Kenneth Townsend, professor of history at Coastal Carolina University, will give a talk on American Indians and Nazi Propaganda Monday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m. in the Wall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Townsend will discuss his research on the role that the Nazis wanted the American Indians to play in World War II. Nazi Germany hoped to cultivate within the U.S. a fifth column movement that would prevent the full unification of the American people in the event of war, said Townsend. The Nazis believed that the American Indians were the likely people to become the spokespersons of Nazi ideology in the American culture and prevent that unification.

Townsend, a specialist in mid-20th century American social and cultural history, is the author of World War II and the American Indian, which was nominated for several national awards. He is also co-authoring a university-level textbook on American Indian history for Prentice-Hall Publishing Co.

Townsends talk is sponsored by Coastals Department of History and Phi Alpha Theta, the history honor society, and will take place prior to the societys annual honor induction ceremony.