--- title: "How German actress Marlene Dietrich fought back against the Nazis at every turn" date: "2026-09-03" modified: "2026-09-03" authors: - name: "Stephen Ruiz" job_title: "Editor, Writer" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/stephen/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/entertainment/how-german-actress-marlene-dietrich-fought-back-to-defeat-the-nazis/" categories: - "Entertainment" - "History" - "Movies and TV" - "War History" - "World War II" tags: - "Entertainment" - "Military History" - "Movies" - "World War II" --- # How German actress Marlene Dietrich fought back against the Nazis at every turn ![Marlene Dietrich]() *Marlene Dietrich signs the leg cast of an injured U.S. service member during World War II. (U.S. National Archives)* During a USO tour of Italy in 1944, actress Marlene Dietrich was not feeling well. Dietrich was battling pneumonia, but no matter how ill she felt, she desperately wanted to be around the soldiers. Speaking to the Fifth Army, Dietrich expressed her admiration for the troops fighting fascism during [World War II](). Then, definitely knowing her audience, she concluded her remarks with a prediction. **Also Read:** [**How Paul Newman survived 2 close calls in the Navy during World War II**]() “If morale is kept as high, such as I’ve seen during my visit here in Italy, I’m certain that we can look forward to a speedy victory,” [Dietrich told the crowd](). “Goodbye. Good luck. Godspeed.” That was a memorable tour for Dietrich, who reportedly [broke the news of the D-Day invasion]() to a group of soldiers during that overseas trip. Born December 27, 1901, in Berlin, Dietrich grew up not only to become a successful entertainer. She also loathed [Adolf Hitler and the Nazis]() and did anything in her power to assist with their downfall. ### Refusing the Nazis ![Marlene Dietrich]() *Marlene Dietrich is shown with the crew of a 40mm gun in Italy in 1944. (Corbis via Getty Images)* Dietrich became familiar with the values of service and sacrifice from a young age. Her father served in the German military and later became a police lieutenant. He died, leaving Dietrich, her mother, and her sister to grieve their loss. Dietrich’s mother remarried, but he was killed in [World War I](). Dietrich’s original plan was to become a concert violinist. She showed promise until a wrist injury short-circuited her dream. Dietrich pivoted toward the stage and eventually the screen, breaking through in the 1929 German film “The Blue Angel.” She attracted the notice of executives from Paramount Pictures, who signed Dietrich to a movie deal. Dietrich’s star continued to rise as she appeared opposite Gary Cooper in “Morocco” in 1930, earning her a Best Actress nomination for the Academy Awards. Dietrich made other successful movies during that decade, becoming a symbol of glamour for many. Although Dietrich was far from home, Hitler took notice. In 1937, Nazi officials—at the German chancellor’s behest—[approached Dietrich with an offer](). They wanted her to make propaganda films in support of their government. They obviously didn’t understand how much Dietrich loathed them. She flatly refused. The Nazis branded her a traitor. Clinging defiantly to her beliefs, Dietrich held firm in defense of her native country’s citizens and against the oppression they experienced. [“Hitler is an idiot,”]() Dietrich stated flatly. Dietrich renounced her German citizenship and became a U.S. citizen in 1939, the same year that Germany invaded Poland to begin World War II. ### What Was Project Muzac? ![Marlene Dietrich]() *American soldiers surround actress and singer Marlene Dietrich, who lounges atop a piano during a concert in France. (U.S. government photo)* After the United States directly entered the conflict after the Japanese [bombed Pearl Harbor](), the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) sought methods to dampen the enthusiasm of German soldiers to fight. A forerunner of today’s CIA, the OSS determined that one way to accomplish this goal was to broadcast anti-Nazi recordings on German radio. Codenamed Project Muzac, the OSS enlisted some celebrities for the recordings. Besides Dietrich, the intelligence agency [recruited Bing Crosby and Dinah Shore]() for the effort. Dietrich’s voice, though, proved the most effective for the mission. She recorded several songs for the OSS, but nothing approached the popularity of her rendition of an old German song. Originally written by a German soldier during World War I, [“Lili Marleen”]() tells the story of a service member longing for his girlfriend during wartime. That song became a staple on so-called German “black” radio, constantly annoying the Nazis in the process. They banned the playing of “Lili Marleen,” [the CIA recounted in an article in 2020](), for a while until the backlash from German soldiers was so intense that the song returned to the airwaves. Dietrich’s role was pivotal in the success of Project Muzac. “The programs were just as devastating to German morale as an air raid,” the [U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey]() revealed at the time, according to the USO. ### “Sleeping in Dugouts and Ruins” ![Marlene Dietrich]() *German actress Marlene Dietrich became a United States citizen in 1939. (U.S. Smithsonian Institution)* Dietrich didn’t just deploy her sultry voice to help the Allies defeat the Axis powers. An American by choice, Dietrich helped rally the public to support the war effort through the sale of war bonds. Because of her natural talent, she turned into an exceptional pitchwoman. By one account, her efforts resulted in the sale of [more than $1 million in war bonds](). Clearly motivated to rid the world of the Nazis, Dietrich participated in a couple of USO Camp Show tours. The first one took the movie star to North Africa and Italy in 1944. The second one began shortly after the Normandy invasion on June 6, 1944, and lasted almost a year. The tour’s length didn’t bother Dietrich, who is credited with [performing more than 500 times for troops]() during World War II. She felt at home among the soldiers and expected no preferential treatment. “Tirelessly and good-humoredly, she roughed it with the G.I.’s, standing patiently in food lines, washing with snow and sleeping in dugouts and ruins near the front lines,” The New York Times [wrote in an obituary]() after Dietrich died May 6, 1992, in Paris. “She sang her movie songs, the wartime ballad ‘Lili Marleen’ and some current songs, and even played a musical saw, a skill she had mastered on the Berlin stage. “The troops loved her.” ### The Award that Filled Dietrich with Pride !["Judgment at Nuremberg"]() *Marlene Dietrich in the 1961 movie 'Judgment at Nuremberg.' (United Artists)* They loved her even more during visits to military hospitals. Dietrich probably didn’t think anything of it, but it meant everything to those service members convalescing from their wounds on the battlefield. Dietrich not only supported the U.S. military, [according to the USO](). She had a deep reserve of compassion for Jewish people trapped in Germany, helping establish a fund to aid in their escape and backing them once after they got out of Hitler’s reach. When Germany officially surrendered on May 8, 1945, few likely celebrated more than Dietrich. The Nazis were done. Hitler, who died by suicide a week before the Allies achieved victory in Europe, was gone. Dietrich went back to her career, but her impact on the United States’ war effort was huge. America’s leader recognized her contributions when President Harry Truman presented Dietrich with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Dietrich cherished the honor. She said she [was prouder of that award]() than any other she received during her career. The honor was well-deserved. **Don’t Miss the Best of We Are The Mighty** **•** [**How World War II, ‘GI Joe,’ and a Vietnam War Marine shaped ‘Transformers’**]() **•** [**7 celebrities who went above and beyond to lift our troops’ spirits**]() **•** [**James Bond’s longest-running ‘Q’ survived 5 excruciating years as a POW**]() ## Author Stephen Ruiz is an editor and writer at We Are The Mighty. His writing revolves mostly around military history and sports stories, but it can branch into other areas. Stephen has more than 35 years of journalism experience. His career began with stints at The Ledger newspaper in Lakeland, Florida, and The Kansas City Star in Missouri, but most of his time was spent on the copy desk at the Orlando Sentinel. After accepting a buyout from the Sentinel in 2020, Stephen worked at Military.com for 4½ years as a content editor and writer. He joined the We Are The Mighty staff in December 2025. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()