Lessons From World War II
December 7th was the 80th anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the official launch of the United States into World War II. The attack is top of mind for me this year because I toured the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, back in May, so some of the details are fresh. While the attack on Pearl Harbor and World War II happened long ago, some of the tenets of the war and underlining messages during that time are relevant today. From Russia's current attempt to wheel their superiority to the insurrection of the Capitol to modern-day propaganda to the attempts to suppress voting rights, the events of World War II are full of messages and lessons for us to be aware of today.
World War II (WW2) was a global conflict that started in 1939 and lasted until the war ended in 1945. In a nutshell, the war began when Adolf Hitler, the German dictator, decided that he wanted to invade and capture Poland. Prior to invading Poland, Germany, already in a pact with Italy and Japan, met with the Soviet Union (Russia) and agreed to share the land in Poland with Russia if they did not interfere in the takeover; this agreement was called the German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. After this agreement, on September 1st, 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Great Britain and France were allied to Poland, and thus they were pulled into the conflict. Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis alliance, and the countries that fought against them were called the Allies.
America officially entered WW2 in 1941 after Japan, wanting to expand its territory in the Pacific Ocean, attacked the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, HI. President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war against Japan, and because of the Axis pact, Germany and Italy's leader, Benito Mussolini's declared war against America. So, the United States joined the Allies in the fight against the Axis.
This history is important today because the very causes and tenets of WW2 are currently present in our political and foreign policy environments today.
For instance, like German leader Adolf Hitler's efforts to occupy Poland, Russian President Vladimir Putin's push to occupy Ukraine could lead to war. Also, the current attempts to exalt white supremacy in America and across the World are similar to Hitler's belief that the Aryan race was superior.
Hitler's push to exterminate people who did not match his ideas may seem foreign to us today, but genocide is real. The White House recently called out ethnic killings in Sudan, Myanmar (Burma), China, Ethiopia, Iraq, and Syria.
Leading up to and during WW2, the Nazis and their allies used propaganda and hate speech to promote their own versions of the truth and dehumanize their opponents.
Hitler convinced his followers to believe that Jewish people and others were not worthy of life and that Germans were superior. Now think about the false narratives in America today surrounding the "stolen election," widespread voter fraud, and white supremacy.
None of these things are accurate, but the constant reports and accusations have led some to believe this is true. This fake news is one of the things that led to the insurrection of the Capitol on January 6th, 2021.
In comparison to Hitler and Mussolini, our past president Donald Trump, also believed that he was superior and the only person who could lead our country. He did all sorts of conniving and dishonest things to stay in power.
Despite the ultimate victory of the United States and our allies, World War 2 was devastating, and it had a lasting effect on the entire World.
It is estimated that up to 80 million people died due to the war, including 6 million Jewish people killed during the Holocaust. These numbers include a significant number of African Americans as well.
According to the United States Army website, "more than 2.5 million African American men registered for the draft, and African American women also volunteered in large numbers. When combined with black women who enlisted into Women's Army Corps, more than one million African Americans served the Army during the war."
African Americans serving during WW2 included famous troops like the Tuskegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers.
This summary is a highly simplified version of WW2 events and causes; however, it's crucial for us to broadly understand how world events and history could impact our lives today. Also, our best tool for combating the negative impacts of World events is for us to vote our interests. We need to make sure that people who promote democracy and equity for all are elected, and then we need to hold them accountable.
Sophia Brewer (M.L.I.S.) is Collection Development and Serials Librarian, Grand Rapids Community College; Co-President of the Greater Grand Rapids History Council; member of the Grand Rapids Study Club and serves on the Grand Rapids Public Library, Board of Library Commissioners (Elected 2016-2021). She is a former Head of Programs, Grand Rapids Public Library and former Branch Manager, Madison Square Branch, Grand Rapids Public Library
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