Introduction

Highlights of WWII

     This blog is about the various events and people which surrounded the time of World War II. This blog will list various important figures from this time; both highly regarded, and lowly regarded. Then there will be a few cartoons or posters which show the attitude of the people during the time of war. A major event will be mentioned to further explore World War II, and to get a clearer understanding of the time. Lastly the blog will be summed up by connecting the dreadful time of war to the world we live in today. This will provide some insight on both the time of war, and how it continues to affect the world today.

     Chapter 16 from the book goes through the different events and people which were involved and affected World War II. Chapter 16 is basically a timeline of the war. First it goes through how Germany began the war by invading surrounding countries. The chapter describes how several countries fell to the invasions from Germany. Then the chapter goes on to explain how Japan gets involved into the war. Next chapter 16 tells of how America finally gets truly involved into the war, making a counter offense. Then a description of the Holocaust is given. This is also a timeline of the many events and how the Holocaust got progressively worse. The Allies then make their move to become victorious, victorious on both Japan and Germany. The devastation and rebuilding of Japan and Europe are lastly mentioned in chapter 16.

1. Important People

Adolf Hitler

One of the most important people from World War II would be Hitler himself. Despite the fact that Hitler is revered negatively, he was important nonetheless. He was important because he was leader of the Nazi party during this time. Hitler was the leader of one of the enemies of the Allies, and was a leading cause of the genocide seen during this time. Hitler ruthlessly invaded many countries around Germany. He was responsible for contributing to a major part in the war. Although Hitler is not looked fondly upon, he was responsible for a major part of the war, and the deaths of millions.

Isoroku Yamamoto

Much like Hitler, the Allies did not look fondly upon Yamamoto. Yamamoto was partly responsible for the bombing of pearl harbor. He was an admiral in the Japanese army during World War II. After the US started to intervene with Japanese expansion in Asia, Yamamoto viewed the US as a threat. Because of this he pushed for the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which indeed went through. This is what brought the US into the war. So in ways Yamamoto is partly responsible for the US entering WWII. He was there through many battles between Japan and the US. 

Herschel Grynszpan

Herschel Grynszpan was a 17 year old Jew who had been visiting in Paris when his father had been deported to Poland. Grynszpan was furious, so he shot dead an employee of the German Embassy in Paris. This led to the event, Kristallnacht; "Night of Broken Glass". This was a violent attack on the Jewish community in Germany. This was an important event because it marked a major step-up in the Nazi policy of Jewish persecution.

Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur was the commander of the Allied Land forces in the Pacific during the time of World War II. He played a key role in leading the US in combat against the Japanese. It was MacArthur who had come up with the idea of "island-hopping". It was because of MacArthur's strategies that the US was able to win many fierce battles, and ultimately get the Japanese to surrender. MacArthur paved the way to victory.

2. Political Cartoons/Propaganda Posters

   This political cartoon shows the US dumping arms from a dock built from the US, stretching out close to Europe. This image represents what the lend lease act was. The US had attempted to stay neutral by not selling or trading with any warring nations. Then the lend lease act was passed, which allowed the US to sell to the British. The cartoon has the arms being dumped into the ocean, then drifting to England. This is conveying how the US directly contradicted its neutrality by selling to a warring nation. Through sarcasm the contradiction is clearly seen.

        This next image is a US propaganda poster. This poster, like many others, is trying to get citizens, who are not enlisted, to conserve just about all materials possible. This specific poster is an attempt at trying to get people to carpool, in order to conserve fuel, mechanical parts, etc. The poster conveys this through making it look as though if you refused to carpool, or share vehicles, then you were helping Germany in the war; specifically helping Hitler. I imagine that this would be an effective technique, because it could reach the point where if you refused to join a car'sharing program then you could end up appearing to help the enemy. Nobody would want this.

     This last image is yet again a propaganda poster. It is, however,  a German propaganda poster. This image is a attempt at making Hitler seem to be a great, friendly man who is there to help the people. This message is conveyed through the image of children. The poster shows Hitler having fun with innocent kids. How the children appear to adore Hitler in the poster will give him an image of greatness, and purity.

3. The Atomic Bomb

     By 1945, the Japanese had suffered defeats and great casualties. By June, the Japanese lost 110,000 troops, and the Americans, 12,500. America was getting ready to end a long, bloody conflict; the battle between Japan and the United States. President Truman was faced with the decision of an invasion on Japan, or to use the new technology of the Atomic Bomb. Truman chose the bomb. A warning was given to the Japanese on July 16. They did not respond, so on August 6, 1945 The US dropped an atomic bomb on the city Hiroshima. Three days later another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The Japanese surrendered on September 2.

     The dropping of the bombs is a widely controversial topic; even in my own mind I am uncertain if I would have done the same thing or not. I am in some ways surprised that the US went through with it, especially dropping two bombs. I am also surprised that we gave one single warning, and not more. I agree with the choice in some ways, as well, because it finally put an end to the war. There were alternative options, but no matter the alternative, lives were at risk. The biggest thing to me is the amount of lives the US wiped out, and wrote off as a war expense.

Atomic Bomb

4. Connection Across Time

     Looking back to the time of World War II we can see the horrors and devastation of the Holocaust. Just the title "Holocaust" is enough to silence a room and bring terrible images to everyone's minds. The truth is that the Holocaust was indeed as terrible as everyone sees it. It was genocide, and it got progressively worse. Now why do people make such a big deal of teaching this in schools, why have we learned about this event countless times through out my career as a student? A dramatic and necessary attempt at the prevention of history repeating itself. 

     Unfortunately, there have already been denials. People have been bold enough to DENY the killing of six million Jews. That is not even including the killing of gypsies, Poles, Russians, Homosexuals, the insane, the disabled, or the incurably ill. All of this has been denied to have happened. The real trouble, however lies with the fact that history is repeating itself; repeating itself today. The connection to today lies within Bangladesh, Cambodia, Timor, Guatemala, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur, and more. Genocide has been seen in all of these places; today. 

     The real question is: How long will we turn our heads and pretend the problems of the world will work themselves out? The answer lies within you.

DARFUR