The Role of Women

Although the role of women in WWI was significant, it got incredibly larger in WWII. During WWI, when the men went off to fight for the United States, many women had to step up and take on jobs to make up for the men that left their jobs. Before this, women mostly stayed at home and raised the kids while the men did all the work. When the war began, they had to do their part in helping the US, which was working on the home front. Although they did have a significant impact on the war, it was nearly as large as they did in WWII. During this war, they not only had jobs, but many even went off to the war to fight. They build airplanes, ships, and over 150,000 women were used in the army. This was important because unlike WWI, they didn't try to help the war from a distance, but were part of it due to the lack of men. Rosie the Riveter is an example of a hard working women in the factories during WWII. She was a symbol and icon for all women during WWII and showed them what the ideal women should be like.

Juvenile Delinquency

Due to the outbreak of World War II, Britain was divided into three sections: evacuation (people in urban areas, where bombing was expected), neutral (people that didn't accept or send away evacuees), and reception (rural areas for the evacuees). This was the plan, headed by Sir John Anderson, to evacuate all children out of Britain's large cities. As children and teachers migrated to rural areas, around a million children were without education. From then on, increased activity of juvenile "hooliganism" was reported, mostly on public air raid shelters. Young boys and girls were misusing these public shelters for sexual activity with one another. It was more a problem not what the teenagers were doing to each other, but the crimes they committed to the other citizens. They broke into the houses of those who went to shelters and stole the possessions of those sleeping in the shelters. The headmaster of the Ashurst Wood Council School gave many reasons for the uprising in youth delinquency. These reasons include bad housing, poverty, no recreational activities, a weakening in the standards of parental control, lesser religious influence, and a lack of amusement. Another factor was a lack of discipline for young men due to their fathers enlisting. Without a authority figure in the home, young boys took advantage of their freedom from parental control. 

One of the biggest problems was teens increasing raids on the Home Guard stores. At one time, a gang would steel thousands of rounds of sten-gun ammunition. Although some were arrested, the possession of these weapons in young hands was very dangerous to society in general, not to mention them stealing valuable resources. 

The government should've tried harder to stop these young people of Britain. They caused great damage. I'm not aware of the extremity of punishments in those days, but it should've been harsher to signify to other teens that this was a serious problem. I also believe that more education should have been put back into their lives because clearly the problem rose when a million kids were left without schooling. We don't realize how important education is, but it not only sets us up for the future, but keeps us on a focused path. 

The British Home Guard: Holding down the fort.

The British "Home Guard" was originally established in 1940 as the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV). The LDV consisted of middle-aged men (40-65) who were considered too old to fight on the front lines, but volunteered for military service. They were a very loosely-organized and loosely-supported group, originally having no uniforms, and only enough weapons for one out of every ten men. Because of this, men in the LDV resorted to arming themselves with common tools such as pickaxes, spears, crowbars, and even dummy rifles. Men in the LDV were stationed along the coast of Britain in order to defend against a supposedly impending sea-based invasion by Germany, and also at munition factories and other such locations of military importance.

Adolf Hitler referred to the Home Guard as "murder bands", denouncing their legitimacy and attempting to highlight their rag-tag nature. He threatened that the German army would immediately execute any member of the Home Guard who attacked the German forces.

Luckily for the members of the ill-equipped Home Guard, the German invasion never came.
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In retrospect, there are a few things the British government could have done a few things differently in handling the defense of their homeland.

1. Training of the members of the Home Guard was left up to the individual regional commanders. This left the Home Guard extremely incoherent in style and level of preparation, and therefore extremely easy to break down.

2. Since the Home Guard served as Britain's primary defense (because the army was away in other lands fighting for world freedom and such.), it would have made sense to arm them to the teeth. If they were to fall to an invasion, Britain would be done, because in the time that it would take to ship the army back, the German troops would have stomped the British Isles flat.

3. The Home Guard consisted only of men- no women. In retrospect, as bad as it sounds, this was probably a good idea. If all of the interested men and women went off to various parts of the country to defend their homes, tensions and apprehension at home would rise, and morale would plummet soon after. I'm sure you'd freak out if all of your neighbors suddenly went to the nearest military base to defend the Bay Area against an invasion.

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* For more on the defense of the British home front, see Rebecca's post on stationary defense hot air balloons and Christophe's post on air raid sirens.

The Fifth Column

The Fifth Column is a group of people that secretly work to undermine a nation to which it seems to belong to. It was first used during the Spanish Civil War when Emilio Mona said that four columns of his troops would be supported by a fifth within Madrid. This term was later used by Britain during the early years of World War II to fight the Nazis or Fascists. The Defense Regulation 18b that Britain passed in 1939 allowed the capture of people associated with the Nazi party. This was due to fear or a fifth column rising in Britain that might soon overpower it. On May 23, 1940 Oswald Mosley was arrested due to his possible involvement with the Fascist Party. It was believed that he was arrested due to the help of a fifth-column. Oswald Mosley was a leader of the British Union of Fascists. They were arrested in May, 1940 when amendment 1A was introduced to 18b. It stated that detentions were to bed held for the far-right. This was due to a rising threat of internal conflict that might have happened in Britain. More than a thousand people total were arrested because of the Defense Regulation 18b. In June 1940 a school teacher was imprisoned for "advancing defeatist theories" to his students. He told his students that Germany would get closer and closer to Britain, and that they would soon start eating cats and dogs to survive. He was arrested because he invoked fear into the nation of Britain. The British government did not want people to worry about losing the war. This would create chaos in the country and Britain would not stand a chance against Germany when all of its people would doubt its victory.

Status of Women

At the beginning of World War I, women status gradually evolved into a dramatic change by the end of the war. Because the men were gone at battle for the war, many women had to take full responsibility of not only domestic affairs, but also labor and work. Due to this, women began to feel more independent and socially equal compared to the men of society. Although there were many similarities between women status in World War I and World War II, World War II provided more opportunities and privileges for the women to have an actual impact on the war itself. Women gained the rights to work with planes, including flying, building, and operating. Over a thousand women served in the U.S. Air Force in the WASP, however, they did not gain full recognition for their military service until the seventies. World War I and World War II both provided a greater range of women occupations and rights, but by the time World War II arrived, people became more comfortable with the idea of women being treated with greater equality.

List of Movies

1. Saving Private Ryan

Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan is about a paratrooper named Ryan that they try to save. It takes place during D Day and has a long scene during the fight at Omaha Beach.

2. Patton

This movie follows a general during WWII. It shows both the good sides of the general and the awful ones. This movie also won 7 academy awards including Best Director,Best Actor and Best Picture in 1970.

3. Pearl Harbor

This movie that takes place during the beginning of WWII is about a man and a woman who fall in love, but everything changes once Pearl Harbor is air raided by the Japanese.

A Women's place in society

After learning about WWI, and WWII as well as doing some research on Rosie the Riveter, it seemed to me that the role of women in both of these wars was primarily the same. Women were always thought of as the one who took care of the household, and had babies in order to continue this process. However, once the war hit because the men went off to war, their was desperate need for people to take over the factories, as wells as other jobs that the men did, in order to help provide for the army, and keep the cities going. Women then were desperately needed to take over the jobs that were vacant, and their roles in society switched. They no longer were quarantined to their households to make dinner, and take care of the children. They now were the reason that the armies were fully supplied, and ready to fight. In WWI their jobs were mainly running all of the factories. However, in WWII the women became much more involved in the war, and now were no longer just operating the factories but were also taking care of the wounded soldiers, and were pilots for the Air Force. The fact that women were restricted to only helping work/manage the factories during WWI, and the in WWII their was a huge leap and women were then able to be pilots, help with the wounded soldiers, and take on other jobs that the men left behind. This indicated a enormous change in the roles the women took in society, and how women were slowly becoming more, and more respected. It is important to see how much the role of women is society has changed over the years, and how the events that took place in WWI, and WWII were key to the evolution.

Blackout

In the early European bouts of World War II, the British found themselves being attacked on the homefront through a constant barrage of air raids by the German air force. As the British government faced large casualties among their citizens, they implemented a number of social policies in order to minimize the destruction caused by German air craft. One of these policies was called a blackout. In order to maintain a daily atmosphere of darkness, citizens of targeted cities were forced to extinguish all sources of light at all times. Dark curtains were used to snuff out natural light and there were even concerns about lighted cigarettes. Also, vehicles were forced to use only their sidelights in between raids and completely put out all lights during a raid. However, these reforms nearly doubled the number of deaths caused by car accidents, and in 1939 the government was obliged to allow cars to use dipped head lights shining through three horizontal slips, while also painting road lines, curbs, and car bumpers white. During these blackout periods, harsh fines were forced upon those who disregarded the new policies. I believe these fines were appropriate and maybe a little bit soft because the times called for desperate measures. Of course there were substantial downsides to the blackout policy, as industry became less efficient and daily life revolved around national protection. In order to reduce the suffocating effects upon British citizens by the raids, the government needed to go straight to the source. This source would be none other than the German raids themselves. It was imperative for the British to gain a great amount of knowledge about the Luftwaffe in order to predict the times they would strike. Also, counter attacks became necessary and were soon in effect. Ultimately, the British prevailed because they were able to utilize the same tools of destruction in the air as the Germans.

Interconnect

WWII Movie List

Here is a list of a few movies that I came up with that where either related to or had a scene that took place during world war II.

1) The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe: Four British syblings were sent to the country side because of the German bombings over London. The Children ended up finding a wardrobe, which served as a passage to a land called Narnia. The movie is about their adventures in Narnia and how they had to get back their brother who was kidnapped by the Ice Queen.

2)The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button: It is the story of a boy who gets younger while everyone else gets older. At one point he leaves his home and sets out to sea where after a few months is attacked by the Russians killing all of the members of his crew as well as his captain. 

3) Pearl Harbor: This movie takes you through Pearl Harbor with the events leading up to it as well as the actual battle, and the aftermath. In addition, you learn about the personal lives of the soldiers, not just when they were at war but before it.

4) Casablanca: Takes place in Casablanca, which was in unoccupied Africa during world war II. It was where many Americans sought refuge from the Germans. The hot spot in Casablanca was a place called Rick's Cafe, which was a night club. It is a story of history as well as the romance between Rick and Ilsa.

5) Valkyrie: This is the story about a man Colonel Claus von Stauffenburg who is apart of the German army, and comes up with a plan to kill Hitler. It is the story of Stauffenburg, his attempts to kill Hitler, how he figures out a ways to put his plan into action, and the failures of his plans.

6) Defiance: This movie is about three Jewish brothers who are apart of the resistance against Hitler. It is about their lives in the resistance, the hardships,  how they took care of the people who where with them, and how they fought when they went head to head with the German army.

7) The Sound of Music: Maria who originally is in a convent in Austira, is asked to leave the convent and is sent to work as a governess for a Naval officer who has seven children. At first the children don't like Maria but later they become fond of her, and Maria and the Captain Von Trap (Naval Officer) fall in love and get married. When Von Trap refuses to join Hitler and take his place in the army, the Nazi's come after him and his family. The Von Traps had to escape through the hills of Austria and into neutral Switzerland.

Women Needed

The proof that World War II was by nature even more of a total war than the first world war are the WACs and the WAVEs that served. The WACs, or the Women's Army Corps, was first created in 1942 because the war took such a toll that there was a shortage of men. Over 150,000 were put in uniform for this total war, despite initial concerns that it was not a women's job. The WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, were accepted straight into the Navy in 1942. By 1943, there were 27,000 women serving in the continental United States and eventually other overseas locations. These two programs show that WWII had a much larger effect on the entire globe than first world war did. During WWI, women were kept at home or in factories, making supplies for the war, but none of them actually saw any combat. The second war war was so consuming that social norms were set aside and women had to step up and serve.

Air Raid Shelters

Top: Anderson Shelter

Bottom: Morrison Shelter

Air raid shelters were built starting around 1935, when the British prime minister of the time invited local authorities to make plans to protect their towns in the event of a war. In response, public air raid shelters were arranged. These shelters were made of brick, and their roofs were built of reinforced concrete. In 1938, the British government really began to fear a war with Germany. A group of volunteers called the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) was mobilized. Air raid shelters were made from cellars, basements, and large trenches dug in public parks. That same year, Sir John Anderson was placed in charge of the ARP. He called for an engineer to create small, cheap shelters that people could erect in their gardens. These "Anderson shelters" measured only 6ft. 6in. by 4ft. 6in. but could accommodate six people. They were made from six curved sheets bolted together at the top with steel plates at the ends and were half-buried in the earth with a steel shield and an earthen blast wall protecting the entrance. These shelters were made in bulk, and they were very cheap to buy—around £7 for people who earned some money and free to the very poor. Anderson shelters were made in bulk because they were cheap and convenient. Many people had a garden in which to erect such a shelter, and with the threat of a bombing it was much safer to have a shelter right in their own backyard than have to rush to a public shelter when the alarm was sounded.

Morrison shelters—named after home Secretary Herbert Morrison—began to be issued in 1941 after a census discovered that the majority of people did not use specially created shelters. Instead, most people slept in their own homes. Morrison shelters were made of heavy steel and designed to fit in the living room of a home, where they would be used as a table. People could lift up one wire side and crawl inside to hide. These shelters were fairly large in that they could provide sleeping space for two to three people.

In my opinion, Morrison shelters would be a much more successful shelter for the government to invest in than Anderson shelters. While both are convenient, Morrison shelters have an added convenience of being in the home. Many people had gardens where they could erect Anderson shelters, but everyone with a home had a living room in which to put a Morrison shelter. Also, Anderson shelters—having taken advantage of the earth as cover—were damp, cold, and—because of their small area—crowded. Morrison shelters were fit for three people to sleep in comfortably, as well as being inside—warm and dry. The census of 1940 showed that domestic shelters—such as Anderson shelters—were only being used by 27% of people. Obviously, the focus needed to be shifted to a new kind of shelter that would have the same level of safety but be more appealing to take cover in.

Black Market: Treason

Before WWII began, Britain had an organized system of imports and exports, and consistently imported 55 million tons of food yearly from neighboring countries. German, being the rising power of Europe that they were, wanted not only territorial domination, but also control of trade. The German navy was able to successfully decrease the import rate that Britain was used to, and Britain was forced into food rationing, similar to the United States when the war began. 

By 1940, Britain was forced to ration bacon, butter and sugar; however as the months went on, meat, fish, tea, eggs, jam, biscuits, milk, breakfast cereals, cheese and canned fruit followed. Townspeople were forced to register with the local shop, and quite often shop owners were reported to the Ministry of Food for selling certain goods out of paranoia due to revenue losses.

A Black Market was established, that catered to the needs of citizens who needed goods that were not easily accessible. The British parliament began to fund investigators in order to prevent the illegal buying and selling of rationed goods. The need for food coupons was too much for the average citizen, yet the government saw the Black Market as total treason.

In my opinion the Black Market was/is treason, and should be punishable by the government. A citizen is a part of a country, and must adhere to the laws of that country when it comes to something as meaningful as food rationing. The food they are buying from the Black Market, is being taken away from a family that relies on food stamps.

"Flying their war into history: Women Airforce service pilots"

Women in the early 1940s until the end of the war were a large part in the success of the U.S. army. Although few women actually fought they were essential to the Allies victory not only in the home front but also in the air force. The women did not fight enemies in these fighter planes, however they towed targets, engineered test flights, utility flew, and often were considered ferry pilots. In total, 1,074 women became Women Air Force Service Pilots - WASPs. Although these women never fought in combat their role as ferry pilots greatly altered the dynamics of the war. These women were not flying small planes. The variety of the planes they flew ranged from: P-51s, P-17s, P-38s, and P-47s. They also flew AT-6s, B-17s, and even B-26s. These women also acted as production testers. They would receive the manual for a certain new plane read over this booklet and then immediately went to work. The group that these courageous women worked for was called the AAF (Army Air Force). Many of these women flew thousands and thousands of hours for their country. Other WASPs were used as utility pilots who relocated pieces of equipment and flew other soldiers where they were needed. One of the oddest reasons to incorporate women in the AAF was to convince men that these new planes were safe, seeing that women could fly them. These women were revolutionary for their time and changed the way WWII will be remembered forever. These aren't the only revolutionary women in the United States' history. During WWI women were also asked to step up and help their nation. They helped in a far different way then the WASPs did. The way women during WWI helped was by working in jobs men usually occupied. By doing this the American economy did not diminish and as hard as it may seem regular life somewhat carried on. Although what the women did in the two world wars were somewhat different their goals were the same. These women realized that their nation was in need and that they could help.

Rosie The Riveter

Rosie the Riveter was essentially an American icon to inspire women to become active in WWII. She is a close depiction of Rose Will Monroe, who built bombers during WWII.  Her personality and contribution to the war served as a key to propaganda to women in the war and inspired many to work harder and contribute in some way. I think that icons like this tell us a lot about the nature of total war. It tells us that in wars like this, anyone that contributes is doing nothing but helping. All the help that could be offered was always needed, as it was in WWI, possibly even more in WWI simply because the women had to replace the men in many cases. Overall, I see a lot of similarities between the nature and role of women in both cases.

British Barrage Balloon Usage

Even though most of the countries involved in World War II's governments were primarily concerned with their advancement on the battlefield, the home front was also a major concern. After attacks on London, Britain wanted to protect key targets such as industrial areas, port cities, and harbors. In 1938 the British Balloon Command, a Royal Air Force Command in charge of barrage balloon units, was established. Barrage balloons were large balloons tethered to the ground with steel cables. The balloons could be raised or lowered to reach a desired altitude. The main purpose of the balloons was to prevent low altitude flying of enemies such as dive bombers. The balloons forced enemy airships to fly at higher altitudes which decreased the amount of surprise on the attacks and decreased the accuracy of enemy bombing. The fact that the cables forced enemies into specific directions and altitudes, made ground defense on the attacks easier, as the enemy airships were more concentrated. 

Now the year is 1941 and there are over 1500 balloons scattering the British skyline. Initially, the addition of barrage balloons to the British defensive plan seemed useless and unproductive. They were a hassle to construct, and the amount of the balloons directly and entirely effects the efficiency of the balloons.In 1936 when there were only 450 balloons in command, the efficiency and effectiveness of the balloons was minimal. Now that the effort has been put in to increase the amount of the balloons and faster productivity, the balloons seem like a strong and logical way to defend against German air attacks. The British mentality of how to provide defense against air attacks includes using every viable weapon, fighters, anti-aircrafts, and balloons. The balloons seem to be a important part of the overall plan of defense and are effective. Even if some balloons are shot down or struck by lightening, every possible attempt at defense seems worth it. The effort has been put into creating a specific command to deal with them and their creation has been increased. Logistically, they seem worth it to keep building and setting up. 

As for the mental aspect of the balloons on both the people of the home front and the enemy, the balloons seem to provide a visible, concrete attempt at insuring the safety of the British people, as well as a visible, concrete barrier to the Germans. If the Germans know that there are huge cables and balloons controlling their airship activity over Britain, it will decrease the chance of them launching attacks. If the British people know that the government is putting in so much effort to not only fighting the enemy beyond borders, but also defending them, they will trust the authorities more, unifying the country and helping them to win the war. 

Children's Education

The education system in Britain was drastically affected by World War Two. Children were only in school until the age of fifteen, and legislation to extend the age was postponed when the war started. When the city bombings began, children and teachers were evacuated en masse to the rural areas, where the schools had fewer supplies and materials. The children who weren't moved now had no school, and lost the health tests and free food perks, as well as increasing the rate of hooliganism in cities. Then, as teachers started to get drafted to fight, the class sizes exploded, making any learning very difficult. Eventually, the school day had two be slit into a double shift system, where kids could only come in the morning or in the afternoon.
These problems were very difficult to avoid, as logistical snags will affect any type of mass movement of people. The British government should have enforced an evacuation of all children in the cities to avoid the problems created by the stragglers, and then invested the neccessary money to build the additional building needed for the schools. Then they'd be able to focus on the war without another unneeded distraction.

For more detailed information, see this page.

Movies

1) Saving Private Ryan- a movie starring Tom Hanks about the journey to rescue a lost paratrooper named private Ryan. It is set during the Invasion of Normandy, and is an unbelievable depiction of WWII.

2) Valkyrie- A movie with Tom Cruise about his plot to kill Hitler. It eventually costs him his life, but it is extremely powerful and it is extremely powerful to have Hitler play an actual role in the movie instead of just being mention without being shown.

3) Schindler's List-  A film about a man named Oskar Schindler, and how he saved thousands of Polish Jews by employing them in factories. Extremely moving

4) The Boy In The Striped Pajamas- A film about a family in which the father works for the Nazis. They move to a place that the rest of the family discovers is next to a concentration camp. The young son befriends another boy at the concentration camp, and the film is about the two friends, who know each other from opposite sides of the fence, literally.

5) The Pianist- A film with Adrian Brody, who plays a Polish Jew that is an extremely talented pianist. The film takes place during the outbreak of WWII and the invasion of Poland

Air Raid Sirens in WWII

As part of their Blitzkrieg warfare, the Germans launched nightly air raids on England during WWII. These air raids were performed by the Luftwaffe, and Air Raid Wardens were nominated to sound sirens when the Luftwaffe was arriving; another siren rang to signal the beginning of the raid; and yet another to announce the end of the raids.

People that were doing important war work were supposed to pay no heed to the first siren, and instead go to their shelters only when enemy aircraft was directly overhead, at the second siren.
This is because sometimes the planes would fly by, but not drop any bombs, so leaving the factories on the first siren would simply delay work. Also, most people weren't killed by the bombs themselves, but by flying bits of debris or shells of the bombs.

The sirens themselves were sounded in short blasts and long notes, and often were simply imporvised on the wardens' whistles. However, the siren announcing the end of an air raid was one long, continuous, two-minute note.

One factory worker, a woman, said: "Sometimes the Germans would drop their bombs before the second bell went. On one occasion a bomb hit the factory before we were given permission to go to the shelter. The paint department went up. I saw several people flying through the air and I just ran home. I was suffering from shock. I was suspended for six weeks without pay." She went on to say that she wished she didn't have to work, but that she knew it was essential for the war, and that it was as dangerous as being a soldier.

Often, movies, or other events, were interrupted because of the air raids. One woman said: "When they had turned on the cinema lights, it seemed not just to have severed the film sequence, but shattered a fantasy, an intrusion that made me feel irritable and angry. Through the endless yards of celluloid, reality had intruded - reminding us that outside, a war was still going on, and we must not forget it. Not even in the cinema could we dream, perchance to sleep."

Clearly, the Luftwaffe air raids, and the British governments' signaling and shelter policies scared some people, endangered others, and generally broke the morale of all who had to take part in them. I still believe, though, that this trauma was nothing compared to what the soldiers had to suffer through on the battlefield.

Rosie the Riveter

After becoming involved in WW2, America began to realize that they really needed women to step up into the positions that men left vacant behind them.  Woman had to work heavy machinery in order to make what was necessary for war.  America didn't need women to help out fighting the war, the needed help in preparation for the war.  Rosie the Riveter became a symbol of women who are working to support the men who are fighting in the war.  The reason Rosie was such a good symbol is because she seemed the the stereotypical working woman.  She made other women aspire to be her, this is why Rosie was such effective propaganda.

Five Pieces of Work about WWII

1) Call of Duty 2 for Xbox
This magnificent video game features level after level of exciting war adventures. The battles are not only located in Eastern Europe, but also North Africa, France, and Italy. One level you even storm the beaches of Normandy of D-Day. It has received great reviews and seems to be some what realistic.
2) Saving Private Ryan
The story of Saving Private Ryan is the story of a family of boys: the Ryan's who joined in the war effort for WWII. On D-Day all four Ryan boy's fight on the beaches of Normandy. Three of the four die. When writing addressing the letter's to the mother of these unfortunate boys, one government worker realizes that their mother will be devastated when she finds out three of her four boys have died. They then decide to discharge the final Private Ryan. This movie features Tom Hanks and won many awards.
3) Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers is a TV show that tells the story of a platoon of paratroopers called Easy Company. We follow their path in WWII and learn story of these courageous men. It has great special effects, good acting, and even some slight humor. Suprisingly, Tom Hanks was the main producer of this TV series. This is one of my favorite pieces of work ever!
4) A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own is placed in the WWII time period where nearly all American men have enlisted in the U.S. army to fight. It's up to the women of the U.S. to keep proffesional baseball alive. This movie is their story. Some of the main characters are Tom Hanks and Rosie O'Donnell.
5)Flags of Our Fathers
To summarize, Flags of Our Fathers is the story of the six men who raised the flag on top Mount Suribachi after defeating the Japanese in a brutal battle. This picture soon becomes an icon and seems to bring the American people hope during the Great Depression. Before this picture was taken the American public had began to lose hope and less war bonds were being bought. After this picture was taken the men who rose the flag on that day in Japan were taken home and used as propaganda.

Things Relating To WW2

The only book, movie, tv show, etc that i have seen a World War 2 Reference in was a Simpsons episode where Bart joins a band and is tricked into playing songs that contain subliminal messages encouraging people to join the military (aka propaganda). there were lots of flashbacks to the war.

A War Woman's Job

A woman's job changed dramatically during both WWI and WWII. Women were normally seen as delicate and frail human beings at times during peace. But once times of war came, the social norm that women should stay at home had to change so that women could fill the jobs vacated by men. In both WWI AND WWII, a woman's importance in society was increased, for the government had to depend on them in order to create the necessary armaments to supply the army. This illustrates that the governments appears to only use women when it is necessary. And this is where Rosie the Riveter comes in. Rosie was a very strong, muscular woman that persuaded women to serve their country in any way they could, which was to help in factories, among other places. And while women were still used for the same reason as in WWI, this method of propaganda was a new form of recruiting women.

Complusory Billeting

Because of the heavy bombing raids in urban cities and the threat of invasion, in 1938, Britain instated a policy called compulsory billeting, or the evacuation of a group of people from one area to another. So to protect the people of Britain, Sir John Anderson came up with a policy that divided the country into three areas: the areas where people would be leaving, neutral areas, and the areas people would be moving to. Anderson decided that the children from urban cities should move to rural areas, and then made the people of the rural areas house these evacuees. Many of the officials that regulated this evacuation were volunteers and were not paid, and the billetors, or the people that housed the evacuees, were paid just a small amount for every child they took in. Although housing was not expensive because of this, the evacuees had to get their own food.
But life in the rural areas was very different from life in the cities, and the people had to get used to each other. The urban children had lice and other infections that arose from living so close to one another, and many of them were not used to the luxuries available in the more spacious rural homes. It was a new world for them. To the billetors, these urban children were unhygienic and completely appalling.
While this billeting was a good idea, it had a few flaws. The government shouldn't have made it compulsory. People should neither be forced to leave their homes, nor should they be forced to take people in especially in a democratic country. They should have just instated the policy and let people choose whether they would rather risk their chances in an urban city or move to a safer area. It is like a natural disaster warning today; if you are warned of an approaching hurricane, you can either choose to evacuate or stay. Even though evacuating would be safer, no one can make you leave. Also, if the government was going to force this policy on people, they should have been more supportive of it. More money should have been left to this program. The billetors were paid little, and they could do little more than provide the people with housing. But the people had also left behind their jobs, and they needed some way of earning money so they could buy food and other necessities. The lack of these necessities caused a lot of problems between billetors and evacuees, and if the government had backed the program with more money, it would have worked much more smoothly.
To learn more about how this evacuation affected children's education go to this post.
To read another opinion concerning the enforcement of laws and government power click here.

WW2 books, movies ect...

Over the past 4 or 5 years I have seen several movies that take place during WW2.  One book that I read is called Number the Stars by Louis Lowry.  This was about a jewish girl who lived in Denmark, and was smuggled out of the country after the germans invaded.  I have also seen a number of movies that are based in the time of WW2.  About two years ago I watched the movie titled "Flags of our Fathers".  This was a very particular story line about a troop of men who captured the island of Iwo Jima.  Once they reached the mountain in the center of the island, they mounted an american flag.  A picture of this was taken which became the "face of the great depression."  Also, two years ago, I watched the entire season of the TV show "Band of Brothers".  We did watch part of this in class, but the show is very different from the interviews we watched in class, however the story line is much like that which is described in the interviews.  It follows a group of paratroopers who fought in many of the key fights in WW2.

Rosie the Riveter

Rosie the Riveter illustrates a change in the notion of “a woman’s role in society”. In both World Wars, women were used in propaganda. However, as illustrated by Rosie, the mood and values presented greatly differed. In World War I woman were portrayed as motivational icons for men to enlist. The pictures would vary, but whether it was a young woman hanging off of a sailor or a wife waving goodbye to her husband, women were not shown as a part of the war effort. There was some domestic propaganda, such as buy war bonds or ration food, but it was urging woman to take a passive stance. As a whole, women were shown as vulnerable and in need of protection.

Rosie the Riveter shows a very different view that was put forward in WWII. Rosie is a symbol of female strength. She is not a weak and helpless female, rather she is shown as strong and brave and willing to do her part for her country. It is a call for women to take up the jobs left behind by the men, and shows how the total war of WWII forced countries to utilize all their resources. This radical change to the classic image of the damsel in distress was brought on by the necessity of WWII, but it paved the way for modern Women's Rights movements.

WWII in Books and Movies

Movies
Valkyrie – a recent movie about an attempted coup by high ranking German officers planning to kill Hitler and take control of Nazi Germany. It is set near the end of WWII.

The Sound of Music – a musical following the plight of a family living in Austria in 1938

Books
The Sunflower – a two part story, in which the author Simon Wiesenthal tells his experience of the concentration camps. The second part is a collection of replies from various people answering the dilemma presented when a dying Nazi asked Simon for forgiveness.

A Separate Peace – a story about two high school boys during the early years of WWII.

Maus I - a graphic novel written by Art Spiegelman on his father's experience of the Holocaust.
And now, I have also read Maus II

Women's Roles in the US

The roles of women have evolved a great deal, and it has been known that such progress typically takes place in the midst of war: when the capabilities of a country are stretched, so are its social rules. I believe that the role of women in both world wars was to stay at home and sport the home front until the situation became so dire that the government was forced to ask women to take some duty for the war. In WWI, they hired women as nurses and telephone operators overseas. In WWII they needed army plane pilots. The first ever all women’s pilot program, known as WASP, was founded on experimental grounds to meet the need for pilots to fly the planes coming off of assembly lines and the demand for supplies to be flown from one place to another.

The only apparent difference in combat was that in WWI, the soldiers loved having the women around. However in WWII, the soldiers made it very clear that they disapproved of women flying planes for the military. After the conclusion of both wars, women’s roles fell back into their previous mold. After WWI, women returned to their homemaking, and after WWII, women were not able to fly for the army for another thirty years. This proves that total war has forced exceptions to gender roles onto society that the majority of the population was not psychologically prepared for.

The WACs

World War II taught the U.S. a lot about political and militaristic strategy, such as preparing a strong army and joining forces with other nations to defeat fascist regimes. However, World War II was also monumental in America relative to women's rights, for it was the first time that women ever served as more than nurses during wars. 150,000 American women served in the WAC (Women's Army Corps), which was initially controversial given that men had always gone to the battlefront while women remained at home. However, political and military leaders soon recognized that having women serve in the army provided additional resources that were desperately needed. Though it took years before women were fully integrated into the American army, World War II marked the beginning of a drastic change. For example, during World War I, women helped behind the scenes by rationing their food, making army uniforms, and other "women's work". However, the WACs finally gained military status and women served in close to 400 different military occupation specialties. Propaganda posters such as this were used to encourage women to join the army in the same way that men were encouraged. Thus, the creation of organizations such as the WAC furthered women's quest for equal rights. 

Rosie the Riveter Memorial

I realize that this assignment didn't ask for memorial pictures, but I stumbled across an interesting article that talked about this memorial which is actually in San Francisco. The memorial is technically dedicated to Rosie the Riveter, even though she is a fictional character. Instead of portraying images of Rosie the Riveter, like perhaps a traditional monument would, the memorial depicts photographs of other women inspired by the cultural icon. Their words are welded into the structure and ground, for the public eye to observe and be inspired by. One older woman pondered, "'I have a deeper feeling we're all Rosies now.'' This cultural icon allowed women to gain confidence in themselves and encouraged them to conquer what they couldn't before.

The monument itself is rather modern and unique, perhaps to mirror the ideas that Rosie was stirring up. I'm not entirely sure how interactive this monument is supposed to be, however. What looks like a ladder is filled in with photographs and the overall structure is somewhat impractical. Hmmm what does that say about Rosie...

WWII flims and such

A Separate Peace (novel)
A novel that tells the story of 2 boys during their time at a military school during WWII.
Atonement (film)
An amazing film that tells the lives of 2 lovers after being split apart by a lie. One of them takes part in the war at the battle front, while the other lives in England and deals with the problems of the home front.
The Diary of Ann Frank (novel)
A diary of a young Jewish girl as she chronicles her life as tensions rise against Jewish people and her time hiding.

World War 2 Films

Films: 

Casablanca

The Reader

The diary of Anne Frank

Gentlemen's Agreement

Foreign Correspondant

The English Patient

American Girl Dolls

I have talked about the American Girl Doll book series in a previous post, but I suppose now it is an actual assignment. I read these books as a young girl and basically drew a lot of historical information by learning about the main character, Molly. This particular series is based in World War II, where we see Molly encountering the effects of the war in her daily life. In one book, I believe she wants to buy a pair of yellow rain boots. Unfortunately, because of material limitations at the time, she is unable to purchase these boots. The time may have passed for most students, but these books were really fun and educational...

If Rosie Can "Do It," So Can I

Throughout the course of both wars, there were numerous propaganda posters which publicized the war and encouraged people to achieve certain things. In WWI, propaganda posters like this one portrayed women as feeble and helpless. Other posters only publicized the abilities of men and what effect they could have on their nation. We see a major shift in the way women were treated and thought of in WWII propaganda posters. One very famous propaganda poster that displayed the female character "Rosie the Riveter," invented by Redd Evans shows the significance of women during WWII. As men were drafted into the military, women remained on the home front which had many jobs available and left behind by men. The posters of Rosie the Riveter encouraged women  to be part of the work force by telling them, "We Can Do it" and showing them that men are not the only powerful and strong ones. 

Now men in the army had women working with and for the war in factories creating weapons and military supplies. Everyone was part of WWII and women were now open to more opportunities and given a greater role in society and a greater sense of belonging to  their nation. Therefore, women had a stronger role in the second World War than the first which can, in some way, be seen from the shift in the messages propaganda posters were conveying. 

Price of Safety

It is both odd and ironic to think of the British rounding up Italians and Germans and putting them in camps, when one of the very things that they were fighting for was to stop the Germans, which included their persecution of Jewish people.  This same things was happening in America too, except with Japanese-Americans.  While surfing through the E.C. pictures, I actually came across a picture of a grocery store with the sign "I am (an) American" in the window.  The picture was put up after the owner had to sell his store and go to a camp.  

In Britain, Italian restaurants and ice cream parlors were attacked, and both Germans and Italians were rounded up.  This really shows the trust level in both the U.S. and Britain when the war broke out.  How anybody, even citizens of their own country, with German, Japanese, or Italian relations was put in the camps, just shows how no one was taking any chances.  Part of it might have been just for the feeling of security for the British or American people.

History in Media

Movies:

Valkyrie- A recent movie that is set in Nazi Germany during the time of WWII. It is about German officers planning to murder Hitler and take control of Germany. 

Cabaret- A musical that is set in 1931 in Berlin before the Nazi's came to power. In this scene an "Aryan" German boy is singing a song called "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" while other Germans join him. 

Books:

The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal- This book, which takes place during the Holocaust is about a man named Simon that is incarcerated in a concentration camp. One day, he is taken from his labor and taken to the hospital room of a dying Nazi soldier that asks him for forgiveness for what he had done.

The Diary of Anne Frank- was a book based on a girl named Anne Frank's life during the Holocaust. She and her family hid from the Nazi's in the attic of her father's office building. 

The Presence of WWII

Movies:
The Sound of Music- The musical story of a family living in Austria in 1938. Captain Von Trapp is summoned by the Third Reich to continue his service in the navy. The family must leave Austria to escape Nazi officers trying to track them down.

South Pacific- A musical comedy taking place in 1943 on the Solomon Islands where military nurses and US navy men are preparing for an invasion toward New Guinea and the Central Pacific.

Theater:
The Diary of Anne Frank at the Ashland Shakespeare Festival- the story of a Jewish girl and her family hiding from the Nazis.

Dance Concert (at ODC):
In the Memory of the Forest by Brenda Way- Choreography of the memories of a young Jewish girl who escaped Warsaw by traveling through the forests of Russia

Books:
Milk Weed by Jerry Spinelli- the story of a Jewish orphan boy in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation, and his experiences and losses in and out of the ghetto.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles- The story of two teenage boys attending high school during the early years of the war.

Movies and Books of WWII

Movies

• Casablanca - A story of a man during the early stages of World War II in Casablanca, when Nazis come into town as well as a former lover.
• Pearl Harbor - Two friends' journey of being fighter pilots during the war and experiencing the horrors of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - A movie about a man who starts aging backwards and lives through World War II and its repercussions. 

Books 

• Diary of Ann Frank - Ann Frank's journey during the beginning of World War II, while hiding in an attic. 
• The Sun Flower by Simon Wiesenthal - The story of Simon Wiesenthal in a concentration camp and how he deals with a dying Nazi soldier asking for forgiveness. Many other authors, politicians and people have written their answer in the second half of the book.

Rosie the Riveter

From what I have recently read about Rosie the Riveter and other women who took place at the home front, I was able to come to the conclusion that the women in WWI were much different than the women in WWII. The main differences that interested me were the fact that in WWI women were used on propaganda posters as vulnerable and latching onto the men. The women were all dressed up and the posters tried to persuade the men that if they were to go to the army they would get pretty women like these. This was clear to me that in WWI excitement about the war was trying to spread to every man and convince him to join. However, in WWII it was clear that the word got around of how bad being on the battlefront actually was, and the women as well began to get tougher. Now was it not only a tough job on the battlefront but also at the home front. Women no longer were dressing up, "We had to dress in pants and tops with no frills and no jewelry. We didn't worry about our hands or our nails. We weren't there for the glamour. We were there to work and we got our faces dirty" said Munn, a drill press operator in 1942. Rosie the Riveter was an icon for women in her red polka dot bandana saying, "We can do it!" She was a positive image to women saying that they too were able to take part in a tougher aspect of the war and not just sit at home watching time go by. I think Rosie the Riveter became a role model to not only mothers at home but to also men fighting on the battlefront, knowing they weren't alone fighting the war. Rosie the Riveter was named after Rose Will Monroe from Kentucky who worked in the U.S Army Air Force building b-29 and b-24 bombers, and was later asked to take part in a promotional video about the war effort at home. That later led to her famous debut of Rosie the Riveter and was featured on the common poster of feminist movements saying, "We can do it!"

My Movies & Books during WWII

Movies:  

Schindler's List  - A story about a man Oskar Schindler who employs Jewish workers in order to help Jews avoid the Holocaust. 

Exodus - A  group of Holocaust survivors (611), who wish to escape to Palestine and make a nation for the Jews (Israel) on the ship called Exodus. 

Books:

The Diary of Anne Frank - A young girl's diary who lives through the  introduction to the Holocaust and tells how she is able to cope with losing so much and so many. 

Dig for victory

During WWII britain and other nations started food rationing, which basically meant that everyone got a specified amount of food. No more, no less. Everyone had a 'ticket', or registration which allowed them to get food. Britain also encouraged as well as mandated people to use their land to grow food. For example, instead of gardens and flower beds people planted crops. People were also encouraged to raise animals, especially pigs.

The reason for this is that Germany specifically attempted to sink ships carrying food and supplies. This was a low tactic, for it hurt the citizens and innocent civilians. This was just one of the many tactics that germany and other nations used during WWII that is frowned upon.

Children's Education

The war had a tremendous impact on children's education.  Most schools in the cities were shut down because everyone was evacuating to rural areas.  The buildings were often turned over to the government.  Since many people were moving to rural areas to avoid attacks on big cities, class sizes skyrocketed, especially since most male teachers had to go fight.  The war had a big impact on the educational system.