Americans often refer to World War II as being “the Good War”. Americans call World War II “the Good War” because Americans believe the United States entered the war for the noble purposes of defending its self and freedom. Americans also refer to World War II as “the Good War” because it was a war that required Americans to work together so the country could defeat the Axis powers. Because the United States entered the war for noble purposes, and because Americans everywhere helped the country win the war, “the Good War” is an appropriate appellation to describe World War II. Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had conquered the country of Ethiopia (Foner 800). Under Adolf Hitler, Germany had taken control over most of Europe (Foner 802). While Italy, had taken control of Ethiopia and Germany had taken control over most of Europe, Japan had taken control of Burma, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, Guam, the Philippines, and other Pacific islands (Foner 804). In 1931, Japan invaded the Chinese providence of Manchuria (Foner 799). As Japanese troops moved deeper into China, they overran the Chinese city of Nanjing, and killed an estimated 300,000 prisoners of war and civilians (Foner 799). On December 7, 1941, Japan launched an attack on the naval base of Pearl Harbor; this surprise attack was responsible for the death of 2,000 American servicemen (Foner 804). Towards the end of the war Hitler embarked on the “final solution”, which was the mass extermination of Slavs, gypsies, homosexuals, and six million Jews that would be come to known as the Holocaust (Foner 807). Because the Axis powers conquered so much territory and killed so many people, America fighting against the Axis powers has been viewed by Americans war fought between the fo... ... middle of paper ... ...is an appropriate appellation for the war. During the war, America imprisoned Japanese Americans and denied them their rights as American citizens. During the war, America bombed the cities of Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki; these bombings were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians. While I do believe that America was fighting enemies that had committed worst acts than the Allies, the United States had no right to deny American rights of court hearings, due process, and writs of habeas corpus to American citizens. America also had no right to bomb cities with the purpose of killing civilians in an attempt to demoralize the enemies. Certainly the Allies were better than the Axis powers, but the war crimes committed by America cannot be ignored, and because these crimes were committed, World War II cannot be called “the good war”.
The United States entered WW II immediately following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The U.S. entry was a major turning point in the war because it brought the strongest industrial strength to the Allied side. The Americans helped the Allies to win the war in Europe with the surrender of Germany on May 7, 1945. However, the war in the Pacific continued. The war with Japan at this point consisted primarily of strategic bombings. America had recently completed an atomic bomb and was considering using this weapon of mass destruction for the first time. The goal was to force the “unconditional surrender” of the Japanese. Roosevelt had used the term “unconditional surrender” in a press conference in 1943 and it had since become a central war aim. Truman and his staff (still feeling bound by FDR’s words) demanded unconditional surrender from the Japanese. Consequently on July 26, 1945 Truman issued an ultimatum to Japan. This ultimatum stated that Japan must accept “unconditional surrender” or suffer “utter devastation of the Japanese Homeland”. This surrender included abdication of the throne by their emperor. Japan was not willing to surrender their dynasty and ignored the ultimatum. On August 6th and August 9th, atomic bombs were dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively.
The vast majority of Americans supported World War II (WWII) after Pearl Harbor was bombed, recognizing a fascist threat to Western democracy. WWII was a good war. It had the ability to unite America. They united against Nazism and fascism. But even a good War has its bad times. If you look behind what you think happened at what really happened in WWII it becomes clear that the U.S. has nothing to be proud about.
World War II played host to some of the most gruesome and largest mass killings in history. From the start of the war in 1939 until the end of the war in 1945 there were three mass killings, by three big countries on those who they thought were lesser peoples. The rape of Nanking, which was carried out by the Japanese, resulted in the deaths of 150,000 to 200,000 Chinese civilians and POW. A more well-known event was of the Germans and the Holocaust. Hitler and the Nazi regime persecuted and killed over 500,000 Jews. This last country may come as a surprise, but there is no way that someone could leave them out of the conversation. With the dropping of the Atomic bombs the United States killed over 200,000, not including deaths by radiation, in the towns of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and ultimately placed the United States in the same group as the Japanese and the Germans. What are the alternatives other than dropping the two A-bombs and was it right? The United States and President Truman should have weighed their opting a little bit more before deciding to drop both atomic bombs on the Islands of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In the case of dropping the atomic bombs the United States did not make the right decision. This essay will explain through logic reasoning and give detailed reasons as to why the United States did not make the right choice.
We all look back at World War II and view it as one of the most depressing, impactful, and downright evil times in history. Although, when we learn about this time period in school, we focus on the Hitler, the Germans, and the Japanese. They were the prime enemy, full of evil and monstrous capabilities. Then there was us, the strong, great, undefeatable United States of America. If you look back on the principal now, its almost as if it was an action packed film, full of war, superheroes, and villains. The sad truth though, it was real. Real people fought, real people suffered, and real people died. I’m sure everyone including myself can agree that we are thankful it ended how it did. Yet, that doesn’t mean everything we did during the war was completely ethical. During these fearful times, America needed a way to ensure the citizens were on their side, and the most effective way was the use of propaganda art. This tactic was and still is used to psychologically influence people in order to alter their social perceptions and dehumanize the enemy. One these images used exaggerated illustration, the technique of fear appeal, and the logical fallacy of unwarranted extrapolation to construct a propaganda image that will forever be marked upon history.
KA-BOOM, BANG BANG, POW, the noises of war. Many resent these sounds for it represents a horrible event to them. War can be seen as senseless fighting. It has claimed the lives of so many people around the world. But war is more than just fighting because it can bear advantageous fruits that a country can use to thrive. The United States especially has grown because of war. It has brought us from a country that farms into one that uses factories. World War II was the origin of many beneficial things to the United States such as hegemony, a revived economy, and new technology.
World War II was a global event that forever changed the world. From devastating events to heart wrenching stories, World War II bore witness to some of the most heinous acts against humanity. A debate exists over the differences between the history and the memory of the war. From historians to the way societies remember it, the war impacted everyone. Many argue that the United States entered the war for ulterior motives others remember its involvement as a necessity in order to prevent a more catastrophic outcome. Whether one remembers the war because they lived it or because they read about it differences of opinions still exist regardless of historical evidence or witness accounts.
On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland to start the biggest war all mankind has ever seen. A man named Adolf Hitler led a group called the Nazi's. He convinced those men that Jewish people had ruined the world and caused Germany's downfall after World War One. They were also against people like gypsies, criminals, or anyone they thought were undesirable. Soon after the Germans started, Japan and Italy joined to help their cause. As the war went on the Nazi party grew bigger and stronger and countries started fighting back, but the Nazi's were to strong. Then one day Japan bombed Pearl Harbor and just like that Americans were in the war. That day we became mortal enemies with all of Japan, and we weren't going to hold back on them. America was going to end this war. They didn't know how but they were going to. Then one day America used the first ever nuclear bombs. We bombed Japan twice and they were devestated and surrendered. America didn't stop there, they kept fighting, trying to end the war. Finally Italy and Germany surrendered and all of the remaining Jews we freed from th...
As World War 2, came to a close, The United States unleashed a secret atomic weapon upon the enemy nation of Japan that was quickly recognized as the most powerful wartime weapon in human history. They completely destroyed the entire Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and essentially vaporized countless innocent Japanese lives. Some historians believe that it was a foolish, brutal decision to use the atomic bomb on a weakened Japan, and that the civilians of the country did not deserve that kind of mass-annihilation. On the opposite side, other historians assert that dropping the bomb saved countless American and Japanese lives by ending the war faster than a regular invasion would have. What is undisputed is that this sad event dramatically changed the course of human history.
World War II was the largest war of the twentieth century. No other modern war had as much of an impact on the world as the conflict between the Axis powers and the Allies. Although there were an incredible number of lives lost in World War II, some of that impact caused a change for the better, especially with regards to American culture.
Michael C. C. Adams' book, The Best War Ever: America and World War II, attempts to dispel the numerous misconceptions of the Second World War. As the title suggests, Americans came out of the war with a positive view of the preceding five turbulent years. This myth was born from several factors. Due to the overseas setting of both theaters of the war, intense government propaganda, Hollywood's glamorization, and widespread economic prosperity, Americans were largely sheltered form the brutal truth of World War II. Even to this day, the generation of World War II is viewed as being superior in morality and unity. The popular illusion held that 'there were no ethnic or gender problems, families were happy and united, and children worked hard in school and read a great number of books.' (115)
World War II brought up many new technologies for warfare. Advanced on existing developments such as weaponry, ships, vehicles air crafts, navigational devices and medicine are just a few broad examples of developments in warfare during this time in United States and World history. One development, however, changed the entire way of warfare. The Atomic bomb was developed during this time out of fears that the Germans had the same technologies, or at least were working to obtain it. Once the United States had this technological capability of producing atomic weapons, the way of fighting was changed. Two bombs were dropped on Japan in August of 1945, one on the city of Hiroshima and the other on the city of Nagasaki. Afterward, the ear of atomic diplomacy came up in American international relations, which as we have seen today, has led to the development of even stronger, more deadly weaponry and bombs. The bombing of Japan also brings up the still prevalent debate of whether the bombings were justifiable or not. Historians Gar Alperovitz, Robert P. Newman and Barton Bernstein all have written essays expressing their opinions in the matter.
World War II was the most devastating war in the world’s history, causing an immense amount of death, due to both battle and genocide. That being said, what marked the end of said war was the United States of America’s bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Frieden et al. 23). Prior to this, what had compelled the United States to take action in the war was the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 (Frieden et al. 22). To add, during the time of the United States joining the war, they had developed and “first tested [the atomic bomb] in New Mexico on July 16, 1945. (The Atomic Bombings). Subsequently after Germany had surrendered in the war, in July, “Japan’s militarist government rejected the Allied demand for surrender put forth in
Bombs being fired, grenade pins being pulled, guns being shot, and land mines exploding are the sights and sounds of World War II. World War II was a historical moment for the whole world that should never be forgotten. World War II dealt with issues that had to be smoothed over after World War I. After a twenty- year hiatus, World War II began between the Axis powers, and the Allied powers. World War II should be remembered because of the bravery of the soldiers, the uniting of countries, and the patriotism of soldiers.
World War II was one of the worst events in human history, but also one of the most influential. For those who dont know, World War II was started by the German Empire, and more specificaly, Adolf Hilter.
Japan was one of the major powers of Axis Powers during the World War II. From 1937 to 1945, Japan started a series of wars, and resulted in millions of casualties along the way. Japanese battlefield consists of three parts: China, Pacific and Southeastern Asia. Japanese started these wars because they wanted to gain resources and war advantages for their own country. Japan committed crimes against humanity during their wars, which means they neglected human dignity and degraded human value by humiliation. During the Sino-Japanese War, the Pearl Harbor Attack and wars in Southeastern Asia, Japan, in pursuit of self-interest, violated human rights and committed crimes against humanity.