Photo Analysis:
I chose the photo at the top of the screen with the soldiers marching in line because it saddend me to see the young faces of men carrying guns. So innocent in the face, yet carrying the deadliest of weapons. It is hard to swallow at times, but they contain such courage to fight for their country. This section may have been for WWII, but the picture I chose represents more than just one war.
Political Theme: Holocaust
The Holocaust was the genocide of over 5 million jewish citizens during World War II. The genocide was led by the Nazi Germany and their leader Adulf Hitler. Europe was resided with approximately 9 million jews during the 1940's, and by the end of the genocide, the number perished to around 3 million. Jewish people were not the only people persecuted by the Nazis. Homosexuals, Soviets, and people with dissabilities were also executed. The amount of deaths during the Holocaust ranges from about 13 million, to as high as 20 million people. Concentration camps were made for these to become enslaved, and would be kept their until they died of exhaustion or disease.
Economic Theme: Homefront
The Homefront involves the activities of Americas citizens that were not involved in the war. Governments became involved with new issues such as rationing, home defense, evacuation in the face of air raid, and response to occupation by an enemy power. The morale of the people responded to leadership and propaganda. Typically women were mobilized. The success in mobilizing economic output was a major factor in supporting combat operations. All of the power involved had learned from their experiences on the Home front during World War I and tried to use its lessons and avoid its mistakes.
Social Theme: Propaganda
Propaganda was used during World War II to get the American publics support towards the Allied Powers. Propaganda would throw shots at the Axis powers, and support the Americans and their teammates. Americans would put whatever topic of the war they wanted influenced into the propaganda.
How did World War II lead to the Cold War?
The Soviet Union, as well as the US and Britain, were the biggest winners of World War II. This sparked off a race for who would be the world power out of the west ( USA and UK/ Western Europe) and the east ( The USSR, Eastern Europe, China, and other communist countries). Instead of fascism, communists were the new enemy, not to be trusted and constantly on the brink of war with the capitalist countries. Of course, the US had the economic edge while the Soviets relied on their military power to expand their influence. As a result of agreements made between them during the War, the Allies divided up Germany and Berlin among them. Thus, they imposed their own economic, governmental, and military structure in those areas where they were in control. The western nations imposed capitalism and democracy while the Soviets imposed centralized economic planning and totalitarianism. The Soviets then refused to give up their control over those eastern European countries they occupied during the War.