Pearl Harbor: The Turning Point in War and American Societal Views
Life after WW2 When the United States was coming out of the Great Depression, women and other races were treated differently. One of the nation’s most defining points in history was World War II. After almost a century, the belief that gender or race should be treated unequally has come to an end. People who were not white could not get the same rights as others and still did not until ten years later. They were not able to serve in the military or any job with authority. Women were the typical stay-at-home wives who did not work outside the house.
The war started when Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler launched his invasion of Poland, allowing him to go on to conquer most of Europe. Hitler’s goal was to cause a mass genocide of the Jewish people and show that the Aryan race was dominant and that the Jews should be killed. After Hitler Conquered most of Europe, the Axis powers, which were composed of Germany, Italy, Japan, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria, began to follow Hitler. The United States entered the war later because they were neutral due to the Lend-Lease Act and the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Pearl Harbor suffered a bad loss when the Japanese sent a surprise bombing on a U.S. base that was located there. That’s when the United States decided to join allies in the fight against Germany. In December 1941, the U.S. declared war on Japan. Sadly, in retaliation for the Pearl Harbor bombing, the United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
From Battlefront to Homefront: How WW2 Transformed American Society and Workforce
As the fight progressed, it was clear to the Allied Powers that they needed to help the Jewish people and bring an end to Hitler. At this time, the Jewish people were being slaughtered and treated like slaves. Since the U.S. had very little resources to engage in war, they needed all the help they could get. There were kids asked to help with bringing any scrap that could be fashioned into weapons for our army. Women were also working at factories that helped the war effort. They made ammunition, vehicles, and more. Overnight, the unemployment rate dropped by 90% because everyone had a role to play. The United States needed all it could get in order to help our men at war. Due to the rapid unemployment drop, we were carried out of the Great Depression. At this time, African Americans were finally able to serve in the military.
There were over 2.5 African Americans who served in the U.S. military during the war, including the famous Tuskegee Airmen, who were the first African-American fighter pilots.
After Hilter committed suicide a week later, the Axis powers surrendered, ending World War 2.
After the war, African Americans were allowed to serve in the war, and this was a new change for their workforce. Women, given their great effort during the war, were laid off from their factory jobs, but most girls over 14 began to work outside the house. And after the war, our factories were able to produce more supplies to support the military effort. I truly believe that the war helped break racial and sexist barriers.
References
Personal letters and diaries from soldiers and civilians during WW2.
Newspapers and periodicals from the 1940s.
U.S. government publications from the time (e.g., wartime propaganda, military recruitment posters).
The start of this tragic event was on September 1st, 1939. Adolf Hitler, Fuhrer of Germany, invaded the country of Poland. He was obsessed with the idea of having a pure German superior race, which he called Aryan. In believing this, Hitler was confident, the only way to achieve his pure German race, was to gain land, which he decided the best way to claim was by fighting for it. At the time, Europe was destabilized tremendously from World War 1 and needed help. Hitler planned an invasion of Poland and when they attacked, Britain and France declared war which was the beginning of World War 2. There were two sides during the war; Axis and the Allies. The Axis group contained Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allies were Australia, Brazil, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As they developed and learned, both the Allied group and Axis group invented many new menacing weapons and gadgets to help them in their fight to win World War 2. Examples of these were newly created tanks, planes, guns, grenades, communication devices, and equipment/armor.
One example of a terrifying piece of technology for the Axis group to help them succeed in battle, was the Tiger One Tank. The real name was Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger Ausführung H. and it was created in 1937. The impenetrable machine is known for having its thick and heavy armor. It contains a length span of 20 ft. and 8 in. and has a width of 11 ft. and 8 in. The tank weighed around 50 tons and was 9 ft. and 10 in. tall. Attached to it, was an 8.8 cm. KwK 36 L/56 that contained armor-piercing rounds. As a secondary, it contained two 7.92 mm. Maschinengewehr 34’s (machine guns). The tank could travel up to a speed of 24 miles per hour. It could have up to five crew members inside. Although with these impressive features, it was very slow, heavy, and cost an enormous amount of money to build. This tank was created in response to the Axis’ lack of well-armored tanks. This was a major step to help the Axis This helped them move one step closer to trying to win World War 2 with this great advancement of technology.
Another example of a great advancement of technology throughout World War 2 was the Radio Proximity Fuze, created in 1942. This proximity fuze (also known as VT Fuze or Influence Fuze) was created by the Allies to try and save ammunition and time while taking out enemy aircraft. It has an explosive ignition device that uses fuze sensors to detect when an aircraft is close enough to damage the moving vehicle. Although they were not just meant to attack aircraft vehicles, they were also incredibly efficient against ground troops and naval anti-aircraft batteries. The very first battle the Allied forces used the proximity fuze was in the Battle of the Bulge, 1944. They used the fuze shell to attack the Axis’ offensive force pushing the Allies’ light cavalry. The Allies called in for an artillery strike and they used the fuze to strike down the Axis. It was proven very efficient because as the shell reached the Axis, it exploded right over them. This shell was a terrific feature to add to Ally’s armory in their push to win World War 2.
The next example is one of the strongest pieces of technology that was invented and helped advance efforts of World War 2, the Atomic Bomb. Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Fritz Strassmann; german physicists’ in Berlin who had discovered nuclear fission. Nuclear Fission, is when an atom that contains radioactive material splits into smaller, and lighter atoms which release a high amount of energy, which is how the bomb gets its boom. During World War 2, the U.S. created the Manhattan Project. The project was to try and create a functional atomic bomb. The project first started on December 28, 1942, when Franklin Roosevelt gathered different scientists to start the bomb’s production. The leader of the project was Julius Robert Oppenheimer. Most of the tests happened in Los Alamos, New Mexico. 3 years later on July 16, the first bomb was successfully detonated in New Mexico, during the Trinity Test. The name Trinity was given for the site because Oppenheimer was inspired by the poet, John Donne. The U.S. had secretly created not one but two types of atomic bombs. One was made with a base design of uranium, called the Little Boy. The other was made with a base design of plutonium, called the Fat Man. On August 6, 1945. The U.S. dropped a Little Boy on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb wiped out around 80,000 people and later, other people died due to the radiation effects. The bomb was ordered to drop because, the president at the time, president Harry Truman stated Japan’s surrender with a declaration called the Potsdam Declaration. It declared for Japan to surrender but if they did not, the U.S. promised they would bring complete destruction to Japan.
Later, the U.S. dropped a second bomb on another city called Nagasaki. The atomic bomb helped the U.S. try to win the war because this bomb was able to wipe out thousands in mere seconds. Even after the bomb dropped, any survivors that were not protected with the right equipment would die in the area due to radiation levels through the roof.
A last example of an amazing piece of technology that helped the Germans in World War 2 was the enigma. This machine was invented by Arthur Scherbius in 1918. Although the machine was invented by the time World War 1 ended, they didn’t put too much use into the enigma until World War 2 started. This machine looked like a large typewriter and contained several electro-mechanical rotor cipher machines. They used the enigma during World War 2 to send secret messages back and forth securely without the Allied forces ever knowing. When Polish mathematicians had found a way to crack the code and read it, Germany upgraded its security and changed the ciphering system daily so it seemed impossible for the Allies to read it. Until a man named Alan Turing finally solved the enigma, in the December of 1942. This machine helped give a head start to the Germans during World War 2 because the Allied forces had no idea what the Germans were planning for a long time during the war, which made it impossible for the Allies to know what was coming at them.
In the end, the Allies defeated the Axis group and won World War 2 on September 2, 1945. This was the official date when Japan signed surrender documents on board the U.S.S. Missouri. Although, Japan surrendered earlier that year on August 15, when the U.S. dropped the second atomic bomb on Nagasaki. These weapons helped both sides in their fight during World War 2, by giving their side an upper hand. Hopefully, this will be the last of any World Wars.
During World War II, the term comfort women were used to describe women who were enlisted to give sexual service and pleasure to the Japanese Imperial Army in the so-called comfort stations all over East Asia.
According to wikipedia.com, comfort women are the forced sexual slavery among women who are into prostitution for the Japanese military brothels during World War II. It is said that based on some researchers and historians that among the victims, the majority were from Korea, China, and Japan. Even though the majority were from these countries, women from the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, Dutch East Indies, Indonesia, and other Japanese-occupied terrains were also exploited to become their comfort stations. The said comfort stations were located in Japan, China, the Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, Macau, New Guinea, and French Indochina. The women from the said countries were kidnapped from their residences; some women were employed with proposals to work in the military – it is reported that women were under forced employment. (wikipedia.com)
On the other hand, as stated by a Japanese historian named Ikuhiko Hata, the Japanese government and/or military did not plan or organized any forced employment of comfort women. Up to now, the extent and character of sexual slavery by the Japanese military is still being discussed, argued, and debated. Using the statement of a former comfort woman, some Japanese historians disputed that the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were either straightly circuitously involved in forcing, tricking, ensnaring, and even kidnapping young women all over their Asian colonies and occupied terrains. (wikipedia.com)
Affirmation of Kim Hak-soon
In 1991, the issues regarding comfort women exploded in the public when a woman from South Korea came out to the public and testify the issue regarding comfort women. Kim Hak-soon was the first comfort woman who went out to the public and speaks regarding the said issue. Because of the said event, an international movement demanding the Japanese government to make an apology and pay compensation for what they’ve done that was considered to be sexual slavery was rapidly initiated.
In the time of 1996, the United Nations Human Rights Commission filed an account regarding the matter that was primarily based on the witnesses and victimized comfort women’s testimony. But unfortunately, the report was disparaged by some historians in Japan; thus dismissing the case and concluding that the pertinent testimony was unreliable. Aside from that, they also insist that the comfort women were not forcibly taken or kidnapped.
Since 1991, former comfort women have filed a great number of proceedings and complaints in Japanese courts as well as one in the United States. It is demanded in the numerous complaints that the government of Japan should give compensation and ask for an official apology. All the cases were filed on the basis saying that the Japanese government infringes several international treaties that protect and defend the civilians in military-occupied terrains and forbid trafficking in persons; one good example is The Hague Convention.
It is in the filed complaint that women had been either kidnapped from their hometowns or swindled into serving in the so-called comfort stations during that time. The complainants stressed that the tremendously poor living conditions and sexual as well as the psychological abuse underwent by the women has a lifelong impact.
The side of Japan
On the other hand, Japan bickers the following arguments: 1) their country, Japan is subject to a self-governing exemption; 2) because of the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty in the year 1951 and other mutual treaties with the countries involved, Japan had by now settled its war crime reparation issues; 3) the claims of the individual victims for the harm and damage are unacceptable by the international law because it is said that the compensation issue was conceded into a government-to-government basis; 4) and lastly, Japan does not have any legal obligation or responsibility to pay damages to the victims in lieu to the termination of the twenty-year law/ order of limitations.
As for this, some of the impending complaints were dismissed while others are still in the course of processing. As of now, the Japanese court has a ruling that the predetermined payment should be given to the women; in March 2001, it was overturned.
The government of Japan primarily rebuff any participation or connection in setting up and operating the said comfort stations in Asia. But in 1992, it confessed its authorized participation and presents an apology after Yoshimi Yoshiaki, a Japanese historian exposed the evidence.
Establishment of Asian Women’s Fund (AWF)
In 1995, the establishment of the Asian Women’s Fund (AWF) was initiated in Japan because of the decision of the government of Japan to raise money from individuals to pay compensations to former comfort women; the government also gave a fraction in the said fund. In June 2002, several 285 women received the said compensation having an amount of four million yen accompanied by a letter from the Prime Minister of Japan. Startlingly, many women declined thought the payment came from confidential individuals and not primarily from the Japanese government. Additionally, 79 women from Holland got medical and welfare aid from the government of Japan. Unfortunately, AWF was disbanded last 2007 after the finishing point of its venture in Indonesia.
National Interest in opposition to the Healing Truth
According to research, the Japanese government on an authorized level seems to consider the national interest to ward off the possible domino effect of accepting the complaints regarding the comfort women survivors’ issue to state compensations; such concern is said to be not unique to Japan.
In 1997, an opinion survey was conducted and according to 50.7%, Japan should make a proper apology to Asian countries and victims. On the other hand, some progressive lawyers and proletariat activists are fighting for legislation that would allow the inquiry of the comfort women issue, an apology, and compensation. In disparity to it, conservative neo-nationalists who neither nor feel any moral and legal responsibility and obligation for the comfort women survivors consider that Japanese supporters of the international remedy movement exhibit an egregious deficiency of consciousness in the national interests.
In the 1998 and 1999 surveys conducted, more than two-thirds of Japanese military veterans respond that their country should neither make an apology nor compensate comfort women because they had been paid money for the services they have given.
Personal Opinion regarding the matter
Instead of the research, I think the issue should be for the countries involved. In my opinion, the countries involved should have a general meeting wherein both parties will be acknowledged. They should have their facts with them so that they can present them during the meeting. And on the end of their discussion, there should be a resolution regarding the issue that will be implemented and declared to the public so that on the same way, the people are also aware of the resolution that will be implemented.
The anti-Japanese propaganda was used during WWII in order to create fear and antipathy towards Japanese people and their values. The content of propaganda was much the same as that of broadcast propaganda: emphasis on the Allies’ growing war potential, ridicule of the more preposterous assertions of the National Socialists, evidence of self-contradictions in the various speeches of Hitler and his allies, messages of hope and encouragement (or advice to exercise caution) to the inhabitants of the enemy-occupied territory. Anti-Japanese propaganda created an image of an enemy and rival based on unconscious perceptions and images of the Japanese as an underdeveloped nation.
Following Dewer, Anti-Japanese propaganda was based on the image of the enemy reflected in images and pictures. Printed material introduced into territory which took the form not of leaflets but of forged currency or ration books belongs by any definition to economic warfare rather than to propaganda. But what has been said is sufficient to show that propaganda too can be and in the last war was a tactical weapon of war. ‘Black’ stations and printed matter have advantages over their ‘white’ opposite numbers. As they are presumably under military control they are not subject to the ordinary rules of war-time censorship; not being presented as coming from the enemy their targets can listen to them (Dewer 43).
Such slogans as Know Your Enemy persuaded American citizens that the Japanese were a low developed nation and a direct threat to the security and freedoms of the American people (Dewer 15). Most of the campaigns were based on the constant repetition of simple slogans, the organization of mass meetings and ‘spontaneous’ demonstrations, and the ‘identification of the enemy”. But behind all this, there lies the fundamental difference that whereas Anti-Japanese propaganda was calculatedly false and lying. It may indeed contain factual inaccuracies, known as well as unknown, but only if these will help to strengthen the appeal of the message offered a message in which the Americans and Europeans sincerely believe. Following Jund, the state created the Shadow based on the idea that: “it is everything in us that is unconscious, repressed, undeveloped and denied. These are dark rejected aspects of our being as well as light, so there is positive undeveloped potential in the Shadow that we don’t know about because anything that is unconscious, we don’t know about” (Jung 2000). The authorities expected that the picture of the world that would come into existence after victory was achieved, however vaguely outlined was yet calculated to appeal to genuine idealism–to a sense of justice, to the longing for peace and comradeship, to the hatred of oppression and cruelty.
The wastage was certainly great; thus a batch of leaflets intended for a particular city might be dropped into open country owing to a miscalculation by the navigator of the aircraft carrying it, or if balloon-borne might by a shift in the prevailing wind be deposited in the wrong country or on the high seas; or again, if the leaflets were dropped at night (as for obvious reasons they usually were) the enemy had a chance of picking them up and destroying them before most ordinary citizens were up and about. And beyond all this, the preparation, printing, and despatch of the material took time and it was therefore in danger of being out of date and even silly by the time it reached its target if it ever did. The overriding objective of this front-line propaganda was to depress the enemy soldiers and if possible to persuade them to desert or surrender (Dewer 76). To this end, various arguments were used. First, that the war was bound to end with a victory for the Allies ultimately and the sooner the soldier realized this the quicker he would be able to return in peace to his family; secondly that the campaign then and there being fought was bound to end in success for the Allies. It was essential as counter-propaganda since the enemy had tried to frighten would-be deserters by horror stories of how the British and Americans treated their prisoners. Dewer states: “photographic negative, devoid of individuality, would appear at first glance to be the crassest sort of Western ethnocentricity and racism, for example; but it was, in fact, not very different from the patriotic slogans promoted by Japan’s own ruling groups” (30).
The effect was even greater when to the printed word was added the support of public address systems and loud-speakers over which messages could be shouted giving precise instructions as to how to surrender with least risk and could be complemented by former comrades who had taken the crucial step and could say why they did not regret it. It thus breaks one of the cardinal rules of counter-propaganda do not give publicity to enemy propaganda unless it is unavoidable; whenever possible dispose of its arguments or appeals by oblique reference only; do not quote the enemy by name unless you are sure that you can make him look so ridiculous, or so wicked, that the free advertisement you give him will do less harm from your own point of view than the impact of what you say upon the target will do good. The majority of posters depicted cruelties and immoral behavior of Japanese soldiers, murder, and rap scenes. The task of these images was to create fear and disgust towards the Japanese nation and soldiers. Also, some posters were based on racist messages heated national differences, and racial envy (Dewer 92).
In sum, anti-Japanese propaganda was based on emotional responses and appeals aimed to create an image of enemy and killer. So populations on which propaganda was target could concentrate their hate and fear. Anti-Japanese propaganda portrayed enemies at all levels and in all campaigns. Concentrate the passions of targets on one enemy did not let them become dispersed and thereby weakened. Once a propagandist has declared that final victory was just around the corner his position became stronger.
Works Cited
Dewer, J. W. War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War. Pantheon, 1987.
Jung, K. 2002. The Shadow Dance—Understanding Repetitive Patterns in Relationships. Web.
World War 2 was one of the most bloody conflicts in the history of the World. Millions died in the six years of conflict and a whole generation of young men left America and returned home scarred by their experiences. American cinema and literature are full of references to American experiences during the war. Band of Brothers, and Patton Saving Private Ryan are just a few programs that aim to show how Americans lived, fought and died in that war. However, this results in an unfortunate bias. All we are exposed to is the American perspective. American soldiers are always noble, patriotic saviors of the free world, while Germans and Japanese are always nefarious, evil imperialists bent on world domination. In other words, our perspectives on World War 2 are unfairly biased against the other participants in the War. In order to help balance this unfair bias the films Stalingrad (1994) and Downfall (2003) along with the memoir The Forgotten Soldier (1967) will be reviewed in order to expand our understanding of history from the perspective of Nazi and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.). These works will be reviewed with a view towards piercing the veil of our stereotypes about Germans and revealing the human aspect of the common German solider.
The Battle of Stalingrad, fought between Fall 1942 – Spring 1943, was no doubt one of the cruelest and traumatic episodes, from the German perspective, of World War 2. What began as a grand campaign to finally knock the Soviet Union out of the War turned into a tragic rout that resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of men and the destruction of an entire German army. The Movie Stalingard by Joseph Vilsmaier is a noble attempt to depict the horrors of the Eastern Front from a real world perspective and removes the romanticism and noir normally associated with war movies.
The movie follows the lives of a German Wehrmacht infantry platoon as they are shuttled from the North African front to Italy and finally to the Russian front where they find themselves part of the Sixth Army when it launches its campaign to conquer Stalingrad. This film is not the first German portrayal of Stalingrad it is predated by the 1959 movie Hunde, wollt ihr ewig Leben or Stalingrad: Dogs, do you wish to live forever?
The movie begins with the men in the assault engineers better known as Pionere who are enjoying much deserved leave in Italy after campaigns in Italy. The three main characters are introduced Lieutenant von Witzland, the idealistic platoon leader, Unteroffizier “Rollo” Rohleder, who was denied his award because he arrived at the parade with an unbuttoned tunic collar and finally Obergefreiter Fritzi Reiser who rarely hides his true opinion.
This early on the movie is already contradicting the stereotype of Nazi soldiers. They are not mad, brain-washed fanatics who believe entirely in the Nazi cause. Instead they are largely sympathetic characters who go through the motions of allegiance to the German cause, they are not rabid Nazis. Just helpless pawns of the egotistical monsters who feast on elegant cuisine and fine wine while their troops nearly starve. Perhaps the basic goodness of the German foot soldier but the antiwar message already rings true this early on (Holden 1995).
The exception to this is Rollo who easily fits the stereotype of a fanatical, die-hard believer who is willing to fight to the death and thirsting for medals. A pep talk from the officer in charge is the last thing they are told at the parade before they are instructed that they will soon head out to the Eastern Front. The next scene finds the soldiers on a train where they are happily greeted by the Italian as the leave only to find themselves deep into desolate and unwelcome Russia. It is here that the human aspect of the soldiers is again revealed. They talk about what they plan to do after the war. Rollo even makes a cruel be that he will survive the war while Von Wtizland will not. Finally they arrive at the outskirts of Stalingrad where preparations for war are rife.
The scene is dark and rainy, already ominous signs of the fighting. There are soldiers seriously wounded from the battles. Russian POWs are being mistreated by German field police. When one of the POWs collapse from exhaustion the field police beat cruelly. The idealistic Von Witzland tried to protest this cruelty but is knocked to the ground and forced to watch while the POW is beaten to death. Witzland gets up and protests to captain Haller, the Feldgendarmarie captain. The captain responds: “You wish to protest? Tell the Fuhrer.” He then walks off, laughing cruelly. This scene suggests that not all Germans consented to the atrocities that the Nazi regime. Some protested, but those who did so too vocally wound up six feet under.
The next scene is another one that is atypical of war movies about the German Army. A field service by chaplains is performed and two more characters are shown. Feldwebel Pfluger, a veteran who has served at Voronezh, and Hauptmann Musk, another veteran who has lost an arm and who claims to have “absolutely no luck with my right side”. All these preparations show the humane side of the German solider. He is also a human being with a soul that will be sorely tested in the days to come. They are not merely evil animals who are out to kill others and dominate the world.
The actual war is soon in full force as the Germans approach Stalingrad under heavy cover from their artillery. The battle is absolutely feral as both sides are unwilling to give ground. Rollo displays his glory seeking heroism in overcoming the Russians but the dogged defenders show no sign of letting up. After they succeed in driving the Russians out they listen to Hitler over the radio justify he chose to send them to Stalingrad. Out of an original 450 men the battalion has been reduced to just 62 men. Sixty-two men who are now surrounded by Russians and after a short ceasefire they are attacked and overwhelmed by the Russians. The only way the Germans are able to escape is by fleeing into the sewers which are full of dead from both sides. In the tunnels they encounter Edgar Emigholz who was suffering from a serious wound from a booby trap. They try to bring him to a hospital while being hunted down by Russian soldiers. Unfortunately Emigholz dies in the hospital waiting in vain for medical assistance. While trying to help Emigholz the main characters make a ruckus at the hospital and they get arrested by Hauptmann Haller for their efforts.
As a result of their actions they are condemned to a “Strafbattalion” or a penal battalion together with others whose conduct has merited their punishment. In the deep snow they are forced to dig for mines and are mistreated by other soldiers. It is here that the turning point of Stalingrad starts. The Russians have broken past the Romanian flank guards of the Sixth Army and are threatening to surround them. In exchange for reinstatement the penal troops are told to hold off the encirclement force at Marinovka, a task they succeed in doing albeit temporarily. The battle sequence is well defined as the Russian tanks are repelled by German anti-tank gunners in a desperate action. A broken penal solider named Otto spreads his cynicism by telling his fellow soldiers to write home to their families that they are already dead. At this stage it is shown that the fighting has taken its toll. The German grand army of 1939 is quickly dissipating. The men who have been fighting for years are beginning to show the strain. No longer uber-idealistic fanatics, many are starting to feel reality sink in, that they are likely to die far from home.
The major German base is a Russian village. Despite the snowy weather, it is teeming with activity. They are taken out of the shed they are taking refuge in, and earn the right to return to their unit. They are reinstated and given an unsavory mission – forming an execution squad against alleged civilian “saboteurs”, to prove their loyalty. General Hentz passes rank insignia to them, saying “In the name of the Fuhrer” to each one, then leaves in his staff car, having given the responsibility of carrying out the killings to Captain Haller. However, they discover that among the civilians is Kolya, the same Russian boy they had met before. Despite their efforts to convince Haller to spare the boy, they are ordered back in line and threatened with execution if they fail to carry out the killings. The movie is not purely an anti-war absolution of the German solider. It is shown here that Hauptman Haller is forcing them to execute alleged saboteurs. As if to transfer the blame on the officers the cruelty that Germans are known for.
The execution of Kolya is the straw that brakes the camel’s back. They go from dedicated and determined German soldiers fighting for the Fatherland, back in Italy, to desiccated husks of men just doing their duty to avoid punishment. Now they have totally lost morale and want to desert. Reiser hatches a plan to escape Stalingrad by faking wounds and boarding a medical flight. But this ploy ultimately fails as the cordon around Stalingrad grows tighter. On the way there they resort to looting corpses for bandages and bribing civilians with bread to get directions. Musk gets sever frostbite on his foot and like all the others is now suffering severely from the unyielding cold. Hauptmann Haller shows up again and kills Muller accidentally after they make a play for some goods airdropped by the German Air force and he is also killed by the men in revenge. Ultimately the main characters are shocked when they see a long column of defeated German soldiers marching to surrender to the Russians in stark contrast to the brave and eager men who marched to Stalingrad in the fall.
This is a picture of defeated German soldiers marching into captivity. They are no longer proud conquerors. Instead they are shadows of men, faithless to their cause and instead desiring to preserve their lives a little longer despite the loss of their honor as soldiers. Few of the men who surrendered at Stalingrad made it back to Germany alive.
In summary, Stalingrad belied the idea that all German soldiers were cruel, heartless fanatics who were only bent on world domination. They are even counter points to the idiotic Sgt. Schultz from Hogan’s heroes. They are ordinary people thrust in extraordinary circumstances and they have limited capacity for suffering and hardship. Some are indeed motivated by less than noble causes such as Rollo’s desire for medals or Haller’s brutal adherence to discipline. But ultimately the men of the German army were doomed by the whims of a dictator hundreds of miles away. At the end of the Stalingrad Campaign more than Six hundred thousand Germans, Romanian and Italians were dead, captured or missing and the myth of German invincibility in the east was irretrievably lost.
Yet for all the suffering the Germans endured the world condemned them and considered their annihilation justified. After all they were the aggressors, evil invaders who deserved what they got. Russians too suffered terrible losses and committed many atrocities against the German prisoners. In fact, of the hundreds of thousands of prisoners only 6,000 eventually return to Germany. But the world justifies their actions because they were the injured party and its was only right that they try to take revenge for the atrocity they suffered. Personally, I would have held the same view until I saw this movie and its images of Germans trudging in the snow lugging heavy weapons, of men dehumanized by the barbarism around them and most of all the human face of the German solider making him out to be more than just a cog in an evil machine.
Downfall is the Oscar nominated drama about the last twelve days of Adolf Hitler in his bunker as Nazi Germnay, his grand empire, is in its death throes. It was based on the book by historian Joachim Fest (2004) known as the Until the Final Hour portions of Albert Speer’s memoirs Inside the Third Reich; Hitler’s Last Days: An Eye-Witness Account, by Gerhardt Boldt; doctor Ernst-Günther Schenck’s memoirs; and the memoirs of Siegfried Knappe.
It is the spring of 1945 the dying days to the Third Reich. The German army has been utterly beaten and the Red Army is advancing towards Berlin. Deep within his bunker Hitler has utterly lost it. He is ordering counter attacks that will never happen for armies that no longer exist. The Russians are rampaging across the country amidst crumbling resistance. But he has not yet been abandoned by his clique. Joseph Goebbels, Albert Speer and Heirich Himmler are still within him holed up in the bunker.
As the movie revolves around the dying days of the Reich from the perspective of the German leadership the mood is one of hopelessness. Hitler’s generals are still dominated by his presence and charisma. Reality’s dark truth is blunted by Hitler and his determination to resist till the end. His generals know that the only true hope left is that the Western Allies conquer Berlin first and are more accommodating. Any hope of military victory has long since passed. Obedience and discipline are all the remains to drive the German soldiers. Much of the story is a kind of humanization of Hitler as he is presented as a desperate human being still trying to seize victory despite the obvious defeat staring him in the face. About the only redeeming quality he shows is when he marries his mistress Eva Braun right before they commit suicide. This is the main controversy in the film as even when the film was shown close to 60 years after Hitler’s defeat the world still views him as a monster not fitting even of the title human. Indeed the film’s critics often asked if he can even be portrayed as human.
David Denby (2005) mentions that the film’s acting is indeed excellent and the fact that Hitler has been humbled by defeat despite his delusions makes him somewhat more human. In the movie he was humanized. He was still a megalomaniac who believed that he was born to rule the world. However, he was kind to his cook, his secretary and genuinely loved his dog. Even in the end he was surrounded by loyal subordinates. For Denby the movie was all about making Hitler Mortal.
Tragically this is met with unfortunate pessimism and negativity. People believe the mere idea of Hitler being anything less than an evil demagogue. The movie itself delivers on this, as Hitler is frequently seen ranting and raving claiming that Germany itself should perish if it can not defeat its enemies. The movie presents Hitler as the image of the defeated tyrant his power long since evaporated which given the events surrounding him is hardly surprising.
Even famed Hitler biographer Sir Ian Kershaw chimes in
“Knowing what I did of the bunker story, I found it hard to imagine that anyone (other than the usual neo-Nazi fringe) could possibly find Hitler a sympathetic figure during his bizarre last days. And to presume that it might be somehow dangerous to see him as a human being – well, what does that thought imply about the self-confidence of a stable, liberal democracy? Hitler was, after all, a human being, even if an especially obnoxious, detestable specimen. We well know that he could be kind and considerate to his secretaries, and with the next breath show cold ruthlessness, dispassionate brutality, in determining the deaths of millions. (Kershaw 2004)”
It would appear that Sir Ian joins in the opinion that Hitler was no doubt insane because he will never grant any sympathy to Hitler for what he did. Yet he still finds it mind boggling that Hilter could be nice to his staff and dog yet be the same man who ordered the extermination of the Jews and countless other attrocities.
Critics also alleged that the movie had, in a way, tried to soften Hitler’s image from that of the cruel genocidal dictator that he is best known for. But in this writer’s opinion the softening of his image only balance what the world knows about Hitler. In desiring to condemn him for his evils often people forget that he was an actual human person who made choices that had a drastic impact on the world around him. His failings were those of a human wrought large but human failings nonetheless.
The forgotten Solider is, purpotedly, an autobiographical account by a veteran German solider named Guy Sajer and is largely about his experiences on the German Eastfront. The authenticity of this book is somewhat disputed. Here is another image of a German solider humanized from the biased perspective that most people in the world have lumped them under. The book is an account of a disatrous love affair with war and with the army that, of all modern armies, most loved war, as it was written by a semi-outider (Moss and Driver 2005).
The story revolves around Guy Sajer, a young German solider forced to fight in the bitter Russian winter aginst Russian partisans, and the desperate but resilient Red Army. Guy is a member of the elite Grosse Deutschland or Großdeutschland division with its extreme training regime. He is ulitmately dehumanized as he is forced to reconcile his humanity to the extremely brutal, violent and remorseless world that crushes any hopes and ideals he had. All that matters to him in the end is survival in the face of a relentless enemy.
As mentioned early the accuracy of the book is disputed. For example some of the details in the book are incorrect while others can not be verified. However, in defense of the book the inaccuracies may be because it was written from poor memory and some information might have been lost as it was translated from the orginal French.
From the beginning Sajer considers himself a semi-outsider; I learn some military songs, which I warble with an attrocious French Accent. The other soldiers laugh. They are destined to be my first comrades in this place. (Sajer 1) This picture might very well be what Sajer and his fellow looked like when they first prepared for war. Although considering that he was in an elite unit their uniforms might have been flashier.
Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Sajer’s book is that he is actually from Alsace. Alsace as history tells us is a heavily disputed region in Europe which Germany and France have contested since the 19th century. Therefore, as Sajer points out it is as much French as it is German. Personally, this also leads me to question the veracity of Sajer’s book since the Großdeutschland was an elite German division it is somewhat questionable how a potential outsider could gain acceptance is somewhat hard to believe at best.
Even if he is not trully German, being half-french, Sajer is a loyal soldier and fights for the Fatherland even unto the bitter end. He was only sixteen when he first enlisted in 1942. It is notable that he entered the war at the point when the Germans were already losing the war and the entries in his book show it. There is no glorious victory to be won here. For Sajer the war is only an endless series of battles where he must kill others to survive, where friends die and both defeat and victory only bring more of the same. Sajer is somewhat cynical in his writing but then considering that he was almost always on the losing end of things. Brotherhood more than nationalism motivated Sajer to fight. But brotherhood quickly becomes meaningless when all your comrades have died.
For example, “…that’s not so bad. At least he didn’t have to suffer” I knew that Ernst’s agony had lasted for nearly half an hour. “We ought to bury him”. The three of us lifted out the body, which was already stiffening. I moved like an automaton, and my face was without expression…. We dug the grave with our helmets, rifle butts and barehands. The others were already pushing back the dirt and trampling it down with thier boots when I looked my last on that mutilated face. I felt that something had hardened in my spirit forever.(Sajer 96) In this scene Ernst, a close friend of Sajer had died horribly. Common decency would dictate that he bury his friend but he does this with little emotion as he has already been desensitized by all the death around him.
We fought two more battles before recrossing the Dnieper in the begining of the authumn. Several of us had to be re-equipped before these engagements, and the most serious accusations were leveled against those who returned without his weapons (Sajer 219). This passage was written in the Authumn of 1943. The German army is already in retreat. The cummulative effect of four years of warfare and has taken its toll. German troops can ill afford to lose their weapons because their heavily depleted industries can ill afford to replace them. It can easily be imagined that equipment has to be abandoned when one is on the run, but in Russia our soliders were never suposed to abandon thier arms. (Sajer 219) For his part Sajer tells u that as a hardened veteran he clings to his weapons and gear mostly out of discipline and pride.
This picture of a German soldier in the Russian front would not have been too different from what Sajer would have looked like during this long retreat. Their attire is purely practical carrying as much ammo for their weapons as they can because they don’t know when they will be supplied with more again. It is good to note that the man in the picture could easily pass for a G.I. if only his helment had been different and his gun a different model. Then a striking realization hits, German soldiers were not monsters but human beings.
Conclussion
The movies Stalingrad and Downfall and the book The forgotten solider, all show a human aspect of the German. He is not simply the enemy, they are not all bad, evil or genocidal. In fact for the most part they are human. Sajer did not go to the Eastern Front because he simply wanted to kill Russians, he enlisted to defend his country. The same goes for the Sixth Army soldiers in Stalingrad, they fought not out of genuine hate or savergy but because they were obeying orders which told them they had to. In fact, were they not marching under the banners of the enemy they were probably no different from our own G.I.s, simple ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances fighting far from home.
Perhaps we’d like to say that the G.I.s were fighting for the side of good but then perhaps the German soldiers were also fighting for, what they thought, was the side of good. After all, the Nazi propaganda machine was so effective that until the German people saw the extermination camps many honestly believed that they were justified in what they did. In fact, to this day there are fringe groups called Neo-Nazis who still believe their cause was right. That cause was the brain child of Hitler. Adolf Hitler, a man who will forever be remembered in infamy for what he has done. In the movie the Downfall he was presented as a human being. He was not the moster whose very name could scare children to sleep. In the movie Hitler knew fear and the ignominy of defeat, his charismatic voice reduced to lambasting people to continue fighting a lost cause. Yet in the movie he was portrayed as possesing some good. The man who caused the deaths of millions could be kind to a dog and in the end would make an honest man of his mistress.
Fest, Joachim (2004). Inside Hitler’s bunker : the last days of the Third Reich. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-374-13577-5.
Junge, Traudl; Gertraud Junge, Melissa Müller, Anthea Bell (2004). Until the final hour: Hitler’s last secretary. New York: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55970728-2.
O’Donnell, James Preston (1978). The Bunker: The History of the Reich Chancellery Group. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 978-0-39525719-7.
The Second World War is one of the most important events in the 20th century. The scale of the conflict was so far-reaching that it included five continents: Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, and Australia. The significance of this event is not only due to the destruction and the great number of people that were killed in the said conflict but also the numerous precedents that help changed the course of history. It can be argued that one of the most significant precedents of World War II was the time when the U.S. Government actively sought the assistance of women to help in the war effort. After the war, these women found out that they can become an important contributor to the economic development of the country. The sudden increase in their ability to earn money and the chance to leave their traditional roles behind was more than a powerful incentive to enter the workplace and perform many of the jobs reserved for men.
World War II
In 1939 when Hitler and the German army initiated a war that would escalate into a global conflict, the United States found it prudent to not get involved. At first, the United States found no reason why it should go to war against Germany’s armed forces. From a political and economic point of view, this was considered as the more practical decision but in some quarters it was also condemned as the more cowardly option. But it is hard to blame the U.S. government for trying to steer clear away from the war as far as possible. First of all, it would be costly in terms of human resources as surely men will die in the conflict. Secondly, it was perceived as a war for Europe, not for the Americas. And thirdly, Americans can indirectly benefit from the war through the Lend-Lease agreement.
It was the Lend-Lease agreement that increased the need for more workers in manufacturing plants and other support facilities needed to help Allied Forces in Europe. At first, there was an upsurge in male employment as more and more men are needed to man the factories and other facilities needed to produce armaments and war materials. Eventually, the demand for more products prompted industry leaders to tap women. But first, they had to change the way they look at women. They are no longer limited to housewives, teachers, babysitters, and other feminine roles associated with women. This time around, when America was on the verge of war, American women must learn how to do the work of men.
In December 1940 the United States began sending help to Britain by lending or leasing material that the government believed should be returned after the war or be paid for after the conflict has ended.1 For the time being it was enough to satisfy both sides. Americans were spared direct involvement while Britain received much-needed reinforcements – at least in the aspect of war materials. Inevitably it was the Lend-Lease agreement and the U.S. government’s open support to the Allied Forces that sealed their fate and forced them to join in the global conflict. In 1942 the Japanese Imperial Army performed their version of a blitzkrieg and raided a U.S. military establishment thousands of miles away from the U.S. mainland. By bombing Pearl Harbor the Axis Forces composed of Nazi Germany, the Japanese Imperial Army, and Fascist Italy would benefit from a pre-emptive strike against possible military resources that can be used against them in their Asia-Pacific campaign. But the plan backfired because it had managed to awaken a once-sleeping giant but now an angry military juggernaut.
Women’s Roles
Before going any further it must be pointed out that American women did not only make the successful transition from housewives to factory workers, they also succeeded in joining the U.S. Armed Forces. But without fulfilling their support roles in factories the war could never have been won. It was the U.S. industrial war machine that contributed greatly to the success of the war. The courage and tenacity of U.S. servicemen were also a major factor but their audacity can be easily crushed if they did not have with them the necessary equipment necessary to defeat the enemy. For instance, if their tanks are substandard then thousands of soldiers could be annihilated by a well-trained German tank division. If their battleships could not stand the rigors of naval warfare then thousands of sailors would have been destroyed without even having the chance to fire back.
To put everything in perspective one has to understand the magnitude of the war effort and one can begin by looking at the effect of the Lend-Lease agreement on the American labor force. As mentioned earlier the first sign that America was supportive of Great Britain was made evident in the shipment of materials at the end of 1940. By 1941 the need for more war equipment was made emphatic by a letter penned by Admiral H. R. Stark, the then secretary of Navy to U.S. President Roosevelt and he wrote, “In accordance with the request contained in your letter of June 24, 1941, there is attached hereto a list setting forth defense aid articles which have been, or will be transferred to foreign governments…”2 Adm. Stark referred to contained the following information: a) 400 aircraft for basic training, 250 bombers, and 106 aeronautical engines to Great Britain; b) 20 bombers and 15 basic training aircraft to Canada; and c ) 100 bombers to Australia.3 It has to be reiterated that these requests were made before America joined the war. One could imagine the requirements after 1942.
From Stark’s letter to FDR, one can have a glimpse of the enormous pressure that American industries were subjected to fulfill the terms of the Lend-Lease agreement. But when America joined the war there was suddenly a significant rise in the demand for equipment and other things needed by American soldiers. This is because millions of young men wanted to join the war in Europe. Their patriotism was stirred by the infamous Pearl Harbor attack. Even if 5.6 million Americans enrolled in civil defense programs the great need for ammunitions, tanks, planes and other forms of military hardware could not be met without the help of women.4 This prompted government officials to declare that, “…the only answer to the manpower crisis was to employ women on a scale hitherto unknown” and it American society must reverse years of official policy that discriminated against women workers.5
Admiral Stark’s letter was not the only urgent communiqué that was brought to the attention of the U.S. government. The Russians were also desperate and they needed the support promised by the American government. One of the members of the Russian foreign affairs ministry, Ambassador Maxim Litvinoff made an urgent plea to Harry Hopkins one of the top officials in the FDR administration and he wrote6:
Taking into consideration the fact that it was difficult for the United States Government to deliver 600 airplanes as recently requested, my Government now asks whether it will not be possible to deliver immediately at least 100 and 25 airplanes monthly thereafter. The Government of the U.S.S.R. is willing to accept not only new airplanes but any airplanes available, including used airplanes.7
It is easy to read the anxiety contained in the said letter to the White House. The letter also highlighted the fact American industries dedicated to the war effort could not deliver on time as promised. There was truly a need for more workers and to increase the capacity of the factories to meet deadlines and honor their delivery dates. It was time to also step up the recruitment process that would attract more women to the wartime industries. After all, no one can force them to contribute if they do not want to. In contrast to the prerogative of the U.S. government to forcefully draft young men into armed service, women who would like to work in these special factories must volunteer.
The government had to step up its efforts to draw in more women into manly jobs. The U.S. government badly needed a labor force but it was prudent enough not to conscript women into the service of her country.8 But this does not mean that the government was taking its feet off the gas pedal instead the Roosevelt directed local authorities, “…to institute enrollment drives using advertising, mail, and house-to-house canvassing to recruit women into war work.”9 In a clever use of propaganda and advertisement Uncle Sam appealed to their hearts by saying that if they will volunteer then it is out of patriotism and also as a way to escape loneliness and boredom while waiting for their loved ones to come home.10 For the message to sink deeper the think tanks at the war department created a mythic figure called “Rosie the Riveter” and the government’s poster-making teams made use of her effectively and her image burned in the hearts of minds of women volunteers.11
Impact
The presence of large numbers of women in industries that used to be dominated by men could not but impact American society. After the war, it was now more acceptable to find women working outside of the home and not limited by their major duties which are to be a homemaker or family support. Feminist writing in the early part of the 20th century, was able to explain it succinctly when she said that, “…war falls on the women most heavily, and more so now than ever before.”12 She was right on target considering that in the Second World War there were at least 9 million US women who were mobilized into war-related industries.13 Men and the rest of American society now had a newfound respect for women and their capability to help win the war for them.
Another major impact of women workers can be understood from the way they experienced deep satisfaction from being able to do complex and difficult jobs. Moreover, the women found the jobs more exciting than the drudgery of domestic work and in addition, they also found it lucrative.14 If a person has tasted something better he or she will not go back and endure what is now considered mediocre. After the war, the millions of American servicemen who fought in Europe and the Pacific had to go home and many women had to relinquish their position but the facet of the American labor market was never the same again.15 This means that women would now continue to look for work that was reserved only for men. In the aftermath of the war women could no longer be denied, they had to have equal employment opportunities just like their male counterparts.
Conclusion
Women were supposed to stay home and take care of the babies. Those who are not yet married or who are never going to get married did not stray far from home as they are needed for domestic work. Many find this role constricting and it was drudgery for some. But there was no escape for it was their traditional role to play. But war is very disruptive in that it can change society in an instant. When the world was at war it needed millions of young men to join the conflict. In the United States, a great number of men were sent overseas. The soldiers who are doing the fighting will not be able to accomplish their mission without the right equipment and materials as well as food. Due to the shortage of labor women were given the chance to do the work reserved for men. The women help secure victory but in the aftermath of the war, women found it hard to leave the jobs that gave them not only satisfaction but freedom, money, and respect.
Bibliography
Chafe, William H. The Unfinished Journey America Since World War II. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Goldstein, Joshua. War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
H.R. Stark. “Letter to the President.” FDR Library and Museum. Web.
Livitnoff, Maxim. “Letter to Harry Hopkins.” FDR Library and Museum. Web.
Mankiller, Wilma. The Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.
Footnotes
Chafe, William H. The Unfinished Journey America Since World War II. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.) p. 3.
H.R. Stark. “Letter to the President.” FDR Library and Museum.Web.
Ibid.
Chafe, p. 4
Ibid.
Livitnoff, Maxim. “Letter to Harry Hopkins.” FDR Library and Museum. Web.
Livitnoff, Maxim. “Letter to Harry Hopkins.” FDR Library and Museum. Web.
Goldstein, Joshua. War and Gender: How Gender Shapes the War System and Vice Versa. (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.) p. 387.
Ibid.
S Mankiller, Wilma. The Reader’s Companion to U.S. Women’s History. (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998.) p.519.
Germany under the supervision of the powerful positioned leader Adolf Hitler invaded a number of regions including Poland, Norway, Denmark, the Netherland, France and Belgium from 1936 to 1940. The Channel Island was the closest region where Germany’s invasion lasted. One area where Germany did not succeed was in the invasion and conquest of Great Britain. The campaign of attack on Great Britain was named as Battle of Britain. Germany’s goal behind the will to invade Great Britain was to achieve air superiority over the royal air force (RAF). Germany’s own air force which was named Luftwaffe was less powerful in comparison with Royal Air Force (RAF). In this paper, we shall discuss the reasons why Germany was determined to invade Great Britain and it did not happen?
The Treaty of Versailles was a blow for Germany after the First World War. The treaty of Versailles resulted in the passion of Adolf Hitler to raise power and to exercise the power on other states. Due to this passion, Germany marked his plan to invade regions. One wrong step introduced a turning point in the war and a continuous successful invasion of Germany (Kegley 96).
The invasion of Great Britain was important to Adolf Hitler because in this way the great air force power of Great Britain would have been destroyed. Adolf Hitler was determined to invade as many regions as he could to gain power and conduct power politics in the world. In the beginning, the German troops were poorly equipped but invaded Austria and Poland steadily with ease due to the lack of power of these states (Robbins).
The complications occurred in the way of Adolf Hitler when his plan for an invasion of Great Britain was about to be worked upon. Germany underestimated the air force of Britain and led the plan according to the minimal expected risk. In the beginning, it was tough for most of the Jews to enter Great Britain but an almost good amount of German troops entered Great Britain through the water.
At the time of the attack, there were 2500 aircrafts available in the German air force. The total of the aircraft included 969 bombers, 360 Skuka dive bombers, 869 ME109 and 268 twin-engine fighters’ planes. To Adolf Hitler, such an amount and variety of weapons for air attack would be enough for Great Britain. Adolf Hitler was sure that Great Britain will easily and quickly come to terms (Mackenzie).
The reason behind the satisfaction of Adolf Hitler regarding the machines was the unfavorable condition of Great Britain. This satisfaction of Adolf Hitler failed its goals and objectives to achieve air force superiority. The reason behind such a failure was the sufficient amount of air fighting machines in the record of the Royal Air Force (RAF). Britain used radar to locate the enemies. These radars were able to give numbers, altitudes, and speed course of German fighters. The use of radar was a secret of Great Britain that helped Great Britain in order to win the battle of Britain. If the radars would not have been used then there was a possibility that Britain could have become a weak force to fight against Germany like other states (Omissi).
Furthermore, German troop targets were constantly changing. The change in their strategy gave another plus point to the air and naval forces of Great Britain to continue their radar and intelligence activities. The changes in the target regions constantly added turmoil to the German forces. According to Hitler, the changes in the target strategy were the only way out to successfully invade Great Britain. The same tactics were used to invade other states such as France, Poland, and Austria, etc.
Despite having a complicated situation of instability, Great Britain stayed in opposing action. Germans had to face an unexpectedly hard time. Britain consisted of a great navy and air force. Adolf Hitler had to take control of the skies before taking control of the waterways because in this way he would have been able to attack the navy of England (Mackenzie).
Another reason for the failure of Germany’s plan to invade Great Britain was the ignorance of Herman Goering, commander of Luftwaffe regarding the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). The British Expeditionary Force was sent to France from Great Britain when Germany attacked France for invasion. Commander Herman Goering had to keep a check that the British Expeditionary force won’t escape. Herman Goering’s efforts went all in vain when the British Expeditionary Force escaped due to his ignorance (Kegley).
Through the above analysis of the consequences of World War II and Germany’s invasion plans, it can be concluded that the reasons behind the failure of the German invasion of Great Britain were the lack of technology and intelligence. Great Britain was advanced in war affairs in terms of naval and air force. The basis of the German’s failure can also be regarded as the ignorance and false satisfaction of the German troops regarding Great Britain’s naval and air forces.
Works Cited
Kegley, C. World Politics: Trend and Transformation. California: Cengage Learning EMEA, 2008.
Mackenzie, S. The Colditz Myth: British and Commonwealth Prisoners of War in Nazi Germany. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Omissi, D. Air power and colonial control: the Royal Air Force. Manchester University Press, 1990.
Robbins, K. Present and Past: British Images of Germany in the First Half of the Twentieth Century and their Historical Legacy. Wallstein: Wallstein Verlag, 1999.
On the surface, the occurrences of December 7, 1941, and that of September 11, 2001, draw some similarities. On both occasions, the US suffered from left-field attacks whose magnitudes defy imagination. Many lives were lost in both, and the loss is still being felt today. Whole families were forever changed by the attacks. Both attacks were condemned on a global scale, and a huge fraction of the rest of the world rallied behind the US. These similarities tend to make the two attacks seem almost engineered by the same forces. However, upon closer scrutiny, some significant differences show up.
Differences between World War II and September 11
When the US was attacked in 1941 at Pearl Harbor, it responded with aggression. All resolutely committed towards a violent retaliation. President Franklin D. Roosevelt himself led the rest of the country with his declaration that the fateful day is forever remembered in infamy. Over 16 million soldiers were deployed to settle the score with the Japanese, the Germans, and the Italians (Michael, 2002). The rest of the citizens back in America showed their support by tightening their budgets and rations to support the war. Of the soldiers thus deployed, over 400,000 never came back home. Yet the war was fought from all fronts, even across continents thousands of miles away. American losses in human life paled in view of their commitment to even the score.
In 2001, when the twin towers were brought down, America’s response couldn’t have been more different from that of 1941. America displayed surprising restraint at their loss. George Bush sent some soldiers over to Afghanistan and Iraq in order to quell terrorism from the roots. President Saddam Hussein and his strongholds were destroyed. Yet these actions are minimal when compared with what the US was capable of if it had decided to go into a real war. The entire country seemed almost fatigued by war and displayed a great reluctance to sacrifice lives. In fact, most of the actions that the US took were defensive- where security was tightened and so on (Michael, 2002). The common consensus, seemingly, was that September 11 was a very unfortunate day, and should be put into the past as soon as possible.
In 1941, the Pearl Harbor attack targeted purely military personnel. Many naval ships were sunk, and all casualties were soldiers. About 2,500 soldiers were killed in the attack (Nardo). The attack was viewed as a provocation from the East. Retaliation was justified on all fronts. But even more significantly, the US knew exactly who the perpetrators of the attack were, and hence they had a target during the war. But in 2001, the attack happened in a mainland setting, and almost all the casualties were civilians (Michael, 2002). The attack was neither a provocation nor retaliation by the terrorists. It was a message against western civilization, and all casualties were just the unfortunate messengers. If the US had resolved to retaliate, it would have had to deal with an amorphous target shroud in pseudo-religious beliefs (Douglas, 2003).
In a sense, the attack on Pearl Harbor was expected. The US was already engaged in war, and the Japanese action can be seen to have been retaliation. An attack was expected from them only that its exact locality couldn’t have been guessed at. But the destruction of the Twin Towers was nothing short of a bad surprise for everybody. No one was expecting the needless slaughter of innocent civilians from a fanatical grouping. The terrorists carried the whole operation in total secret. In fact, according to Osama Bin Laden, some of the terrorists aboard the infamous planes didn’t know what the pilots in the cockpits were up to (Thomas, 2004).
Another difference between the attack in 1941 and that in 2001 is the long-term effect. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, America’s action was decisive, and it quickly settled the score against the Japanese. The reconstruction of Pearl Harbor itself begun soon afterward, However, after the Twin Towers were brought down, some long-term consequences are still to be resolved. The area on which the Twin Towers stood is called now Ground Zero. Reconstruction of the lost property has happened very slowly. And plans for building other comparably huge buildings have also been affected by concerns for safety. The attack proved that no one was safe from the terrorists. It was no longer an issue between the American military and those from another country. Everybody was a potential victim, and there was no predicting when the ax would fall. Some traumatized people avoided going near Ground Zero for years afterward (Jim, 2005).
Conclusion
Pearl Harbor will always be remembered for the heroism of the American soldiers, and the ability of the citizens to unite together against a common enemy. Memories of that epoch ring with war cries. On the other hand, September 2001 evokes rage and a demand for justice. The common perception is that the attack was uncalled for, and the loss of lives should be accounted for. However, no decisive action to satisfy this need for justice is being taken. The citizens are galled with images that show just how resilient humanity can be against injustice. That particular epoch rings with deep melancholy (Michael, 2002) for many people. But perhaps, with the change in the society between 1941 and 2001, people have grown weary and wary of violence, and would rather pursue diplomatic channels. Only time will tell whether this is really the case.
Works cited
Douglas Kellner from 9/11 to Terror War: The Dangers of the Bush Legacy Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. Page 66-69.
Jim Dwyer As quoted in the Gotham’s magazine, 2005.
Michael Oren (2002) September 11: One year later. Web.
Thomas Sowell (2004) 9/11 Commission’s Titanic Irresponsibility. Web.
Like other health problems, behavioral health disorder can affect any people from poor to rich and famous citizens. Such health disorders have ruined the life of even some famous political leaders, musicians, politicians, scientists, artists, actors, actresses, authors, writers, novelists, businessmen, etc. This essay is regarding the serious behavioral health disorder suffered by the famous politician Sir Winston Churchill.
Winston Churchill, leader during World War II and former prime minister of Great Britain, was one of the greatest heroes of Britain in the 20th-century. He was dynamic, energetic, tireless, and required very little sleep during his periods of elevated vigor. He motivated a whole nation with his iron will, stubbornness, and braveness. During those times, he succeeded as a writer, soldier, politician, and prime minister.
Churchill suffered from Bipolar Mood Disorder or Manic-Depressive Disorder. Bipolar Mood Disorder is a mental disorder characterized by moods that swing between two contradictory poles. This disorder entered Churchill during his youth days and remained throughout his long and notable life. This untreated Bipolar Mood Disorder made him experience serious and prolonged depressions, and the disorder became worse in his later years. Churchill suffered periodic mood swings and not depression alone.
Though chemical imbalances in the brain serves as a prime component of Bipolar Mood Disorder or Manic-Depressive Disorder, other factors such as genetic factors, environmental factors and distressing external events may also contribute to Bipolar Mood Disorder. Churchill’s extensive participation in the World War and his dismissal from the Admiralty after the Dardanelles disaster in the First World War may be the cause for his mental disorder. No other such outside causes can be related to his disorder.
The major symptoms of Bipolar Mood Disorder includes fatigue, abnormal energy, sad mood, sleeping problems, appetite changes, lack of concentration, inactive behaviour, loss of interest in life, suicidal thoughts, lavishness, distractibility, thoughtlessness, and feelings of pessimism, guiltiness, helplessness, or high/low self-esteem. Other symptoms include change of ideas and activities related to social behaviour, sexual activity, learning and work. Churchill faced most of the several symptoms related to his disorder.
Churchill’s violent, ironic and dominant behaviour, argumentative nature in his personal relationships, and elated interests about war are some evidences for his disorder. He suffered from lack of shyness and lack of self-consciousness which are clear symptoms for his disorder. This is quite clear as he often used to walk around his house and upset his staffs by meeting them without any dress. His abnormal energy levels, inexhaustible writing attitude, and melodramatic actions and speeches are also some evidences. He often faced money troubles due to his lavishness, gambling attitude, and improper finance planning. Churchill’s close friend Lord Beaverbrook said, “Churchill was always either at the top of the wheel of confidence or at the bottom of an intense depression.” This obviously describes the Manic Depression Disorder suffered by Churchill.
There is no ideal medical test for Bipolar Mood disorder. Generally a complete medical history, psychiatric history and physical examination will have to be conducted to confirm the absence of other psychiatric conditions and physical conditions. Family medical and psychiatric history also has to be analysed to confirm if there is a family history of depression or Bipolar Mood Disorder. A patient may be diagnosed to have Bipolar Mood Disorder if his/her current symptoms correlate with that of Bipolar Mood Disorder, if the above test results rule out other psychiatric conditions and physical conditions.
Dynamic Model of Relapse demonstrates the high-risk situation related to both distal and proximal risk factors operating within both tonic and phasic processes. Tonic processes lead to the commencement of a high-risk situation and provides the foundation for the risk of a lapse. The phasic response includes situational reaction, emotional and physical states, and coping skills utilisation. The primary basis of the dynamic model of relapse is to identify the high-risk situation which may be any experience or incident, emotion or thought that increases the risk for a person to engage in some abnormal behaviour.
Churchill was well aware that his mood swings and depression was a medical condition. Churchill’s mood swings tend to be severe and prolonged. He faced this disorder before the development of effective medication, and hence had to live with untreated Bipolar Mood Disorder throughout his life.
But now-a-days, Bipolar Mood Disorder can be effectively managed or treated with medications, supportive psychotherapy, and sometimes electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Medications include mood stabilisers, antidepressants and antipsychotic drugs. Psychotherapy and counseling are must along with medication. ECT is used in case of severe Bipolar Mood Disorder. Only medications and regular visits to a psychiatrist will help in keeping this disorder in control.
Family support is also very important for Bipolar Mood Disorder patients. Many online support programs are there to help Bipolar Mood Disorder patients and their family. Forums and meetings are also being conducted in some countries to give enough information related to living with Bipolar Mood Disorder. The conclusion is that people with Bipolar Mood Disorder can also enjoy a full happy life with correct management of their condition with medications and support.
With the consistent pursuit of democracy and freedom to express personal ideas, there comes a problem associated with such freedoms. The internet gives most users the freedom to express themselves through blogs, websites among other forms that are easily expressed through the internet. It is for this reason that Wikipedia was developed as an online source of information that exhausts almost every topic under the sun. Some researchers have challenged the validity of Wikipedia by equating it to anyone printing materials and placing them on the supermarket shelves for sale (Harris). In Wikipedia, users are allowed to post their opinions without much scrutiny and therefore this source cannot be relied on for the delivery of correct or reliable facts about World War II.
Introduction
There have been arguments voiced against the reliability of internet sources such as Wikipedia as a source of scholarly information. Wikipedia is widely used across the globe and this primarily puts it on a collision course with many scholars concerning its credibility
Wikipedia Nature
Users post their views and opinions over the site without any authoritative body to scrutinize the content. Wikipedia contains information that is posted by users expressed as opinions and views. Such views can be highly debatable in quarters where people have different opinions.
Report on World War II
World War II is a case study of how Wikipedia reports the events that occurred during this period. It exposes how unreliable the information may be and other weaknesses that this source may present. Even though it is quite detailed and gives a good overview of how the world war started, some quarters could easily dismiss it for lacking credibility because information lacks authenticity from reliable sources (World War II).
Wikipedia as a powerful and Authoritative supplier of Information
Wikipedia commands a huge following on the internet as a source of information. It is translated into 82 languages and has more than 800,000 articles in English.
Conclusion
Wikipedia remains an unreliable source of information because its managers have not devised ways of controlling the content provided on the site. The fact that it is rich in content does not make the information it bears true and reliable. Some of the indicators of lack of credibility are anonymity, lack of control and bad grammar which Wikipedia has not been able to escape.