Eli Nathans

Eli Nathans is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Western Ontario. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins University (2001). His research focuses on modern German history, including Nazi-era legal systems, postwar West German political culture, citizenship policies, and transatlantic Cold War media analysis. He teaches courses such as Nazi Germany (HIST 2147A), Twentieth-Century Europe (HIST 1403G), and Modern Germany (HIST 3428G). His recent work examines journalist Peter von Zahn’s Cold War-era broadcasts analyzing U.S. society for West German audiences. He also explores economic distress as a cause for authoritarian movements in modern democracies.

His teaching philosophy emphasizes critical engagement with primary sources including memoirs, government documents, and philosophical texts. He offers graduate supervision in modern continental European history, particularly German history, requiring proficiency in French or German. His awards include the Rhodes Scholarship and Jacob Javits Fellowship.

Research highlights include his monograph on citizenship policies (2004) and a study of Nazi legal official Franz Schlegelberger (2000). His current project investigates U.S. economic and political disillusionment’s historical roots. He previously held positions in academic administration and has published in journals such as *Law and History* and *Central European History*.