The Last Million

David Nasaw's "The Last Million" offers a comprehensive examination of one of the twentieth century's most overlooked humanitarian crises: the fate of approximately one million displaced persons who remained in Europe after World War II ended. These individuals, scattered across occupied Germany and Austria, represented the final group of survivors who could not or would not return to their countries of origin. Nasaw, an accomplished historian and biographer, brings meticulous research and narrative clarity to this complex chapter of postwar history.

The book focuses on the period between 1945 and 1951, when hundreds of thousands of people lived in camps administered by the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and later by the International Refugee Organization. These displaced persons came from various backgrounds and circumstances. Some were concentration camp survivors, others were former forced laborers, and still others were individuals who had fled advancing Soviet forces. What united them was their determination not to return to homelands now under Communist control or their inability to do so because they were stateless or unwanted.

Nasaw draws on an impressive array of sources, including documents from international organizations, military archives, personal testimonies, and contemporaneous accounts. His research reveals the political complexities that shaped the displaced persons experience. The camps existed at the intersection of humanitarian concern, Cold War politics, and immigration policy debates. Western nations expressed sympathy for the refugees but proved reluctant to accept large numbers of them, particularly in the immediate postwar years when economic concerns and existing immigration restrictions limited openness to newcomers.

The narrative illuminates how displaced persons navigated bureaucratic systems designed to categorize, process, and resettle them. Camp residents faced extensive screening procedures, medical examinations, and investigations into their wartime activities. The book details how these processes often proved arbitrary and how different groups received vastly different treatment based on nationality, religion, and political considerations. Jewish survivors faced particular challenges, as antisemitism persisted even in the postwar environment, while Baltic nationals and Ukrainians found their anti-Communist credentials made them more appealing to Western governments.

One of the book's significant contributions is its attention to the political dimensions of the displaced persons crisis. Nasaw demonstrates how Cold War considerations increasingly influenced policy decisions. American and British authorities initially focused on repatriation, but as tensions with the Soviet Union intensified, Western powers became more receptive to those who refused to return to Communist-controlled territories. The displaced persons camps became sites where Cold War allegiances were formed and tested, with various political factions competing for influence among the camp populations.

The author also examines the role of advocacy organizations and political lobbying in shaping American immigration policy. The eventual passage of the Displaced Persons Act of 1948, though flawed and restrictive in many ways, represented a significant shift in American attitudes toward refugees. Nasaw carefully outlines the legislative battles and compromises that led to this outcome, showing how humanitarian impulses combined with strategic calculations and domestic political pressures to produce policy changes.

Throughout the book, Nasaw maintains a balanced perspective on controversial questions. He acknowledges that among the displaced persons were individuals who had collaborated with Nazi occupiers or participated in atrocities, while also recognizing that screening processes were imperfect and that many legitimate refugees faced unjust suspicion. The book does not shy away from difficult truths about the postwar period, including the presence of former collaborators among those seeking refuge and the challenges of administering justice in chaotic circumstances.

The writing remains accessible despite the complexity of the subject matter. Nasaw weaves together policy analysis, institutional history, and human stories without losing sight of the broader narrative. The book's structure follows a roughly chronological path while also exploring thematic concerns, making it possible to understand both the evolution of policy and the persistent challenges faced by displaced persons throughout the period.

"The Last Million" fills an important gap in World War II and Cold War historiography. While the Holocaust and the immediate postwar period have received extensive scholarly attention, the prolonged limbo experienced by displaced persons has been less thoroughly examined. Nasaw's work provides essential context for understanding postwar Europe, the origins of modern refugee policy, and the human costs of political upheaval. The book serves as both a detailed historical account and a reminder of the enduring challenges posed by mass displacement and the often inadequate responses of nations and international organizations to humanitarian crises.