Edward N. Peterson
Encyclopedia
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1953. His specialty was German history, particularly the WWII period and the German Democratic Republic, a field in which he wrote a number of books.
Biography
Edward N. Peterson was born on August 27, 1925, in St. Joseph, Missouri, the son of Roscoe D. Peterson and Rachel B. (White) Peterson.He received his PhD degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1953. After one year at Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
in Richmond, Kentucky, he joined the faculty of Wisconsin State College, which became the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Starting there in 1954, he taught courses in modern history until March 18, 2005—nearly 51 years. In 1963, he became Chair of the Social Science Department and then chair of the History Department until 1991.
He was also active in the German Studies Association
German Studies Association
The German Studies Association is an international organization of scholars in history, literature, economics, culture studies, and political science who study Germany, Austria, and Switzerland...
, and was president and secretary of the Upper Midwest History Conference; Secretary & Treasurer Pierce County Historical Association. He received research grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation
The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is a foundation set-up by the government of the Federal Republic and funded by the German Foreign Office, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and others for the promotion of international co-operation...
for 1963-64, 1966, 1985; the National Endowment for the Humanities
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities is an independent federal agency of the United States established by the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 dedicated to supporting research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities. The NEH is located at...
1969-70, and the Social Science Research Council
Social Science Research Council
The Social Science Research Council is a U.S.-based independent nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing research in the social sciences and related disciplines...
1970-71. He supported wife Ursula's writings and publications on the History of River Falls and Pierce County, as well as her research into family history.
Drafted into the U.S. Army on March 28, 1944. He served in the Anti-tank Platoon, 1st Battalion, 274 Infantry Regiment, of the 70th Infantry Division (United States), being sent to Europe on December 1, 1944. He was at the Front on the Rhine River by Christmas 1944, part of the 7th and later the 3rd Armies.
Books
- Peterson, Edward N. (1954) Hjalmar Schacht, For and Against Hitler Boston: Christopher Publishing House, DOI: 10.1177/000271625429600185
- Peterson, Edward N. (1969) The Limits of Hitler's Power Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press, 1969, ISBN 0691051755 9780691051758
- Peterson, Edward N. (1978) The American Occupation of Germany: Retreat to Victory Wayne State University Press; Detroit, MI; 1977; 376 p.; ISBN 0814315887.
- Peterson, Edward N. (1990) The Many Faces of Defeat, the German People's Experience in 1945 Peter Lang Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8204-1351-8 / US-ISBN 978-0-8204-1351-8. b
- Peterson, Edward N. (1995) An Analytical History of World War II, Volume 1 | Volume 2 Peter Lang Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8204-2395-1 & ISBN 978-0-8204-2396-8
- Peterson, Edward N. (1998) Russian Command, German Resistance Peter Lang Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8204-3948-8l
- Peterson, Edward N. (2002) The Secret Police and the Revolution: The Fall of the German Democratic RepublicPraeger Publishers, ISBN 978-0275973285a
- Peterson, Edward N. (2004) The Limits of Secret Police Power: The Magdeburger Stasi, 1953-1989 Peter Lang Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8204-7050-4
External links
Clips from speech given at December 18, 2004, graduation at the University of Wisconsin–River FallsIn the newspaper