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Behind the triumphant narrative of the American entry into WWI is another story of a society riven by powerful contradictions. In 1917 the US was overwhelmed by labor disputes, rising anti-immigrant ‘nativism,’ and unrelenting racial violence, particularly against Black people. In his new book,American Midnight: The Great War, A Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis,historian Adam Hochschild traces the untold story of how WWI reshaped America’s domestic politics. The Great War provided the occasion to clamp down on the Socialist Party of America and the International Workers of the World, muzzle the press, and stroke ethnic and racial strife between communities of workers left to fight over scraps. Adam Hochschild joinsThe Chris Hedges Reportto discuss the secret history of WWI and its relevance over a century later to our current political crises.

Adam Hochschild is an American author, journalist and historian. His works includeKing Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa,To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914–1918, andBury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves.

Transcript

The transcript of this interview will be made available as soon as possible.