Dr. Gavin Wiens

Biography

Gavin Wiens is a historian specializing in Modern Europe, particularly Modern Germany, war society, and mass violence genocide. His research interests focus on the political and military aspects of nineteenth and twentieth-century Germany, including the dynamics of warfare from the French Revolution to World War II, and the role of the Wehrmacht during the Holocaust. His work includes the monograph titled "Imperial German Army Kaiser King: Monarchy, Nation-Building, War, 1866-1918," which delves into the intersection of national integration, monarchical power, and military affairs in Germany through the Wars of Unification. This study argues that the Kaiser became the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in 1871 and that Germany’s military federalism allowed for lesser crowned heads to exert control over soldiers more than previously assumed. Wiens is currently researching the German army's relationship with franc-tireurs and partisan fighters throughout the French Revolution and World War II. He aims to illustrate how various factors—including political, social, and ideological developments—shaped the perception of franc-tireurs as ruthless opponents and affected the behavior of German soldiers and civilians during the Holocaust. His research is supported by the Broadening Academia Initiative Hybrid Fellowship at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and he has received funding from multiple prestigious institutions for his work. In addition to his academic role, Wiens has served as an expert advisor for exhibitions at the Royal Ontario Museum and the Toronto Holocaust Museum, contributing to training educators in Holocaust education.

Research Interests