Strange Country Ep. 242: Axis Sally
Oct 6, 2022
Mildred Gillars was the American mouthpiece for Nazi Germany. Known by the GIs as Axis Sally, Gillars tried to derail the war effort by spewing garbage over the airwaves. Strange Country co-hosts Beth and Kelly discuss Gillars rise to fame in Nazi Germany and how she’d likely have a cozy spot in some right-wing fringe network today.
Theme music: Big White Lie by A Cast of Thousands
Cite your sources:
"Axis Sally Hypnotized Say Lawyers." Dallas Morning News, Final Edition ed., 26 Jan. 1949, p. 2. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-K12&docref=image/v2%3A0F99DDB671832188%40EANX-K12-1036AF37755313FB%402432943-1036AF378E3E0812%401. Accessed 29 Sept. 2022.
Axis Sally Now Living Productive Life as a Teacher. Columbus Ledger, Three Star ed., 21 Feb. 1967, p. 53. NewsBank: America's Historical Newspapers, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=EANX-K12&docref=image/v2%3A1126154AC3F56D80%40EANX-K12-16B838199FFF8C79%402439543-16B836ACEA7D0840%4052-16B836ACEA7D0840%40. Accessed 29 Sept. 2022.
Blundo, Joseph "Joe" (January 30, 2011), "Sally's axis of evil ended at convent in Columbus", Columbus Dispatch, archived from the original on January 21, 2013.
Gunitsky, Seva. “Analysis | These are the three reasons fascism spread in 1930s America — and might spread again today.” The Washington Post, 12 August 2017, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2017/08/12/these-are-the-three-reasons-that-fascism-spread-in-1930s-america-and-might-spread-again-today/. Accessed 5 October 2022.
Lucas, Richard. Axis Sally: The American Voice of Nazi Germany. Casemate, 2010.
Podger, Pamela J. “Few ever charged or convicted of treason in U.S. history / Many Americans fought for other religious, political, cultural beliefs.” SFGATE, 9 December 2001, https://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Few-ever-charged-or-convicted-of-treason-in-U-S-2843242.php. Accessed 5 October 2022.
Suk, Jeannie. “Did Donald Trump and His Supporters Commit Treason?” The New Yorker, 28 January 2021, https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/did-donald-trump-and-his-supporters-commit-treason. Accessed 5 October 2022.
Tarm, Michael. “Notable sedition, treason cases in American history.” AP News, 13 July 2021, https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-government-and-politics-capitol-siege-809273dd6e90d08a5109dd5a451a5c09. Accessed 5 October 2022.