When learning about and analyzing acts of mass atrocity during World War II, hundreds if not thousands of questions can be asked trying to gain a deeper understanding for their actions. Probably one of the most intriguing thoughts to ponder is what leads individuals and societies as a whole to descend to such a level of cruelty. According to the author of Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand, one reason may be, “Few societies treasured dignity, and feared humiliation, as did the Japanese, for whom a loss of honor could merit suicide. This is likely one of the reasons why Japanese soldiers in World War II debased their prisoners with such zeal, seeking to take from them that which was most painful and destructive to lose” (189). To elaborate, the Japanese …show more content…
Similarly, another possible explanation for these atrocious acts is the fact that in Japan’s militaristic society, the Japanese felt that they were racially and morally superior to all other races, and, due to government propaganda, carried an unbelievable amount of racism and prejudice for their enemies (Hillenbrand 201). Clearly, beliefs and a quest of necessity and destiny also fueled the inhumane, violent acts of World War II. If one takes a closer look at the individuals who carried out these atrocious acts, specifically POW camp guards like the Bird, another common question is what motivated specific people to carry out these crimes. For the Bird, the justifications for his behavior include, “...madness...raw brutality gave him sway over men that his rank did not...satisfying his sexual desire by hurting them” (Hillenbrand 242). These three reasons along with the two social reasons all provide clues and a begin to create an explanation for some of history’s the worst acts of atrocity and cruelty. However, personally, I don’t believe that everybody on carries the capacity for
WWII Rough Draft The Holocaust all started back in 1933 when a leader named Adolf Hitler started a Nazi group that were out to kill Jews. Not all Nazis that were led by Hilter really were against the Jews. Some of the Nazis liked the Jews but were forced to either kill them or put them in concentration camps that housed jews. The concentration camps detained jews in horrible conditions.
The residents of Hiroshima, Japan began their day routinely on August 6, 1945. Some commuted to work or school, some sat down to read a newspaper, and some tended to the needs of their children. At exactly fifteen minutes past eight in the morning, all aspects of life as known to the city’s population of two hundred and forty five thousand people were decimated within an instant; it was an instant in which the first atomic bomb was dropped from an American plane, killing nearly one hundred thousand people and injuring another one hundred thousand more. In its original edition, John Hersey’s Hiroshima traces the lives of six survivors, beginning a few minutes prior to the bombing and covering the period directly thereafter. When the bomb detonates, the Reverend Mr. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, a community leader and an American-educated Methodist pastor, throws himself between two large rocks and is hit with debris from a nearby house.
1. When did the “Aroostook War” occur & what was its cause? An explosive controversy of the early 1840s involved the Maine boundary dispute. The St. Lawrence River is icebound several months of the year, as the British, remembering the War of 1812, well knew.
The Unbeatable Souls The Lost Battalion is based totally on a real story of an American battalion that was sent out to battle during the World War I. Major Charles Whittlesey, a New York lawyer, who ends up in the trenches of France having under his command mostly young, unexperienced men. When Whittlesey and his battalion of five hundred men are ordered to advance into the Argonne Forest they find themselves surrounded by Germans troops when the other battalions instantly withdrew, leaving Whittlesey’s battalion on his own. Confined behind enemy lines, Whittlesey’s battalion turned into the only force in the German army’s plans to move forward. Trapped and with no other way to rescue, Whittlesey is given an opportunity to surrender, but chose to continue fighting and keep his men together.
Why We Fight directed by Frank Capra, was one of the well-known films during the war and was watched by many. “Overall, however, the Why We Fight films reflected the strategic priorities of the U.S. government and focused primarily on the struggle in the West.” (Dower 17). Not only were the Americans creating such racist films and other propaganda, but the Japanese were employing the same tactics. By reading the title of Chapter 3, “War Hates and War Crimes,” the reader can conclude
Conflict is what drives all stories, but stories with similar themes may use them differently in order to give different lessons and persuade you to form different opinions. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque and The Redemption of Althalus by David & Leigh Eddings have the similar themes of war, morals, and family, but display them in very different contexts to create unique conflict between their characters. Although war is a large theme in both books, the characters face different types of conflicts in war. In All Quiet on the Western Front, Paul describes the realistic, bleak parts as a soldier in a real war; he has to face the death of friends, starvation, illness, enemy troops, and the ultimate destruction of his innocence and humanity in the span of only about 3 years.
Hitler was the main aggressor during 1939 who everyone appeased to, who is infamously known for his rise to power, his persecution of Jews, and his attacks on the world to dominate, that killed so many. Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, believed in the policy of appeasement and appeased Hitler at the Munich Conference which eventually lead to the start of World War II. The Western Powers responded to aggression with appeasement, and in 1939 the world was plunged into World War II, proving to the world that collective security is a better response to aggression. Hitler’s aggression was the main reason why Allied powers felt the need to appease. In 1930, after the Reichstag fire, Adolf Hitler rose to power because he was appointed
In 1914-1918 there was a large war with many countries, peace was not a consideration. Not only did grown men were forced to fight in the war but boys that just graduated high school were forced, and died in war. “ what was the underlying cause of world war I?” one of the major cause of the war was militarism out of one of the four. The other three ar alliances, imperialism, and nationalism, but i 'm only walking about three of them, not nationalism.
World War I ended in 1918 with the victorious Allied powers, and the peace-promising Treaty of Versailles. However, this treaty 's peace did not last long as its unrealistic demands caused strong resentment within the Central powers against the Allied powers. Territorial losses, reparation payments, and inflation all left Europe in economic ruins. The damage and destruction that resulted from World War I paved a clear path that allowed for World War II to occur. It began in 1933 when Adolf Hitler gained power and, with the help of the Nazi Party, turned Germany in a totalitarian dictatorship.
Louie Zamperini was stranded in the middle of the ocean, on a raft for 47 days, then endured over 2 abusive years in POW camps. Louie was born a troublemaker and became a troublesome boy, but his brother, Pete, led him into the career of running, which loomed in his life until he passed. Later, he enlisted into the army and his bomber went down, Louie and Phil made it to Japanese camps, unlike the third crewmate, and luckily survived the harsh treatments of the camps for 2 years. Louie came back to America and decided to live his life to the fullest and take nothing for granted. In the novel Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand, she uses Louie’s real life experiences to show his two most important traits: courageousness and determination.
Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.
Being a woman or an african american in the years of 1941-1945 was a harsh thing. Imagine being a woman and going to work, and you want to go home and rest but you can’t because you have to clean the house and take care of your family. Or being an African American and being segregated when they are working. But also being a Latino and getting benefits from the G.I Bill. An event that led up to the entrance and involvement of the United States in World War II was the Great Depression.
Imagine living in a period in which the realities of war encased the world, and the lethal potential to end all suffering was up to a single being. During World War II, tensions between Japan and the United States increased. Despite pleas from US President, Harry Truman, for Japan to surrender, the Japanese were intent on continuing the fight. As a result, Truman ordered the atomic bomb, a deadly revolution in nuclear science, to be dropped on the towns of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. President Harry Truman, in his speech, “Announcement of the Dropping of the Atomic Bomb,” supports his claim that the dropping of the A-bomb shortened the war, saved lives, and got revenge by appealing to American anger by mentioning traumatic historical events and
Events that occur randomly and that are traumatic can take a toll on all aspects of an individual that endure them, what if an individual were in a gruesome situation and the lives of human beings were lost under their unintentional control? How would they feel for the rest of their lifetime? In the article “The Moral Logic of Survivor Guilt” by Nancy Sherman, she describes the emotional reality of soldiers in their home are often at odds with the civilian public, and are struggling to carry the burden of feeling responsible of traumatic situations. Survivor’s guilt is the bold feeling that survivors have after a tragic event taking place when others have passed away. Soldiers in battle experience losses during combat.
"No honour in killing" -submitted by -Anwesha Sarangi A/2678/2014 Society, culture and human lifestyles are invariably linked to each other. On every level of life we face instances in day to day activity that show us how closely bound we are to the society we live in. They dictate our actions, our motives and shape our philosophies and thought processes in ways we can't even imagine. From our eating habits, our choice of clothes, our values, code of conduct, even something as personal as our marriage choices are decided by the so called pioneers of the society.