Max Paul Friedman

Max Paul Friedman serves as Professor of History in American University's College of Arts and Sciences with a joint appointment as Professor of International Relations in the School of International Service. He previously held the position of Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from July 2020 to June 2022. His scholarly work centers on transnational approaches to 20th-century U.S. foreign relations with particular emphasis on national security, migration, and historical memory across the Americas and Europe.

Friedman earned his PhD (2000) and MA (1995) from UC Berkeley and a BA in History (1989) from Oberlin College. He maintains fluency in English, French, German, and Spanish with reading proficiency in Italian and Portuguese, reflecting his transnational research focus.

His research program critically examines U.S. interventions in Latin America, the evolution of anti-Americanism as a political concept, and the interplay between civil liberties and national security during wartime. Notable publications include the award-winning Nazis and Good Neighbors: The United States Campaign against the Germans of Latin America in World War II (2003) and Rethinking Anti-Americanism: The History of an Exceptional Concept in American Foreign Relations (2012), which challenge conventional narratives through transnational methodologies.

Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals consistent thematic threads: U.S.-Latin American power dynamics, sovereignty-capitalism tensions, and evolving conceptualizations of anti-Americanism. His work demonstrates methodological progression from diplomatic history toward cultural and transnational approaches while maintaining rigorous archival foundations.

His extensive recognition includes:

• Herbert Hoover Book Prize in U.S. History
• A.B. Thomas Book Prize in Latin American Studies
• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award
• John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship
• Bernath Article and Lecture Prizes from SHAFR
• Woodrow Wilson Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship

Friedman has secured significant research funding from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Fulbright Program, American Historical Association, and Holocaust Educational Foundation. His international scholarly network spans institutions in Germany, Latin America, and Europe, with ongoing collaborations evident in co-edited volumes like The Cambridge History of America and the World Volume 4 (2022). He maintains active engagement through media commentary for outlets including the BBC, Wall Street Journal, and Latin American press.