When was Hans L. Trefousse born and where did he grow up?
Hans Louis Trefousse was born on the 18th of December 1921 in Germany. His family fled the Nazi regime and arrived in the United States in 1935 when he was only thirteen years old.
Questions about Hans L. Trefousse
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What role did Hans L. Trefousse play during World War II?
Trefousse served as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Army after enlisting to use his fluent German language skills for interrogating captured enemy soldiers. He convinced a Hummel self-propelled gun crew near Wurzen, Germany to surrender and argued with a Nazi commander in Leipzig for eleven hours to save hundreds of lives.
Where did Hans L. Trefousse teach history and until what year?
He taught history classes at Brooklyn College from 1950 until his retirement in 1998. He also held a distinguished professor position at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York system.
Why did Hans L. Trefousse shift his research focus from diplomatic history to the American Civil War?
Racial incidents experienced within New York City changed his professional focus dramatically after he witnessed discrimination firsthand. This personal encounter with racism pushed him away from European neutrality studies toward American Civil War era topics.
What major work did Hans L. Trefousse publish about Radical Republicans in 1969?
The Radical Republicans: Lincoln's Vanguard for Racial Justice appeared in 1969 as a major work that challenged the dominant narrative regarding Reconstruction. Trefousse argued instead that it represented a failed attempt to bring racial justice to the South.