Description of the book The Waldheim Affair


	The Waldheim Affair: Democracy Subverted


	In 1986 allegations began to appear in the American media that Kurt Waldheim, former Secretary General of the United Nations and candidate for President of Austria, had a hidden Nazi past, and had been a perpetrator of war crimes in World War II. The alleged “cover-up” made immediate sensational headlines in major media including The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

	The story gained momentum mainly from a photograph taken in May 1943. First Lieutenant

Waldheim in Wehrmacht uniform was shown standing between an SS General and his Italian counterpart in Montenegro. The accusers made much of the photo as evidence of Waldheim’s participation in the Nazi Balkan command. In other findings they alleged he was involved in the deportation of Jews to concentration camps and the murder of British commandos. Documents initialed by Waldheim were used to implicate him as a key staff officer in Nazi atrocities.


	Spearheaded primarily by the World Jewish Congress, accusations by innuendo and speculation about war crimes prevailed amidst the outrage of recalled Nazi horrors. The Office of Special Investigations of the U.S. Justice Department claimed to have irrefutable proof of Waldheim’s guilt


	Despite the damaging publicity and the attack on his reputation, Waldheim was elected. Because of the charges, however, he was shunned by world leaders and in 1987 was put on the US “Watch List” of aliens barred from entering the country.

Harold Tittmann shines the cool light of logic and reason on the Waldheim affair in contrast to the supposition and heated rhetoric used to precipitate it. Tittmann analyzes the campaign against Waldheim and the role of the media. He examines the validity of each allegation and makes a compelling case that the charges were groundless. This raises the issue of false perceptions broadcast in free societies, and challenges the American nation, and the world, to rethink Kurt Waldheim’s place in history


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