David Kaiser

Recent Articles

What’s Next for Steve Bannon and the Crisis in American Life

A historian follows up whether a theory favored by Steve Bannon can provide a hint at what may come next for Donald Trump and the U.S.

By David Kaiser

Donald Trump, Stephen Bannon and the Coming Crisis in American National Life

A historical theory may provide a window into what’s next for the U.S.

By David Kaiser

Donald Trump and the Ninth of November

In 1918, the Ninth of November brought a new order to Germany. In 2016, that date did the same in the U.S.

By David Kaiser

'The Birth of a Nation' and Nat Turner in His Own Words

"To outgrow the worst aspects of our history and to avoid reviving them, we would do well to understand it as it really was."

By David Kaiser

One Difference Between Donald Trump and Outsider Candidates of the Past

"We no longer have anything resembling a national media. Trump is the first candidate to have taken full advantage of this situation."

By David Kaiser

How Today’s American Crisis Is Different

According to one theory of history, America is about to enter its fourth great crisis

By David Kaiser

Why the United States Dropped Atomic Bombs in 1945

We may debate the morality of the choice, but history can show why American officials would have thought the bomb was necessary

By David Kaiser

The Cultural Revolution and the History of Totalitarianism

The threat of totalitarianism endures into the 21st century

By David Kaiser

A Troubling Myth About Jackie Robinson Endures

The new Ken Burns documentary about the baseball player repeats a false rumor about Kenesaw Mountain Landis

By David Kaiser

Fascism Isn't Our Problem

No matter what you think of the candidates, comparisons to Fascist dictators are missing a crucial step

By David Kaiser

Ted Cruz Is Not the First Politician to Cause Controversy With a Doctored Photo

A "composite" photo made waves in 1950, too

By David Kaiser

When Past Presidents Are Judged by Today’s Standards

Presidents whose legacies are controversial today were also "champions of the common man"

By David Kaiser

The History That Links Trump and Putin

Its roots go back at least 80 years, well before either one of them were born

By David Kaiser

How Campus Protests Can Affect National Politics

The events of the 1970s might give today's protesters reason to be wary

By David Kaiser

What Hitler and the Grand Mufti Really Said

The conversation didn't happen the way Benjamin Netanyahu said, but it still sheds light on a historical moment

By David Kaiser

How 'Bridge of Spies' Uses the Present to Shape the Past

The new Cold War movie appeals to a post-Snowden world

By David Kaiser

Coming Soon to a Primary Season Near You: 1968, Take 2

Don't be fooled into thinking the Republican race is the only one that's interesting

By David Kaiser

Another Reason for Obama to Worry About the Iran Deal: The Treaty of Versailles

If the Iran deal fails, there will be only one historical moment to which the defeat can be compared

By David Kaiser

How Go Set a Watchman Speaks to Our Time

Whatever its literary merits, Harper Lee’s second novel sheds more light on our world than its predecessor did

By David Kaiser

How the Declaration of Independence Can Still Change the World

The key is that its language is inclusive

By David Kaiser
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