Women of the Far Right, The Mothers’ Movement and World War II

Women of the Far Right

The Mothers’ Movement and World War II

Women of the Far Right delves into a fascinating subject: the mothers’ movement, the loosely organized and often internally divided groups of women opposed to America’s involvement in World War II. Some of the women were vehemently anti-Semitic. Others started off as anti-communists. One female pilot was secretly employed by the German government. All were united as women and mothers opposed to American boys being killed in a foreign war. During the peak of the mothers’ movement, millions of American women were counted as members.

Glen Jeansonne, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is clear that the women he describes are “extremists” and “bigots,” and he expresses such opinions throughout the book. Given that many of his sources are reports compiled by the federal government, the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the American Jewish Congress, I didn’t expect to read anything positive about the women of the far right. However, the women’s bravery shines through in their stories despite the author’s own bigotry.

Women of the Far Right details the various mothers’ movement organizations, their publications, and activism. This review does not follow the chapters of the book, but instead focuses on several leaders.