#013 - The Nazi War Against the Soviet Jews with Jochen Hellbeck

In this episode of The Long View, historian Jochen Hellbeck discusses his book World Enemy No. 1: Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia, and the Fate of the Jews.

Drawing on newly uncovered archival materials and firsthand accounts from both German and Soviet sources, Hellbeck explores how Nazi ideology shaped Germany’s war against the Soviet Union and its Jewish population. The conversation examines the role of the concept of “Judeo-Bolshevism,” the ideological foundations of the war in the East, and the ways propaganda and historical narratives influenced the violence of the Second World War.

The discussion also reflects on how memory politics in Russia, Europe, and the West continue to shape interpretations of the war today.

Jochen Hellbeck is Professor of History at Rutgers University and a leading scholar of Soviet and wartime history.