Nazi Rally at Madison Square Garden in 1939: A Troubling Reminder of the Past
On George Washington’s birthday in 1939, a massive Nazi rally took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The rally, organized by the German-American Bund, a pro-Nazi organization, drew a crowd of 20,000 people.
The rally featured speeches by Nazi leaders, including Fritz Kuhn, who railed against the “Jewish-controlled media” and called for the United States to be returned to the white Christians who founded the nation. The rally also included Nazi salutes and the singing of the national anthem.
One attendee, a 26-year-old plumber’s helper named Isadore Greenbaum, charged the stage and shouted “Down with Hitler.” He was beaten up by Bund guards and arrested for disorderly conduct.
The rally was met with widespread condemnation, including a counter-rally at Carnegie Hall that drew 3,500 people. New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called the Bund rally an “exhibition of international cooties.”
The German-American Bund was founded in 1936 by pro-Nazi ethnic Germans living in the United States. The organization counted an estimated 25,000 dues-paying members, including approximately 8,000 uniformed Storm Troopers.
In 1939, Kuhn was charged with embezzlement, imprisoned, and stripped of his citizenship. Many of the Bund’s assets were seized. Without leadership, the Bund fell apart.
The Madison Square Garden rally is a reminder of the dangers of demagoguery and the importance of speaking out against hate and intolerance. The tactics used by the Nazis in the 1930s are the same tactics used by white supremacists and other hate groups today.
The Significance of the Madison Square Garden Rally
The Madison Square Garden rally was a significant event for several reasons.
First, it showed that Nazi ideology had taken hold in the United States. The rally drew a large crowd of supporters, and it was clear that many Americans were sympathetic to the Nazi message of hate and intolerance.
Second, the rally showed how the Nazis used American symbols to sell their ideology. The rally featured images of George Washington and the American flag, and the Nazis claimed to be the true patriots who were fighting to protect the United States from its enemies.
Third, the rally showed the dangers of complacency. Many Americans were aware of the Nazi threat, but they did not take it seriously enough. They believed that the Nazis could never come to power in the United States.
The Madison Square Garden rally was a wake-up call for Americans. It showed that the Nazi threat was real and that it could not be ignored.
The Legacy of the Madison Square Garden Rally
The Madison Square Garden rally had a lasting impact on American history. It helped to raise awareness of the Nazi threat, and it led to increased support for the Allied cause in World War II.
However, the rally also showed that racism and intolerance were deeply ingrained in American society. The legacy of the rally can be seen in the rise of white supremacy and other hate groups in the United States today.
The Madison Square Garden rally is a reminder that the fight against hate and intolerance is never over. We must always be vigilant against those who seek to divide us and destroy our democracy.
