The Journalist Who Saw WW2 Coming

Summary

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Podcast Summary: On the Media – "The Journalist Who Saw WW2 Coming"

Original Air Date: August 27, 2025
Produced by: WNYC Studios & Radio Diaries
Host: Brooke Gladstone
Featured Voices: Dorothy Thompson (archival), Leslie Dorothy Lewis, Peter Kurth, Karine Walther

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Overview

This episode of On the Media profiles Dorothy Thompson, a once-celebrated but now largely forgotten radio journalist renowned for her fierce opposition to Hitler and prescient warnings about the rise of fascism before World War II. Through archival recordings, family reflections, and historical commentary, the episode explores Thompson’s pioneering media career, her influence, and her ultimate professional decline due to her outspoken views on Zionism and Palestinian rights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dorothy Thompson: Pioneering Journalist and Early Nazi Critic

• Thompson was called by Time magazine "a woman who... thinks, talks and sleeps world problems and scares men half to death." (00:01, Brooke Gladstone)
• She reported from Germany in the 1920s–30s and identified the threat the Nazis posed earlier than most correspondents.
• Her commentaries were notable for their boldness—so much so that the Nazis organized a "Dorothy Thompson emergency squad" to monitor her broadcasts. (00:54, Brooke Gladstone)
• Archival broadcasts reveal her distinctive, direct style, laced with both urgency and composure:

  "I have an idea this war is going to go on being surprising. Let us wait with calmness and see. Good night." (02:00, Dorothy Thompson)

2. Trailblazing as a Female Commentator

• Thompson brought a new, "feminine style" to radio commentary about world affairs:

  "She was saying some very dark things... but it was done in a feminine style. No one had ever heard it done like that before." (01:46, Leslie Dorothy Lewis)

• She stood in sharp contrast to her male contemporaries, such as Edward R. Murrow.

3. Early Warnings and Nazi Expulsion

• Thompson met Hitler in 1931 and described him as "the very prototype of the little man," picking up on his insecurities and volatility. (02:46, Karine Walther)
• As Hitler rose to power, she was expelled from Germany after the Gestapo gave her 24 hours to leave. This highlighted the dangers foreign correspondents faced. (03:24–03:40, Peter Kurth & Dorothy Thompson)

  "My expulsion from Germany is only interesting insofar as it throws some light upon the position of the foreign correspondent in Germany. It's the business of journalism to report everything that happened." (03:40, Dorothy Thompson)

4. Fighting Fascism on American Airwaves

• Upon returning to the US, Thompson became a household name, framing her fight as "Dorothy versus Hitler." (04:08, Peter Kurth)

• She didn’t shy from directly addressing Hitler and the world:

  "I am an American woman and mother and I speak for the women of my country. To Adolf Hitler. Shall we congratulate you, Adolf Hitler, that Europe is a shambles." (04:18, Dorothy Thompson)

• Thompson’s advocacy for Jews in Poland was clear and prescient:

  "There are three and a half million Jews in Poland. They know that they won't even be citizens of the third Reich but will be treated as citizens of the second class." (04:41, Dorothy Thompson)

5. Confronting American Fascism

• Thompson attended a 1939 rally of the German American Bund at Madison Square Garden, disrupting proceedings by heckling Nazi sympathizers, risking personal safety:

  "[She] burst out laughing and crying things like nonsense and oh please. The police had to come in because the American Brown shirts were about to rough her up." (05:18, Peter Kurth)

6. Post-War Disillusionment and Changing Views on Zionism

• After WWII, Thompson visited Palestine and saw displacement mirroring tragedies she'd witnessed in Europe.

  "The Zionist project is not what I was led to believe. It is not going to grant equal rights for Arabs." (06:51, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)

• She publicly opposed the establishment of a solely Jewish state, seeing it as "a recipe for perpetual war." (07:08, Peter Kurth)
• Thompson helped raise funds for Palestinian refugees and participated in media efforts on their behalf, a shift that cost her public support and career opportunities.

  "This made her terribly unpopular." (07:50, Peter Kurth) "Her opinion cost her career 100%." (08:13, Leslie Dorothy Lewis)

7. Principles and Legacy

• Despite backlash, Thompson maintained a consistent moral clarity:

  "I had to speak out about this, meaning attacks on Palestinian civilians for the same reason I had to speak out about Hitler. But my Zionist friends do not seem to understand the universality of simple moral principles." (08:20, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)

• In her final recorded words on this topic:

  "All of us must ask ourselves what it is that we live by. We must pledge renewed allegiance to a great liberal idea. The idea that men of many races and religions can live together in peace with each other." (08:42, Dorothy Thompson)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hitler’s character:

  "He is formless, almost faceless. He is ill poised, insecure. He is the very prototype of the little man."
  (02:46, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)

• On the dangers of journalism under dictatorship:

  "It's the business of journalism to report everything that happened."
  (03:40, Dorothy Thompson)

• Confronting Nazis on American soil:

  "(She) burst out laughing and crying things like nonsense and oh please. The police had to come in because the American Brown shirts were about to rough her up."
  (05:18, Peter Kurth)

• On the universality of moral principles:

  "I had to speak out about this, meaning attacks on Palestinian civilians for the same reason I had to speak out about Hitler. But my Zionist friends do not seem to understand the universality of simple moral principles."
  (08:20, Karine Walther quoting Thompson)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01–01:16 – Introduction to Dorothy Thompson’s significance
• 01:32–02:00 – Leslie Dorothy Lewis reflects on hearing her grandmother’s broadcasts
• 02:17–03:15 – Early encounters with the Nazis and Hitler
• 03:24–03:59 – Expulsion from Germany and return to US airwaves
• 04:18–04:41 – Direct on-air appeals against Hitler and for Jews in Poland
• 05:05–05:47 – Thompson’s stand at the German American Bund rally
• 06:10–07:20 – Post-war visit to Palestine and turning point on Zionism
• 07:28–08:13 – Public activism for Palestinian refugees and career consequences
• 08:20–09:14 – Final reflections on principle and living together in peace

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Tone and Style

The episode weaves historical urgency with admiration, painted in a tone of reflection and righteous clarity. Thompson’s own language is sharp, principled, and at times deeply personal, while commentators supply historical context and familial intimacy.

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Conclusion

Dorothy Thompson’s story is that of a journalist with unwavering moral clarity, whose courage led her to be both celebrated and ostracized. Her willingness to speak against fascism—and later, to question Zionist orthodoxy—underscored her commitment to universal human rights, but also hastened the eclipse of her career. This profile revives her voice, reminding listeners of the power—and peril—of fearless journalism.

Transcript

[Brooke Gladstone]

This is on the media's midweek podcast. I'm Brooke Gladstone. For these last couple of weeks of August, we've been airing a mini series from our friends at Radio Diaries, profiles of three controversial radio personalities who had huge audiences in their day, but today are largely forgotten. The third and final part is about a woman named Dorothy Thompson. And in 1939, Time magazine called her a woman who, quote, thinks, talks and sleeps world problems and scares men half to death. They weren't wrong. Thompson was a foreign correspondent in Germany in the years leading up to the Second World War, and she broadcast to millions of listeners around the world. She became known for her bold commentaries on the rise of Hitler. The Nazis even created a Dorothy Thompson emergency squad to monitor her work. She was an eloquent and opinionated advocate for the principles of democracy. But by the end of the war, those strong opinions put her career in jeopardy.

[Radio Announcer]

The National Broadcasting Company brings you at this time a talk by the noted woman commentator Dorothy Thompson. Ms. Thompson, I don't know how you.

[Dorothy Thompson]

Feel, but I feel as though I'd like to take a little time off to think over and digest what's happened in these last days.

[Leslie Dorothy Lewis]

My name is Leslie DOROTHY LEWIS. I'm 63, and I'm hearing my grandmother's voice for the first time. It almost makes me cry.

[Dorothy Thompson]

The reports from Poland today are that the Germans are attacking fiercely on all fronts, the victims of which are wholly civilian.

[Leslie Dorothy Lewis]

She was saying some very dark things because it was a very dark subject she was addressing, but it was done in a feminine style. No one had ever heard it done like that before. At that time, they had to always hear about a man like Edward R. Morrow or somebody like that.

[Dorothy Thompson]

And I have an idea this war is going to go on being surprising. Let us wait with calmness and see. Good night.

[Peter Kurth]

I'm Peter Kurth and I am the author of American Cassandra the Life of Dorothy Thompson. Dorothy Thompson lived in Berlin, and she first encountered the Nazi movement in the early 20s. No one was taking them all that seriously in terms of their taking power, but she kept her eye on them.

[Karine Walther]

My name is Karine Walther. I am a professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar. She comes to interview Hitler in 1931. She writes, he is formless, almost faceless. He is ill poised, insecure. He is the very prototype of the little man. You know, there's that expression. Men's greatest fear is to be laughed at by a woman.

[Historical News Broadcaster]

Adolf Hitler, the indomitable Nazi leader, is now Chancellor of Germany, the Nazi movement. He created in 1920 has grown into a mighty army.

[Peter Kurth]

Hitler's first task as chancellor was to get rid of his rivals. Dorothy was at her hotel in Berlin and the Gestapo knocked on the hotel door room and handed her papers saying she had 24 hours to leave the country.

[Dorothy Thompson]

My expulsion from Germany is only interesting insofar as it throws some light upon the position of the foreign correspondent in Germany. It's the business of journalism to report everything that happened.

[Peter Kurth]

After Dorothy came back to the United States, she was on the airwaves night and day practically.

[Radio Announcer]

Ms. Thompson, whose former position as a foreign correspondent gives her a well defined background for her discussions, will this evening analyze latest developments in Europe.

[Peter Kurth]

She became identified as the sort of immediate opponent of Hitler. Dorothy versus Hitler. Hitler versus Dorothy Thompson.

[Dorothy Thompson]

I am an American woman and mother and I speak for the women of my country. To Adolf Hitler. Shall we congratulate you, Adolf Hitler, that Europe is a shambles.

[Peter Kurth]

Her broadcast ended up being often appeals to rally and to strengthen in opposition to fascism internationally.

[Dorothy Thompson]

There are three and a half million Jews in Poland. They know that they won't even be citizens of the third Reich but will be treated as citizens of the second class.

[Karine Walther]

She really understood what Hitler wanted to do, his attack against Jews as a race. And that's one of the things that makes her so wonderful at this time because there were clearly so many Americans who were fine with it.

[Historical News Broadcaster]

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my very great privilege to to welcome you to another mass demonstration by the German American Bund.

[Peter Kurth]

In 1939, there was a huge rally of the German American Bund, an organization of American Nazis gathering at the Madison Square Garden. And Dorothy came in and she sat in the front row of the press box. And while these speeches were being made, all she did was burst out laughing and crying things like nonsense and oh please. The police had to come in because the American Brown shirts were about to rough her up.

[Karine Walther]

She made the COVID of Time magazine and they said that she and Eleanor Roosevelt were the two most influential women in the United States.

[Historical News Broadcaster]

The war against Germany is won. President Truman announced the official surrender. This is a solemn but glorious hour.

[Peter Kurth]

After the second World War, there was a refugee crisis around the Jewish population of Europe.

[Historical News Broadcaster]

These are the final blows of a long persecution which has been forcing Jews out of Germany by tens of thousands. 6,000 to America, 23,000 to Palestine.

[Peter Kurth]

Dorothy was an avid, convinced, devoted Zionist. But she hadn't been there.

[Karine Walther]

So she goes to visit Palestine. In the summer of 1945, she saw.

[Peter Kurth]

Nothing but internment camps. Refugees of the Palestinian population being forced off their own land and put into other lands that had been designated for them.

[Karine Walther]

It reminded her of the kind of hatred and violence that she had seen in Germany. She comes back and she says this. The Zionist project is not what I was led to believe. It is not going to grant equal rights for Arabs.

[Peter Kurth]

She basically switched sides on that issue. She said establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine was a recipe for perpetual war.

[Dorothy Thompson (Later Recording)]

I am Dorothy Thompson. I have recently returned from visiting the scenes of the Sikta you were about succeed.

[Karine Walther]

She participates in a documentary that is made to raise funds for Palestinian refugees called the Sands of Sorrow.

[Historical News Broadcaster]

Today in the Near East, a suffering people, the Palestine Arab refugees, are struggling for survival.

[Dorothy Thompson (Later Recording)]

Financial assistance is urgently needed. I greatly hope you will want to give what you can.

[Peter Kurth]

This made her terribly unpopular.

[Karine Walther]

She faces really immediate pushback from American Zionist organizations as well as newspaper editors who had been publishing her columns. And they accuse her of anti Semitism.

[Peter Kurth]

That got her dropped from the New York Post and she did in fact struggle to find her place after that.

[Leslie Dorothy Lewis]

I think her opinion cost her career 100%.

[Karine Walther]

There's a great quote which she makes at the end of her life. I had to speak out about this, meaning attacks on Palestinian civilians for the same reason I had to speak out about Hitler. But my Zionist friends do not seem to understand the universality of simple moral principles.

[Dorothy Thompson]

All of us must ask ourselves what it is that we live by. We must pledge renewed allegiance to a great liberal idea. The idea that men of many races and religions can live together in peace with each other.

[Brooke Gladstone]

Dorothy Thompson died in 1961. She was 67 years old. This story was produced by Micah Hazel and the Radio Diaries Team. Radio Diaries is a Peabody Award winning podcast that's been around for nearly 30 years, making first person non narrated work about everyday life and hidden histories. Go to their website radiodiaries.org and you can listen to more of their stories, decades of them, on the Radio Diaries Podcast. Podcast I'm Brooke Gladstone.

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