Alexander Vazansky, assistant professor of history at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, is the author of new nonfiction book “An Army in Crisis: Social Conflict and the U.S. Army in Germany, 1968-1975.”
The book, which was published Oct. 1 by University of Nebraska Press, examines the social crisis that developed among American armed forces stationed in Germany between 1968 and 1975.
A number of factors contributed to this crisis, including shifting deployment patterns during the Vietnam War, changing social and political realities in postwar Germany and Europe, and racial tensions, drug use and the youth movement back in the United States.
Vazansky wrote “An Army in Crisis” from a unique perspective, having lived for several decades in Germany near an American military base himself. Drawing from his own experiences, he’s excited to shed light on a relatively understudied portion of U.S. military history.
“Since my years as a graduate student, the history of German-American relations have been a major focus of mine,” he said. “This interest is partially personal. I grew up in Heidelberg, Germany, during the 1970’s, 80’s, and 90’s as the son of an American mother and a German father. At the time, Heidelberg was the headquarters of the U.S. army.”
“An Army in Crisis” is Vazansky’s first published book. He joined Nebraska’s history department in 2009 as a lecturer and was promoted to assistant professor in 2014.
For more information on his new book, visit the University of Nebraska Press website.
