The Last Million: Europe's Displaced Persons from World War to Cold War
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- Author：David Nasaw
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Summary
From bestselling author David Nasaw， a sweeping new history of the one million refugees left behind in Germany after WWII
In May 1945， German forces surrendered to the Allied powers， putting an end to World War II in Europe。 But the aftershocks of global military conflict did not cease with the German capitulation。 Millions of lost and homeless concentration camp survivors， POWs， slave laborers， political prisoners， and Nazi collaborators in flight from the Red Army overwhelmed Germany， a nation in ruins。 British and American soldiers gathered the malnourished and desperate refugees and attempted to repatriate them。 But after exhaustive efforts， there remained more than a million displaced persons left behind in Germany: Jews， Poles， Estonians， Latvians， Lithuanians， Ukrainians， and other Eastern Europeans who refused to go home or had no homes to return to。 The Last Million would spend the next three to five years in displaced persons camps， temporary homelands in exile divided by nationality， with their own police forces， churches and synagogues， schools， newspapers， theaters， and infirmaries。
The international community could not agree on the fate of the Last Million， and after a year of debate and inaction， the International Refugee Organization was created to resettle them in lands suffering from postwar labor shortages。 But no nations were willing to accept the 200，000 to 250，000 Jewish men， women， and children who remained trapped in Germany。 In 1948， the United States， among the last countries to accept refugees for resettlement， finally passed a displaced persons bill。 With Cold War fears supplanting memories of World War II atrocities， the bill granted the vast majority of visas to those who were reliably anti-Communist， including thousands of former Nazi collaborators and war criminals， while severely limiting the entry of Jews， who were suspected of being Communist sympathizers or agents because they had been recent residents of Soviet-dominated Poland。 Only after the controversial partition of Palestine and Israel's declaration of independence were the remaining Jewish survivors able to leave their displaced persons camps in Germany。
A masterwork from acclaimed historian David Nasaw， The Last Million tells the gripping yet until now largely hidden story of postwar displacement and statelessness。 By 1952， the Last Million were scattered around the world。 As they crossed from their broken past into an unknowable future， they carried with them their wounds， their fears， their hope， and their secrets。 Here for the first time， Nasaw illuminates their incredible history and， with profound contemporary resonance， shows us that it is our history as well。
In May 1945， German forces surrendered to the Allied powers， putting an end to World War II in Europe。 But the aftershocks of global military conflict did not cease with the German capitulation。 Millions of lost and homeless concentration camp survivors， POWs， slave laborers， political prisoners， and Nazi collaborators in flight from the Red Army overwhelmed Germany， a nation in ruins。 British and American soldiers gathered the malnourished and desperate refugees and attempted to repatriate them。 But after exhaustive efforts， there remained more than a million displaced persons left behind in Germany: Jews， Poles， Estonians， Latvians， Lithuanians， Ukrainians， and other Eastern Europeans who refused to go home or had no homes to return to。 The Last Million would spend the next three to five years in displaced persons camps， temporary homelands in exile divided by nationality， with their own police forces， churches and synagogues， schools， newspapers， theaters， and infirmaries。
The international community could not agree on the fate of the Last Million， and after a year of debate and inaction， the International Refugee Organization was created to resettle them in lands suffering from postwar labor shortages。 But no nations were willing to accept the 200，000 to 250，000 Jewish men， women， and children who remained trapped in Germany。 In 1948， the United States， among the last countries to accept refugees for resettlement， finally passed a displaced persons bill。 With Cold War fears supplanting memories of World War II atrocities， the bill granted the vast majority of visas to those who were reliably anti-Communist， including thousands of former Nazi collaborators and war criminals， while severely limiting the entry of Jews， who were suspected of being Communist sympathizers or agents because they had been recent residents of Soviet-dominated Poland。 Only after the controversial partition of Palestine and Israel's declaration of independence were the remaining Jewish survivors able to leave their displaced persons camps in Germany。
A masterwork from acclaimed historian David Nasaw， The Last Million tells the gripping yet until now largely hidden story of postwar displacement and statelessness。 By 1952， the Last Million were scattered around the world。 As they crossed from their broken past into an unknowable future， they carried with them their wounds， their fears， their hope， and their secrets。 Here for the first time， Nasaw illuminates their incredible history and， with profound contemporary resonance， shows us that it is our history as well。
Reviews
Estare K。 Weiser
，
I learned so much about post war Jews and other displaced persons。 Disturbing and sad story about the treatment of Jews who survived the Holocaust and had no home to go to and were unwelcome everywhere。 Nazis and other war criminals had an easier time gaining visas to enter Democratic countries than did the Jews。
Zosia
，
Such an important telling of history that explains so much of why today’s world affairs are the way they are。
Ted Daniels
，
While the book covers the fate of most all the European refugees following WW II， the focus is on the Jews。 The later chapters address the United States' refusal to allow Jewish survivors to emigrate to the US， fueled by anti-Semitic congressmen and business leaders。 They played on the burgeoning fear of the spread of Communism， implying that all eastern European Jews were communist subversives intent on undermining our democracy。 By contrast， the government did little to stop the influx of Nazi While the book covers the fate of most all the European refugees following WW II， the focus is on the Jews。 The later chapters address the United States' refusal to allow Jewish survivors to emigrate to the US， fueled by anti-Semitic congressmen and business leaders。 They played on the burgeoning fear of the spread of Communism， implying that all eastern European Jews were communist subversives intent on undermining our democracy。 By contrast， the government did little to stop the influx of Nazi sympathizers and war criminals。This book is extensively researched， with a high level of historic documentation。 As a result， I found myself getting bogged down in the early chapters。 。。。more
Melissa Jones
，
I’ve wondered many times after reading books and seeing movies about World War II what happened to all of those people that survived the Holocaust？ Where did they go？ How did they get there？ Most of them didn’t have homes anymore or families。 They definitely didn’t have jobs or money or possessions。 What could they possibly have done to start over with nothing？ This book gives a very detailed account of how history played out for these displaced people， or “DP‘s” as they were referred to。 I was I’ve wondered many times after reading books and seeing movies about World War II what happened to all of those people that survived the Holocaust？ Where did they go？ How did they get there？ Most of them didn’t have homes anymore or families。 They definitely didn’t have jobs or money or possessions。 What could they possibly have done to start over with nothing？ This book gives a very detailed account of how history played out for these displaced people， or “DP‘s” as they were referred to。 I was saddened to hear that the United States was reluctant to take many in unless they had a sponsor with family that lived here。 There was a fear that many of the refugees were from Russia， and neighboring countries and that they would bring their communist views with them。 In retrospect， it seems the US were more afraid to take in communists than they were to take in former Nazi members and sympathizers。 They were much more in support of helping the Jewish people migrate to Palestine and establishing their own country of Israel， which as we can see， has led to a very complicated and tumultuous relationship with the Palestinians。 It was very interesting to read how so many Jewish people felt so passionately that they needed to get to Palestine and wouldn’t even get off the ship when it had embarked at another country。 I also found it very interesting how many people lied about where they were from or who they were， including former Nazis that tried to hide their identity。 Many of them lived long healthy lives under a false identity never facing justice for the war crimes they committed。 This book is so well researched and thorough， the only reason why I gave it four instead of five stars is that I wish it had more personal stories and testimonies。 They were the best part。 。。。more
Christa （haines） Sheridan
，
So much information I didn't know。 It took me a long time to read this book because I would get through a few pages， and have to stop。 I truly cannot imagine the magnitude of what the organizations were dealing with。 I'm saddened that it took 12 years after the war for all the displaced persons to find a home outside a camp。The book was presented very well and the information was clear。 I appreciated the definite breaks in the content， with indicators to when and where the action was happening。I So much information I didn't know。 It took me a long time to read this book because I would get through a few pages， and have to stop。 I truly cannot imagine the magnitude of what the organizations were dealing with。 I'm saddened that it took 12 years after the war for all the displaced persons to find a home outside a camp。The book was presented very well and the information was clear。 I appreciated the definite breaks in the content， with indicators to when and where the action was happening。I have to admit my ignorance overall with anti-semitism。 I don't understand why so many countries were hesitant to allow Jewish DPs or why such feelings even existed。 。。。more
William
，
So we learned in school that World War II ended in the European theater on 8 May 1945？ For over a million people who had lost homes， wives， husbands， children， jobs， furniture， clothing， keepsakes， and pretty much everything else one can imagine， the turmoil of war was not over。 True， artillery ceased to fire， bombs no longer fell， and crematoria grew cold。 The specter of brutal death no longer hovered above the concentration camps。 However， the multitudes of homeless still remained behind wire So we learned in school that World War II ended in the European theater on 8 May 1945？ For over a million people who had lost homes， wives， husbands， children， jobs， furniture， clothing， keepsakes， and pretty much everything else one can imagine， the turmoil of war was not over。 True， artillery ceased to fire， bombs no longer fell， and crematoria grew cold。 The specter of brutal death no longer hovered above the concentration camps。 However， the multitudes of homeless still remained behind wire encircling displaced person camps， food was still in short supply， and jobs were nonexistent。Making conditions worse was the continued influx of helpless DPs， short for Displaced Persons， as these war victims were called， for months after the “end” of the war。 Poles， Lithuanians， Romanians， and Estonians， especially， continued to appear at the DP camps in both American and British zones in Germany， fleeing not the Nazi armies now but the Red Army advancing from the USSR。For the Jews particularly， there could be no return to their pre-war Baltic homes。 Some tried， only to find that pogroms were not things of the past but could still be practiced by their former non-Jewish countrymen。 The Allies were somewhat slow to learn these realities and initially stressed repatriating DPs to their native countries， naively believing that one's pre-war nationality was the sole criterion for repatriation。 Why not let the Jewish DPs emigrate to Palestine？ After the first world war， Britain accepted a mandate from the United Nations to govern that region， Britain needed Arab oil， and Britain was not about to annoy the Arabs by liberalizing its rules severely limiting Jewish immigration into Palestine。 How about letting them emigrate to the United States then？ In the 1940s， just as in the 2020s， reactionary Republicans and Democrats from conservative states insisted on severe restrictions on immigration and on keeping out “European riffraff。” Complicating matters was the growing paranoia in the U。S。 over the expanding influence of the USSR。 The unfounded belief that Jewish immigration was part of a Soviet plot to infiltrate communist sympathizers into the U。S。 ran rampant amidst the conservative elements in Congress， and powerful Senators could block votes on more permissive immigration laws despite President Truman's support of such bills。I do not mean to summarize David Nasaw's The Last Million， for such is not the purpose of a review， but to suggest the subject matter with which his book deals。 Absent this book， I would never have realized that some civilian war victims had to remain in DP camps until December of 1951—fully six years after the “end” of the war！ This history is an eye-opener for readers who are likely unaware of the long-lasting impacts of the war on its hapless civilian victims， Jews and non-Jews alike。I have but two nits to pick with Nasaw's telling of this history。 While neither is terribly severe， I did find both rather annoying。 First is that a few explanatory footnotes here and there would help the reader's comprehension。 For example， the author refers a number of times to “the British Mandate” concerning its refusal to allow increased Jewish immigration into Palestine。 He obviously expects his readers to be familiar with that， which I was not。 A Google search on the term， of course， enlightened me， but an explanatory footnote in the book would have been appreciated。 Another example of this is Nasaw's repeated use of the term “quisling，” sometimes capitalized， sometimes not。 Again， putting the book aside and searching for the meaning of the term provided enlightenment but also interrupted the reading。The second nit is that several syntactical or perhaps typographical errors should have been caught by proofreaders but were not。 Just a very few examples of this include such faux pas as: “There is and will also [rather than always] be controversy over。。。。” “。。。[I]t was difficult， if not impossible， to assembly [rather than assemble] the necessary evidence。。。。” “The last of the Last Million departed Föhrenwald， eleven years and a half years after it had been designated as a camp for Jewish displaced persons [erroneous comma and repetition of the word years]。” Such errors are undoubtedly considered very minor by some， but their occurrence significantly weakens the professionalism of the writing。My nits notwithstanding， I found Nasaw's book quite educational， informative and readable。 As Nasaw writes in the introduction， “The violence of war did not end with the signing of ceasefires， truces， or peace treaties。 War bled into postwar and millions of innocents who had never taken up arms continued to suffer long after the soldiers had gone home。” The Last Million is a worthy effort to tell us their stories。 。。。more
Derek Shouba
，
Great topic but I got bogged down in the endless detail。
Mindy Greiling
，
Shocking facts about our country's disgusting discrimination of Jews during the years after World War II。 I knew we wouldn't let them into the United States before the war when we could have saved many， but I had no idea we continued that policy with Displaced Persons and beyond。 Gloomy parallels with today's migrants。 The book took effort to read， both for the sad facts but also because of the heavy ratio of facts compared to story telling。 Shocking facts about our country's disgusting discrimination of Jews during the years after World War II。 I knew we wouldn't let them into the United States before the war when we could have saved many， but I had no idea we continued that policy with Displaced Persons and beyond。 Gloomy parallels with today's migrants。 The book took effort to read， both for the sad facts but also because of the heavy ratio of facts compared to story telling。 。。。more
Katie Eskridge
，
This book was an absolutely necessary scholarly work ， covers a fascinating subject， and yet is completely devoid of any human interest。 The fate of displaced persons after WW2 is a topic that has not been well-understood， and Nasaw has definitely done extensive research to show what happened to all of the displaced persons in Europe in the years after the war。 Given that you have terrorized Jews being kept in the same place as their former captors， this should be a gripping story。 However， pers This book was an absolutely necessary scholarly work ， covers a fascinating subject， and yet is completely devoid of any human interest。 The fate of displaced persons after WW2 is a topic that has not been well-understood， and Nasaw has definitely done extensive research to show what happened to all of the displaced persons in Europe in the years after the war。 Given that you have terrorized Jews being kept in the same place as their former captors， this should be a gripping story。 However， personal narratives are few and far between， and instead Nasaw makes this a story about various Acronym agencies across the globe refusing to recognize the plight of the DPs and handing off responsibility for these people to the next agency。 Incredibly dry， timelines are confusing- would recommend for only the most intrepid reader。 。。。more
Jedediah Smith
，
Masterful in his ability to move from individual experiences to the sweep of history， Nasaw writes an under-told story of the failure of the Allies to give relief to the victims of one war before recruiting their oppressors for the next one。 Bigotry and political extremism in the red-baiting Cold War years led Britain and the US to block Jews and other victims of Nazism in Germany and eastern Europe。 It similarly led them to make common cause with any potential anti-communists whether former Naz Masterful in his ability to move from individual experiences to the sweep of history， Nasaw writes an under-told story of the failure of the Allies to give relief to the victims of one war before recruiting their oppressors for the next one。 Bigotry and political extremism in the red-baiting Cold War years led Britain and the US to block Jews and other victims of Nazism in Germany and eastern Europe。 It similarly led them to make common cause with any potential anti-communists whether former Nazis or Arab terrorists。 These post-war blunders， in addition to prolonging horrific human suffering， led to much of the global instability we still reckon with today。 。。。more
Susan
，
Exhaustive （and somewhat exhausting） account of the million displaced persons after WWII who couldn't return to their home countries。 I thought Jews who survived the Holocaust comprised most of the displaced persons， but in fact they were outnumbered by non-Jews including Poles， Estonians， Latvian and Lithuanians， most of whom were fleeing the Soviet communist rule and many of whom had sympathized with or even helped the Nazis。 This led to a situation in which rabid American anti-Communist fervo Exhaustive （and somewhat exhausting） account of the million displaced persons after WWII who couldn't return to their home countries。 I thought Jews who survived the Holocaust comprised most of the displaced persons， but in fact they were outnumbered by non-Jews including Poles， Estonians， Latvian and Lithuanians， most of whom were fleeing the Soviet communist rule and many of whom had sympathized with or even helped the Nazis。 This led to a situation in which rabid American anti-Communist fervor facilitated the immigration of hundreds of thousands of non-Jews （and some Nazi sympathizers） while eschewing Jews who were feared to be Communists or even Soviet spies。 Anti-Semitism cloaked in various forms （we can't let them into the US， they might be Communists; we can't let them into Israel， they might upset the Arabs and we need their oil） was pretty upsetting。 The book made me understand the desire for a Jewish homeland more than ever before， at the same time it pointed out ironically that the cost of that homeland was thousands of displaced Arab refugees who remain stateless to this day 。 The book is surprisingly readable for an academic tome， although I agree with other reviewers who noted it would have been improved with more personal stories from displaced persons。 The book did include illuminating correspondence and legislative testimony; it was a little startling to hear a US Senator claim that "everyone knows they are Communists" without any facts to back it up; apparently "truthiness" was part of politics long before 45's administration。 If you want to be horrified at humanity's cruelty and ignorance， but also hopeful about our ability to persevere through years of frustration and uncertainty， this is the book for you。 。。。more
Andrea
，
Nasaw meticulously tells the story of the displaced persons at the end of World War II。 Humanity always seems to find a way to disappoint， and this story was no exception。 I had not realized how badly the world treated the Jewish people after the war， along with many others who had been in concentration camps or displaced from their homes。 Immigration and all the discrimination that seems to go along with it managed to keep these people in camps under horrible conditions and little hope。 Once th Nasaw meticulously tells the story of the displaced persons at the end of World War II。 Humanity always seems to find a way to disappoint， and this story was no exception。 I had not realized how badly the world treated the Jewish people after the war， along with many others who had been in concentration camps or displaced from their homes。 Immigration and all the discrimination that seems to go along with it managed to keep these people in camps under horrible conditions and little hope。 Once they were allowed to leave， they were not always given a warm welcome in their new countries。 。。。more
Nicole
，
I've always wanted to read more about post-WWII。 I mean， after April 1945， it's not like everything just went back to normal。 There continent was a mess and there were millions of displaced persons。 This was a fantastic book。 Excellent research and references。 I've always wanted to read more about post-WWII。 I mean， after April 1945， it's not like everything just went back to normal。 There continent was a mess and there were millions of displaced persons。 This was a fantastic book。 Excellent research and references。 。。。more
Robin Kirk
，
A seeming constant with refugees: how violence and disaster strip a human being of their humanity in front of others。 I didn't realize the extent to which the Nazis depended on forced labor of all types， including Jews。 When the Allies arrived， it took awhile for them， to understand the differences between the camps of Poles and Hungarians and Lithuanians， etc。 and the camps of Jews。 Even among refugees， Jews continued to face discrimination。 An important， difficult read。 A seeming constant with refugees: how violence and disaster strip a human being of their humanity in front of others。 I didn't realize the extent to which the Nazis depended on forced labor of all types， including Jews。 When the Allies arrived， it took awhile for them， to understand the differences between the camps of Poles and Hungarians and Lithuanians， etc。 and the camps of Jews。 Even among refugees， Jews continued to face discrimination。 An important， difficult read。 。。。more
Carl
，
Terrific history。 Scholarly yet readable。 This recounts the placement of the final million displaced persons from WWII。 The million included the Jewish victims of Nazi atrocities， innocent Eastern Europeans， and war criminals from Eastern Europe who shed their skins and -- with a great deal of success -- rebranded themselves as anti-communists and thus escaped justice。 120，000 Jews ended up in Palestine; about the same number in USA， Canada， Australia etc。 Three-fourths of the final million were Terrific history。 Scholarly yet readable。 This recounts the placement of the final million displaced persons from WWII。 The million included the Jewish victims of Nazi atrocities， innocent Eastern Europeans， and war criminals from Eastern Europe who shed their skins and -- with a great deal of success -- rebranded themselves as anti-communists and thus escaped justice。 120，000 Jews ended up in Palestine; about the same number in USA， Canada， Australia etc。 Three-fourths of the final million were non-Jews， a surprise to me。 Camps opened right after the war and weren't closed until 1951。 The world wasn't welcoming。 Even after they were closed， a small group stayed in a semi-official camp until 1957。Great writing and a true eye-opener。 。。。more
Liz Mooney
，
Incredible look at the displaced people post-WWII。 This book offered a detailed look at how fierce anti-semitism across Europe （and America） has influenced everything from the Israel/Palestine conflict to modern immigrant policy and border control。 Eye-opening and intense in places but definitely a must read！
carol fanny buchman
，
Should be required reading for anyone with serious interest in the holocaust， WW2cold war rOots， American history， Immigration history ，Jewish history 。 the book is powerful amd well written and a reminder how much kinder our collective memory of our roll in history can be compared to the complex and often horribly wrong and neglectful Roll we actually took。 A compelling and difficult but totally worthwhile read。
Micebyliz
，
What is there to say？ everyone is culpable the world over。 All you can do is believe in karma。 You read this and you need to wear a mouth guard because all you do is tighten your jaw and clench your teeth。The worst part （if there is one） is that not a whole lot has changed。 The same rhetoric and couched language can be heard today and you don't have to look very hard （witness Jan 6） And we think we're enlightened。 Ha。 The new world。 Ha。 We can't even take the murderer Jackson off the 20 dollar b What is there to say？ everyone is culpable the world over。 All you can do is believe in karma。 You read this and you need to wear a mouth guard because all you do is tighten your jaw and clench your teeth。The worst part （if there is one） is that not a whole lot has changed。 The same rhetoric and couched language can be heard today and you don't have to look very hard （witness Jan 6） And we think we're enlightened。 Ha。 The new world。 Ha。 We can't even take the murderer Jackson off the 20 dollar bill。 We let in Nazis before we let in survivors of the Holocaust because OH NO they might be Communists！ oh they might not be healthy！ well what did you think？ they were healthy in the camps？ treated well？makes my head explode。Anyone who truly wants to learn about this country and the world at large should read this。 。。。more
Jean-Luc
，
David Nasaw detailed account of the European refugees nightmare from 1945 to the early 50s is a clear and precise overview of the human & political difficulties of repatriation facing the allies especially in Central and Eastern Europe。 From the liberation of the concentration camps to the creation of the Berlin Wall that divided Europe politically for 40 years， almost 1 million displaced people had to be relocated。 Nasaw painstakingly and precisely dissects the entire process established by the David Nasaw detailed account of the European refugees nightmare from 1945 to the early 50s is a clear and precise overview of the human & political difficulties of repatriation facing the allies especially in Central and Eastern Europe。 From the liberation of the concentration camps to the creation of the Berlin Wall that divided Europe politically for 40 years， almost 1 million displaced people had to be relocated。 Nasaw painstakingly and precisely dissects the entire process established by the winners to fundamentally reshape the European emigration & immigration landscape despite the enormous hurdles they had to surmount。 This is an important study on the aftermath of WII and its migration woes。Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Press for the opportunity to read this wonderful book prior to its release date 。。。more
Burmajones
，
If you enjoy reading the Federal Register， legislative history， and committee minutes， you will love all this book has to offer。 For others， you’ll want to slide through that stuff to follow an interesting narrative embedded with a few historical jaw-droppers like this: In July 1947 off the coast of Gaza， British destroyers — yes， those flying the flag of a country which had sacrificed so much to reach a victory that ultimately liberated Holocaust survivors — rammed， boarded， and violently comma If you enjoy reading the Federal Register， legislative history， and committee minutes， you will love all this book has to offer。 For others， you’ll want to slide through that stuff to follow an interesting narrative embedded with a few historical jaw-droppers like this: In July 1947 off the coast of Gaza， British destroyers — yes， those flying the flag of a country which had sacrificed so much to reach a victory that ultimately liberated Holocaust survivors — rammed， boarded， and violently commandeered the Exodus， a large ship recommissioned to transport thousands of death camp refugees en route to their one sanctuary of colonial Palestine， and force them back to those same camps in Germany， camps taken over by the Allies and repurposed to hold the displaced “last million” while their fate was decided。 These last million included Jewish survivors， of course。 But they also included a wide variety of others who believed （for good reason） that they would be targeted for collaboration with the Nazis if they returned to their pre-war countries — “collaboration” that ranged， on the one hand， from performing slave labor under threat of execution or merely being a POW captured by the Nazis （which for his own troops， Stalin declared a crime） to， on the other hand， voluntary and enthusiastic collaboration sadistically designed to curry favor with their Nazis occupiers。 Many of the displaced fell on the spectrum between those two extremes and blurred the line between victim and war criminal。 But most disturbing perhaps， Cold War America’s judgment of even those clear extremes became contorted and inverted， as the anti-communist credentials of pro-Nazi fascists （to some） became an asset and the baseless and anti-Semitic association of European Jews and communism （to some） became a liability。 This perversion helps explain why the US eventually open its doors to many suspected war criminals （and those without anything remotely close to the skills of immediately-recruited Nazis like Wernher von Braun）。 With some aggressive editing， the Last Million would be a great read。 As is， it requires effort， but effort this reader was happy to spend。 。。。more
Nicholas Lefevre
，
We all like to read about the central historical events of our times。 I relish studying the histories of WWII。 We don't bother with the clean up operations from our big events。 What happened afterwards？ Well， WWII was one of the biggest and its aftermath matters。This is the story of the WWII cleanup operation。 It was really messy！ That war displaced millions。 Many were just Russian， American， British， and other servicemen。 They just went home。 This is the story of the million "Displaced Persons We all like to read about the central historical events of our times。 I relish studying the histories of WWII。 We don't bother with the clean up operations from our big events。 What happened afterwards？ Well， WWII was one of the biggest and its aftermath matters。This is the story of the WWII cleanup operation。 It was really messy！ That war displaced millions。 Many were just Russian， American， British， and other servicemen。 They just went home。 This is the story of the million "Displaced Persons 'DPS'" who for one reason or another were unable or unwilling to return home。 They became an international headache in the wake of the war。The main components of this group were European Jews， Poles， Baltics （Estonians etc。） and Ukrainians。 The Jews were a special case。 Many wanted to resettle in Palestine but were caught between the British Mandate and Western reliance on Middle East oil。 They were kept in limbo。The others did not want to return to homes that were now in the Soviet sphere。 At the same time， many had been collaborators or worse with the Nazis。This book does a brilliant job at bringing the forces to light。 It helps our understanding of Zionism and the Israel/Palestinian divide。 It illuminates why the Eastern European diaspora （Poles， Baltics， etc） came to be strongly anti-Communist despite never having lived under Communism。 （It's complicated）Most of us can go through life never knowing what's in this book。 Knowing it makes our understanding of the world a little bit richer。 。。。more
Melanie
，
I was just saying in reference to the Polish laws about Holocaust mention， why do they think Polish Jews who survived didn't return to their former homes。 This book fills in a lot I didn't know about large number of displaced persons， among them， Jews and Germans and Lithuanians and Poles and Russians， etc。--a mix of Europeans who， for various reasons， wished not to be returned to their pre-war homes。 Some did not want to live under Communism; some wished to escape the consequences of their wart I was just saying in reference to the Polish laws about Holocaust mention， why do they think Polish Jews who survived didn't return to their former homes。 This book fills in a lot I didn't know about large number of displaced persons， among them， Jews and Germans and Lithuanians and Poles and Russians， etc。--a mix of Europeans who， for various reasons， wished not to be returned to their pre-war homes。 Some did not want to live under Communism; some wished to escape the consequences of their wartime actions; and the Jews， of course， wished to get away from all those who tried to kill them and find a place where they could live。 So much bureaucracy and political maneuvering; so little humanity。 。。。more
Lynn
，
I Didn’t RealizeThis is an account of the “last million” of refugees post WWII。 After the war， many displaced persons had no where to go。 The people who had no where to go were mainly Jews。 They were the least accepted and wanted by other countries。 In fact in two displaced persons bills in 1948 and 1950， were written to exclude Jews most of all。 Catholics were also unwanted。 People who weren’t Jewish were wanted a lot more and that included Nazis。 The main obsession was communism and Jews were I Didn’t RealizeThis is an account of the “last million” of refugees post WWII。 After the war， many displaced persons had no where to go。 The people who had no where to go were mainly Jews。 They were the least accepted and wanted by other countries。 In fact in two displaced persons bills in 1948 and 1950， were written to exclude Jews most of all。 Catholics were also unwanted。 People who weren’t Jewish were wanted a lot more and that included Nazis。 The main obsession was communism and Jews were associated with communism in most American law makers minds Truman worked hard to allow more Jews to come but had to work hard to get around the 1923 immigration law that excluded almost everyone。 Jews ended up moving to Palestine because they had nowhere else to go。 I found this book very interesting and recommend it highly。 。。。more
Jo Anne
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Sadly， a little more than halfway through， I abandoned this book。 I rarely do so。 I was so excited when I read about this book and read it daily， but found myself feeling as if I were reading the same chapters over and over。 I know there is a way to write a scholarly book for non-scholars。 （Anne Applebaum， Timothy Snyder and Jan Gross come to mind）。 I am fascinated by the history of WWII and its aftermath。 I have visited all the places mentioned in this book。 I have been to several concentration Sadly， a little more than halfway through， I abandoned this book。 I rarely do so。 I was so excited when I read about this book and read it daily， but found myself feeling as if I were reading the same chapters over and over。 I know there is a way to write a scholarly book for non-scholars。 （Anne Applebaum， Timothy Snyder and Jan Gross come to mind）。 I am fascinated by the history of WWII and its aftermath。 I have visited all the places mentioned in this book。 I have been to several concentration camps; some more than once。 I have taken classes in history at the local university。 So， I can， and do， read this type of book。 I was appalled at the way the Jewish people were， again， victimized by our country and others after the war。 I wish the author had given individual stories more space。 I know a lot about the way Poles treated the Jewish people who attempted to return after the war。 Our country did nothing prior to WWII to assist the Jewish people who could have escaped， and we then doubled down and discriminated against them AGAIN despite knowing about what Hitler did。But that story seemed to get lost in this book。 Perhaps this was the failure of the editor。 It was also chilling to read the name “Jared Kushner” in this book。 A man who worked for the most hateful and prejudiced person ever to be elected president has no place in a book like this。 。。。more
Snidely
，
The more non fiction books I read， the more often I seem to see two patterns at the extremes of a scale。 With some books for which the research or the unearthed information for the intended subject seems to have been too light and insufficient for a book of expected length， the "story" will take detours， digressions， and include supplements and other techniques for adding bulk so that when done， it's a commercial length。 Not too short （as it would be if the coverage were restricted to the premis The more non fiction books I read， the more often I seem to see two patterns at the extremes of a scale。 With some books for which the research or the unearthed information for the intended subject seems to have been too light and insufficient for a book of expected length， the "story" will take detours， digressions， and include supplements and other techniques for adding bulk so that when done， it's a commercial length。 Not too short （as it would be if the coverage were restricted to the premise of the title） nor too long。 At the other extreme， sometimes books are written with inadequate focus and inadequate editing， incorporating everything that was found for seemingly the only reason being that it was found。 Not necessarily because everything that was found contributes to the substance and flow of the resulting work。 For me， this was a book of the second type。 Everything including the kitchen sink that was found seems to have been thrown in and covered。 Much of it contributed little or nothing to the flow or insights， but seemingly was included only because it was found。 This book would have been much better had more discretion been applied to choose what to include and what to exclude。 It would have been shorter， more to the point， and more enjoyable。 So overall， good premise， interesting topic， lackluster writing and organization。 。。。more
Fran Johnson
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The Introduction tells it all， "The violence of war did not end with the signing of cease-fires， truces， or peace treaties。 War bled into postwar and millions of innocents who had never taken up arms continued to suffer long after the soldiers had gone home。While WWII ended in May of 1945， millions of homeless concentration camp survivors， POW's， slave laborers， Nazi collaborators， and political prisoners had nowhere to go。 After efforts by many nations a million displaced persons were still lef The Introduction tells it all， "The violence of war did not end with the signing of cease-fires， truces， or peace treaties。 War bled into postwar and millions of innocents who had never taken up arms continued to suffer long after the soldiers had gone home。While WWII ended in May of 1945， millions of homeless concentration camp survivors， POW's， slave laborers， Nazi collaborators， and political prisoners had nowhere to go。 After efforts by many nations a million displaced persons were still left in Germany。 There were Jews， Poles， Estonians， Latvians， Lithuanians， Ukrainians， and other Eastern Europeans who refused to go home， often because their homes were now in Communist territory or they had no homes left to return to。 These last millions lived in large camps in Germany， some in areas that were formally their concentration camps。 Each nationality had their own police force， places of worship， newspapers， schools， theaters， and health facilities。 They would remain there for three to five years before being resettled。 When most had been resettled there still remained 200，000 to 250，000 Jews with no homes。 In 1948 the United States started accepting more refugees （being one of the last countries accepting refugees） but there was still anti-Semitism against them。 As fears about the Cold War and Communism replaced fears about the Nazis， most people who were reliably anti-communists were granted visas， including former Nazi collaborators。， severely limiting the number of Jews who could come to the US。 Jews from what was now Communists Poland had a particularly difficult time because they were thought to be Communist sympathizers。 After the controversial partition of Palestine and Israel's declaration of Independence， the remaining Jewish survivors were able to leave Germany。 America's role in this story is not a proud one。 。。。more
Scott Martin
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（Audiobook） This work attempts to look at the lives of those caught up in the chaos of the war and the immediate aftermath， where they were refugees in post-war Europe。 It is a mix of many stories and nationalities。 Primary focus is on the displaced Jews， particularly from Poland and Eastern Europe， at least those who somehow survived the Holocaust。 Yet， it also covered the lives of others who were displaced/fled their homelands due to the war。 For some， there was the ability to return home， but （Audiobook） This work attempts to look at the lives of those caught up in the chaos of the war and the immediate aftermath， where they were refugees in post-war Europe。 It is a mix of many stories and nationalities。 Primary focus is on the displaced Jews， particularly from Poland and Eastern Europe， at least those who somehow survived the Holocaust。 Yet， it also covered the lives of others who were displaced/fled their homelands due to the war。 For some， there was the ability to return home， but for many， that was not an option。 In this time， perhaps the biggest issue facing the refugees would be where would they go if not home？ For the Jews， this proved especially problematic。 Especially in places like Poland， many of the Jews had lost too much family and/or the people in those lands did not want them bad。 It would boil down to the US or Palestine。 For the US， much like today， there was no political will to bring in more refugees， a combination of anti-semitism， xenophobia and some racism。 This led to the pressure to send more of the Jews to Palestine， as many wanted to go there。 The work covered the various political discussions between Britain， the US， the Arab nations and those Jews already in Palestine， which would give rise to the nation of Israel。 This work also addresses those Germans and Eastern Europeans who fled the war， but were also trying to flee from justice， given their participation in the various war crimes of the Nazis。 Sometimes they were caught， and sometimes they were not。 Of， if they were caught， it was only long after the war， like decades。 This work was well-researched and a good balance of the big-picture political and the personal。 It covers a part of World War II and the Cold War that does not get a lot of attention。 The issues faced in the late 1940s/early 1950s are not that much different than the situation in the 2010s/2020s。 Refugees are a major concern， but not a problem that is easy or quick to fix。 Replace Europe with the Middle East and North Africa， and you have almost a similar story。 The reader was ok， but perhaps this is a better book to visually read vs。 listen to like an audiobook。 Still， worth the time to read at least one for insight into a key part of 20th century history。 。。。more
Mike Fendrich
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Incredibly interesting book。 The war is not over once the shooting stops。 Nasaw details the impossible process of getting everyone back home or finding a home for those displaced persons who can't return。 Interesting to better understand the formation of Israel in 1948 as no one else （except the US - and then only a limited number） wanted the Jews to immigrate。 Where else were they to go？There are innumerable reasons why war is evil。 This is one of them。 I just want to live in my house， raise my Incredibly interesting book。 The war is not over once the shooting stops。 Nasaw details the impossible process of getting everyone back home or finding a home for those displaced persons who can't return。 Interesting to better understand the formation of Israel in 1948 as no one else （except the US - and then only a limited number） wanted the Jews to immigrate。 Where else were they to go？There are innumerable reasons why war is evil。 This is one of them。 I just want to live in my house， raise my family， go to work and church and you have to bring your tanks and troops in here and destroy everything。 But such is the heart of man。 It was also very interesting how the US at the time was so anti-Communist （the McCarthy era） that numerous Nazis who committed war crimes were overlooked and allowed to immigrate without much， if any， research done on them prior to their coming here and other countries。 As I said， incredibly interesting。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Emily
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"The Last Million" is an academic tome which fills in the historical gaps of the post WWII， at least for me。 David Nasaw's deep digging of the international lack of movement and downright restrictions placed on the peoples left displaced after the fighting ended in 1945。 There are three narrative accounts of the three main groups of refugees。 The amount of raw data and historical fact gathered on these pages is mind blowing， but this is a necessary read to truly understand the post War world。 "The Last Million" is an academic tome which fills in the historical gaps of the post WWII， at least for me。 David Nasaw's deep digging of the international lack of movement and downright restrictions placed on the peoples left displaced after the fighting ended in 1945。 There are three narrative accounts of the three main groups of refugees。 The amount of raw data and historical fact gathered on these pages is mind blowing， but this is a necessary read to truly understand the post War world。 。。。more
Sonya Heaney
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