The Strange Case of Edward Sittler

Abstract

Abstract Edward V. Sittler, an American citizen, renounced his citizenship at the beginning of World War II and from Berlin broadcast Nazi propaganda to American and British troops. The article explores why he did this and the circumstances of his return to the United States in 1946. Sittler eventually taught at a number of colleges in the United States. His Nazi past may have cost him some of these jobs. He then went to court, unsuccessfully, to regain his American citizenship. In exploring Sittler's legal efforts, the article addresses issues related to the law of treason and of citizenship. It concludes with observations about the role of the American Association of University Professors in assessing Sittler's appeals following his resignation from C. W. Post College, and it offers observations about the relevance of Sittler's story to events in the twenty-first century.