One of the very best ways to understand World War II is to look at Frank "Capra's Why We Fight," series. Capra, America's finest movie director (It's a Wonderful Life, Meet John Doe, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, etc.) produced this series for the War Department. It was initially shown to American soldier as part of their training. Later, the films were released to the general republic.
For extra credit, watch any of the episodes linked below. In the comment section below, pick out three or four ideas from the episode that show the strength of the totalitarianism, the initial weakness of the democracies, and/or the way to democracies got their act together. You can also just comment on what you learned from the video you didn't know before.
You may repeat this assignment for extra credit, but, with each video you watch, please submit a separate comment.
In Prelude to War, the idea that stood out to me most was the division between the 'free world' and the 'slave world. The film argued that people living under totalitarian governments did not enjoy the freedoms that existed in democratic countries.
ReplyDeleteAnother important idea was the strength of totalitarian governments. The film showed how Germany, Italy, and Japan were able to control their citizens and direct their societies toward military expansion. Their governments demanded loyalty and obedience from the people.
The film also showed the initial weakness of the democracies. Democratic countries were slow to respond to the actions of the Axis powers, which allowed those countries to become stronger. The film suggests that this delay made the situation more dangerous.
Finally, the film explained why Americans needed to become involved in the war. It argued that freedom and democracy were being threatened and that the United States had a responsibility to help stop the spread of totalitarianism. I learned how the film was used to help convince American soldiers why the war was important.
One idea that stood out to me in Divide and Conquer was the strength of the German military. The film showed how Germany used fast-moving Blitzkrieg tactics, combining tanks, aircraft, and infantry to quickly overwhelm other countries. This allowed Germany to defeat several nations in a short period of time.
ReplyDeleteAnother important idea was the weakness of the democracies. The film showed that countries such as France and the Netherlands were not prepared for Germany's style of warfare. France relied heavily on defensive strategies like the Maginot Line, but German forces found ways around those defenses and advanced rapidly.
The film also showed how German propaganda and strong leadership helped Germany maintain support for its military campaigns. At the same time, some democratic nations struggled with low morale and were slow to react to the growing threat.
One thing I learned from the film was how quickly Germany conquered much of Western Europe. I knew that France fell during World War II, but I did not realize how rapidly German forces moved through countries such as the Netherlands and Belgium before reaching France. This film helped me understand why the early years of the war were so difficult for the democracies.
One idea that stood out to me in War Comes to America was how strongly Americans wanted to stay out of foreign wars before World War II. The film explains that many people believed the United States should remain isolated from conflicts in Europe and Asia because of the experiences of World War I.
ReplyDeleteAnother important idea was the growing threat of the Axis powers. The film showed how Germany, Italy, and Japan continued to expand their influence while many Americans hoped the conflict would not affect the United States. This demonstrated the initial weakness of the democracies because they were slow to respond to aggression.
The film also showed how the attack on Pearl Harbor changed the attitude of the American people. After the attack, Americans became united in support of the war effort and were willing to make sacrifices to help defeat the Axis powers.
One thing I learned from the film was how quickly the United States transformed from an isolationist nation into a country fully committed to war. The film helped me understand why so many Americans believed that defending freedom abroad was necessary to protect freedom at home.
After watching Why We Fight: The Nazis Strike, I learned how powerful totalitarian governments can be when they control information, education, and the media. The film shows how the Nazi regime used propaganda to unite the population behind its goals and build support for military expansion. It also highlights the early weakness of the democracies, especially their reluctance to confront Nazi aggression because they hoped another world war could be avoided through diplomacy and compromise.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary also explains how democratic nations eventually recognized the danger posed by Nazi Germany and began working together to resist it. As Germany continued to expand into neighboring territories, countries such as United Kingdom and France realized that cooperation and military preparedness were necessary to defend freedom and democracy. One thing that stood out to me was how the film presents the war as a gradual process, showing that many of the events leading up to World War II happened long before the fighting officially began.
After watching Why We Fight: The Battle of Britain, I learned a lot about how difficult the situation was for Britain during World War II. One thing that stood out to me was how strong Nazi Germany was because it had a powerful military and was able to take over many countries very quickly. Another thing I noticed was that the democracies seemed unprepared at first and did not act fast enough to stop Germany before it became a major threat.
ReplyDeleteThe documentary also showed how Britain and other democratic countries eventually came together and fought back. Even though Britain was heavily bombed during the Battle of Britain, the people did not give up and continued to support the war effort. I also learned how important the Royal Air Force was in stopping Germany from invading Britain. This helped me understand why the Battle of Britain was such an important turning point in the war.
In Prelude to War, it's discussed how the people of Italy, Germany, and Japan gave up their rights of free speech, free assembly, and how the totalitarian governments took over the dissemination of information (propaganda). The people did this because they believed their lives would be easier if the government took care of them. It seems their rights were dissolved pretty quickly, and I wonder why they didn't recognize what was really going on. Or maybe some did and were eliminated before they could gather and take out what was going to destroy their country.
ReplyDeleteIt's somewhat insane to me that people were willing to give up their rights as individuals to become "a part of the herd" as is stated in the movie. In Germany, it was noted that the German people had a love of discipline and maybe what happened was Hitler played on this to gain control. It's frightening to believe people were so willing to let go of their freedoms for men that were murdering anyone who was in disagreement with them.
Another note is that their countries became "rubber stamp organizations." With the relenting of their rights to free speech and free assembly came the fact that even the court system was bought by the totalitarian leaders. I shouldn't say bought; it was more like it was seized by them. The judges were controlled by the parties such as the Nazis.
The one freedom that many would never give up would be their religion. However, the totalitarian leaders banished churches; persecuted, arrested, and through priests into prison camps; and removed all the crosses displayed anywhere within the countries. The crosses were replaced by swastikas. It seems almost unreal to think people would rollover with regard to their core beliefs.
It had to have been deep fear for loss of life or family that could have persuaded people to give up so much. When you consider the armies that were doing these totalitarian leaders bidding, think of people that had so much hate in their hearts or maybe it was greed for what was given to them for following through with these sick twisted ideals from men that simply wanted power and wealth. There was no consideration for what was best for their people. It was power, greed, and hate that fueled them.
After watching a portion of Know Your Enemy: Japan, I was able to understand better why the Japanese people were willing to take on suicide missions during World War II. To surrender brings shame not only to them, but to their family. But to die during battle brings great honor and enshrines them as warrior Gods.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to learn a bit about the history of Japan, it seems they have fought for many years, most of which was within their own country. The different factions would go to war against each other to prove who should be the supreme leader and tribe. It's almost ingrained in them to fight.
What maybe is in contradiction to this is the stature of most Japanese men. Standing at 5'3" and weighing a mere average of 117 pounds seems to indicate a more peaceful people, not merely strength. Maybe what it shows is that their honor and mindset is what drives them to fight. They definitely have endurance when you consider the soldiers carry approximately 60 pounds of weaponry while in battle. That's significant amount of weight for their stature. This maybe alludes to their strength as well.
After they die an honorable death, their wives accept their ashes without grief or sorrow the movie states. These seems strange to me. To have your husband die (at all or in any way) would be devastating. How do the wives move forward, if they don't even grieve their husbands? Different ideals and different perspectives are the only reasons I can find.
The Japanese have a warrior spirit, fueled by a mad fanatical doctrine that states they are the superior people. As being such, they are commanded by Heaven to conquer all people and put them under Japanese rule.
It was also interesting to learn that the Japanese believe that the Sun runs through them in their blood. Being direct descendants of the Sun, must be another reason they are the superior people. Except wait, they are actually descendants of a mixture of people (Mongols, Manchus, and Malaysian, etc.) according to history.
What is evident is that people can twist their history in any direction necessary to justify their reasons to murder and spread their hate. This is terrifying to contemplate.
In Why We Fight, one main idea is the strength of totalitarian regimes, especially Nazi Germany, shown through strict government control, propaganda, and the ability to shape public opinion without opposition. This made those governments highly organized and aggressive.
ReplyDeleteAnother idea is the initial weakness of democracies, particularly how the U.S., Britain, and other nations were slow to respond because of isolationism and disagreement over involvement in foreign conflicts. This hesitation allowed fascist powers to expand and gain strength.
Finally, the film shows how democracies eventually organized and strengthened themselves, moving away from isolationism and toward cooperation, military buildup, and industrial mobilization. Once unified, they were able to effectively challenge and push back against the Axis powers.
This was in Prelude to War.
Delete