Background to Historical Context of the Second World War (1939-1945).
Fascination with World War II is widespread in the United States. It is a common topic on the History Channel and at the movies. Many families have stories from their elders about wartime service. Ask your elders soon about World War II because those who remember the war firsthand are fewer and fewer. Those who fought the war have been called “The Greatest Generation” of the twentieth century. They made sacrifices which unfortunately cost them their lives, their longterm health, and took their vital years of their youth. Some people say that the Covid pandemic is the biggest national disaster since World War II. So perhaps this week’s topic is one that is somewhat familiar to you.
Prepare to be a little surprised by what you learn about World War II this week. Next week after spring break, Samantha Power will guide us to how the world began to understand the preparations for genocide unfolding in Europe in the 1930s.
This week, we will take a global view of World War II to see how the American experience compares to other wartime combattants. Briefly stated, the war was hell for everyone even though we have some hero-worship and nostalgia for the people of those times. The U.S. death toll was substantial but it was far surpassed in other parts of the world. Very little combat occurred on American soil and most civilians lived safely, except for those at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and in the West Coast internment camps (primarily Japanese Americans). Nothing could be further from the experience of people in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa.
Neil Halloran’s video “The Fallen of World War II” from 2016 takes a data-driven approach to the global conflict so that we can see it truly as a worldwide war. His digital animation shows a real talent from bringing out the human element embedded in the data. You’ll be surprised at the story that emerges. Last week’s video by Jennings called “London Can Take It” made his short film for the British Ministry of Information, the official news source of the government. It is a micro-history compared to “The Fallen” as it deals with 18 hours in London during the Blitz. Narrated by American journalist Quentin Reynolds, it chronicled when German bombers deliberately targeted vulnerable civilians.
The staggering death toll of World War II owes to the length of the war, and to the new technologies of destruction. Aerial bombing of cities was a military objective used by both the Axis (Germany, Italy, Japan) and the Allies (Britain, Soviet Union, USA). High explosives could now be carried in heavier planes and bombers could fly longer distances. They carried conventional bombs, fire bombs that incinerated and melted away their civilian victims, and this war used the first atomic bombs by the U.S. in Japan. While millions served courageously in uniform, it was a war when the lines between soldier and civilian, warfront and homefront, were blurred and erased.
Neil Halloran, The Fallen of World War II, 2016
Identify some significant perspectives on the global impact of World War II that Halloran’s short video brings to light. You might want to highlight nations other than the U.S. that you never encountered in your WWII studies. Or you might want to highlight some U.S. experience that you had never heard about before. Emphasize three topics to show your understanding of Halloran’s point of vew about critical thinking on World War II.
