On Thursday, April 9, 2025, scholars and community members will gather at Fort Hays State University for an enlightening lecture titled Territorial Expansion in Nazi Europe and the United States. The event, presented both in-person and via livestream, will delve into two distinct yet troubling histories of territorial expansion, revealing how racist and antisemitic ideologies fueled the forced displacement of marginalized groups in Nazi Germany and the violent westward expansion of the United States.
The lecture will explore the dark history of Nazi Europe between 1939 and 1945, when the regime systematically removed individuals deemed “undesirable” from the Reich. These populations, particularly Jews and other minorities, were forcibly relocated into ghettos while the Nazis expanded their borders to create “living space” for those they considered racially pure. The speakers will argue that this policy was not merely an act of territorial gain, but a calculated move rooted in an extremist vision of racial nationalism.
In contrast, the discussion will examine the United States’ westward expansion from the early 19th century until the 1970s. This expansion, often romanticized in American history, involved the violent removal of Indigenous peoples to free up land for a growing settler population. Dr. Elise Boxer, Director of the Institute of American Indian Studies at the University of South Dakota, will provide historical context on how policies and practices of displacement were justified through racist and exclusionary ideologies, drawing parallels between the two seemingly disparate cases of expansion.
Dr. Edward B. Westermann, Regents Professor of History at Texas A&M University–San Antonio and author of Hitler’s Ostkrieg and the Indian Wars: Comparing Genocide and Conquest, will highlight the striking differences and unsettling similarities between Nazi racial policies and American settler colonialism. Westermann will argue that while the contexts differed, both systems relied on deeply flawed ideologies that dehumanized entire groups of people, leaving a legacy of suffering and injustice that continues to resonate today.
Moderated by Dr. Wendy Rohleder-Sook, Chair of the Department of Communication Studies, Law, and Political Science at Fort Hays State University, the lecture will feature a robust discussion on the implications of these historical events for contemporary society. The panelists will emphasize that understanding these histories is crucial not only for honoring the victims of past atrocities but also for preventing similar injustices in the future.
Endowed by Eleanor Katz and Harvey M. Meyerhoff—the children of philanthropists Joseph and Rebecca Meyerhoff—the event will underscore a commitment to education and remembrance. Organizers stress that learning from the past, even its darkest chapters, is essential for building a more inclusive and just future. For further details and to register, prospective participants are encouraged to contact Dr. Amber Nickell or Professor Hollie Marquess at Fort Hays State University.