sent off to concentration camps after being roughed up and considered enemies of the state. The nazis intimidated journalists and reporters to only print positive stories about them; many went along with this as they valued their freedom and their lives. This author focuses on what happened to one newspaper that did not cooperate and the horrendous treatment they got for their resistance. Some readers will automatically draw comparisons with President Trump accusing news organizations of spreading fake news, some with justification and proven examples. But only an ignorant dunce would in any way think this is similar to what the nazis did to reporters; they were not spied on (except under Obama), manipulated to the government's advantage (except under Obama), actually threatened for negative coverage (except under Obama), or had the Justice Department try to arrest and jail them (except under Obama). If you doubt me, google this article: "The Top Five Ways Obama Attacked the Free Press" for the details. Having said that, no US president was even close to the brutal physical attacks, beatings, and even murders done to journalists and reporters in nazi Germany (although antifa is trying hard). But the treatment of the news under Obama was certainly closer to conditions in the Third Reich than Trump calling out fake news to discredit their clearly partisan reporting. Read this book and you will see that things could have been worse, a lot worse.

[W. Derek Atkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

When The Lights Started Going Out

In this quick read, author Terrence Petty draws attention to the courageous reports of The Munich Post, who dared to tell the world the truth about Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party during Hitler’s rise to power. Once Hitler succeeded in becoming the Chancellor of Germany, the Nazis began rounding up the reporters and editors of the Munich Post, together with those of other opposition newspapers. Petty goes on to tell the story of what these reporters and editors endured at the hands of the Nazis.

I especially found the account of Hitler’s Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 instructive. I was not aware that this event actually took place over the course of two days. I also found the account of how the Nazis shut down the Munich Post and other opposition newspapers chilling. Another thing that surprised me was that there was opposition to Adolf Hitler in the days before he became Chancellor of Germany; this reality is rarely mentioned in biographies of Adolf Hitler, or in histories of his rise to power.

Whatever your political stance, most readers will find this account a sobering reminder of how easy it is for dictators to shut down a free press. This book will also challenge you to consider what you would have done if you had been in the shoes of these reporters and editors.

[Mike Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and Informative

This is the story of the “Munich Post” Newspaper. It became one of the most vocal and devoted champions of the “Weimar Republic” and the arch enemy of Adolph Hitler. It’s a short (57 page) history that reminds us of the importance of a Free Press. But it’s also good to keep in mind that the paper never pretended to be neutral. It was owned by the Social Democratic Party. It was eventual destroyed by Hitler’s SA. It’s also good to keep in mind however, that after the war, the Allies searched out German journalists not tainted by Nazism to present Allie approved news in Allie approved news sources. The topic makes many people see it as pertinent to current issues. Other than the topic of a “Free Press”, there is not one reference to any current politician or news topic. The connection is in the interpretation of the reader. I often enjoy listening to the Audio book while following along in the text. Warning!! The Audio book is well done, but only vaguely similar to the book and for the chapters I followed, it is impossible to use both at the same time. Buy the book or buy the Audio Book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This tells the story of German journalists reporting on Hitler and refusing to back down.

The "storm trooper" terminology used throughout threw me off.  I figured it could be an actual literal translation and found this.  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturm...

I had previously read about them as Brownshirts.  I think this should have been explained.  I'm sure I was hardly the only person picturing Star Wars every time I read storm troopers.

In the afterword, the author shares that some scenes were imagined. I find this very disappointing. This should have been clearly noted in the narrative, not a passing mention in the afterword.

The author notes the newspaper's bias, use of rumors, and lower journalistic standards, but I'm not so quick to dismiss it.  Trust is important and news outlets only having the trust of readers who already agree with them lose the ability to have a wider impact. 

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before and during WW2, people were drawn to publications that confirmed rather than challenged their ideological leanings. In this environment, brave journalists decided to research, write and publish the truth at the expense of their freedom and lives.
These men and women possessed a strong sense of justice and chose to advocate for the downtrodden and for the humanitarian treatment of all individuals. Yet their names are not well known. However, we can continue to learn from these men and women today as we stand up for truth even if it's unpopular or outlawed.
This book is important for readers today. It will appeal to people who are interested in WW2 history, journalism, freedom of speech, and the ability to think and believe freely.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but fascinating

In the movie “Continental Divide,” John Belushi’s character, a newspaper columnist and political muckraker, says of potentially writing a book, “I like writing my column, it’s short!”
And so is this book, written by a veteran Associated Press reporter.
My career was also as a newspaper reporter and editor, so I understand the requirement of brevity. In the 1980s at the height of my career, the average reader gave the newspaper only 13 minutes a day.
But this subject is important and germane to our leadership today. Certainly there is more than 50 pages to report here. I would have loved a full book, not just a well-written newspaper feature story.

[Johannes J Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Nation in denial?

The author narrowed his narrative about journalists role in turbulent times in an easy way to read book. What i missed was the opposing propaganda created by his "colleagues" at the " mercy of the Nazi machinist? ". The USA experience the same cause today with an effect we are still awaiting...journalism on two sides of the same coin with the population to ignorant to decide which is propaganda, which is sober objective journalism or which are lies. The effect will follow and the Petty's will reflect in history's rear mirror. Journalists beware.

[Rebekah Riggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content is relevant and important to know, especially if you haven’t had much study on how Hitler rose to power. Some things felt hard to follow or disjointed though. Not a horrible book but not spell-binding either.

The author shares in the afterword that he completed 10 years of research for the book. As such, one might expect more depth to the subject. However, I think part of the issue was finding accurate source material. Keeping in mind the amount of documents destroyed by the regime, I can understand that being difficult.

[Keeley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, Amazon calls this a book, but it feels more like a long chapter. What it did cover about journalists in Bavaria standing up to Hitler in the 30s is informative and timely as we lose more and more independent journalistic outlets and those that remain are excoriated by some political figures. However, it could have done a lot more to track what these folks did from 1933 until after the war, or cover underground communications in Bavaria during the war, or... There's plenty of there for a real (more than 50 page) book.