12 et ch 24

Adolf Hitler, 1942

Chapter 24 – The World at War, 1937-1945

Nazi Rally, 1939

Benito Mussolini, 1940

Hideki Tojo, 1936

The German blitzkrieg, or “lightning attack,” underway, 1939

The Four Freedoms SpeechIn January of 1941 President Roosevelt made his State of the Union address, and the theme of that speech was the “Four Freedoms,” speech discussing freedoms which, FDR asserted should be enjoyed by people all over the world. He went on to talk about the actions of “aggressive nations” in the world, and how their behavior posed a threat to democracy. He also stated that the United States had to help its allies who were defending themselves from these belligerent nations. The speech was made even as the Lend-Lease Bill was being debated by Congress, and in proposing that bill to Congress, Roosevelt had stated that the United States would become the great “arsenal of democracy,” manufacturing and providing the war material necessary to save democracy in Europe and elsewhere in the world.(Continued next image)

The President also made an analogy, saying, “If your neighbor’s house is on fire and he runs to you saying that his hose has sprung a leak, then you must loan him your hose, if for no other reason than his burning house could set your house on fire.” Here FDR was trying to make it clear to the American people that if all of Europe fell to the war machines of Germany and Italy, then how long would it be before their attention moved toward the Western Hemisphere?

The images you see here of the Four Freedoms were created by America’s most beloved painter, Norman Rockwell, a household name because of the covers he painted for the Saturday Evening Post over the course of five decades. These paintings came out on the cover of the Post in 1943. The paintings were so popular that the government sent them on a national tour to museums around the country in order to promote the sale of war bonds to help finance the winning of the war – ultimately the tour raised $130 million in war bond sales.(Continued next image)

Also of note is the man in standing up amongst his fellows in ‘Freedom of Speech.’ This is a portrait of the young Abraham Lincoln, transported into the early 1940s to serve the needs of Rockwell’s theme. The first important moment of young Lincoln’s career came in 1846, when he stood up and challenged the rationale being used by President James K. Polk to try and persuade Congress to declare war against Mexico. Lincoln had only just been elected to the House of Representatives by the good folk of Illinois, but even as a young and untested member of the House, he had the personal integrity, and courage, to stand up and, in a polite and diplomatic way, imply that the President of the United States was a liar; many in Congress felt that way, but it was Lincoln who exercised his freedom of speech that day. Lincoln was a powerful figure for Americans of the 1930s and 40s – not since the Civil War had they felt so challenged in their security, what with first the Depression, and then the outbreak of war in many areas of the world. There were many plays staged at this time focusing on different key moments in…(Continued next image)

Lincoln’s life, and his words were featured in propaganda posters, such as the one (next image) which paraphrases Lincoln’s famous statement from the Lincoln-Douglas debates, where he made an ominous prediction regarding the future of the United States, saying: “A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.”

The Four Freedoms paintings were issued as prints, posters, and on more than one occasion, as postage stamps.

President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, upon the occasion of the writing of the Atlantic Charter, April, 1941. The document was not released to the world until August of that year, when it had become more apparent than ever that if Europe

were to be saved from the Axis, then it was going to require American intervention.

Greenland and IcelandOne of FDR’s primary concerns in assisting the U.K. was the fear that if the Germans were finally able to conquer the British, then that would give them an island base of operations off the coast of Europe from which they could stage invasions of first Iceland, then Greenland (I&G). This would then establish a series of “stepping stones” for his forces to invade Northern Canada and menace the U.S. In order to prevent this, Roosevelt sent diplomats to ask the permission of the I&G governments for the U.S. to build airfields in their countries, thereby occupying them ahead of a possible German invasion. At first I&G rejected the American offer, claiming neutrality, but when it was pointed out that they had a probable choice: either welcome the friendly Americans now, who would bring Coca Cola and Superman comic books with them, or later try to have a good time with the Nazis, who would arrive with shiny boots and dirty looks on their faces…they changed their minds pretty quickly, and now FDR had what he wanted: not just a block to German ambitions, but air bases for refueling American and Canadian airplanes that he believed would soon be flying in large numbers across the Atlantic.

German Submarines, or U-BoatsIn the previous image (quick, jump back!) the tremendous area of operations of the German submarine fleet was laid out – as far south as Northern Brazil and the “hump”of West Africa, and even into American waters, where they were initially able to torpedo ships still at dock in New York Harbor, like the USS Normandie, which you see here to the right, on its side and foundering after a German attack.

Hitler and Russia In June of 1941 Hitler did the unthinkable. Already stretched thin, with his forces not only occupying and keeping control of

Western Europe, but keeping the pressure on the British with his bombing attacks on the U.K., he chose a daring, yet foolhardy course – he invaded the Soviet Union. In 1939 he and Joseph Stalin, the Premier of the U.S.S.R., had formed the Nazi-Soviet Mutual Non-Aggression pact, wherein they agreed not to attack one another. But Hitler was in great need of two major resources that Russia has in her possession: food and petroleum. The vast oil reserves of the U.S.S.R., and the food produced in the Ukraine, the so-called “breadbasket of Russia,” were valuable prizes, enough food and oil to keep his army running and fed for as long as the war might last. But here’s the thing guys, and this is Dave just telling you what’s up, so – you listening? Dig: do not EVER invade Russia. EVER. No matter what anyone tells you to do, don’t invade Russia. No one knows the future, and you, yes, YOU – could end up as the person in charge of some European country someday – stranger things have happened. If this should ever transpire, you NEVER. INVADE. RUSSIA. Why, you ask? Three reasons. First off, the winters are too long, and too cold, and being in the midst of them while trying to batter a Russian army into submission is not fun. Second, Russia is too…darned…BIG! It takes forever to march in to where Moscow is located, and if you want to conquer Russia, you have to get a hold of the capital, right? Third, and last: it’s not just that Russia is big, but the RUSSIANS ARE BIG! They’re enormous, and there LOTS of them, and when you invade their country, they take it really personally, and get angry, and it’s like fighting an army of polar bears…in the midst of the worst winter you can imagine…miles from nowhere…and they NEVER give up. Look, let me put it this way: Frederick the Great, one of history’s greatest generals, tried it and FAILED. Napoleon Bonaparte, same level of greatness, tried it, and FAILED. Charles XII of Sweden tried to invade and conquer Russia more than once, and his defeats were so epic that Sweden gave up war FOREVER – it’s been centuries, and they never did it again. Ever heard of a Swedish army, navy, air force…no, right? Because they GAVE UP WAR, because RUSSIA broke their hearts. What do you think of when you think of Sweden? Meatballs, IKEA…yeah, but not military strength. And why? RUSSIA. Too big, too cold, too many GIGANTIC RUSSIANS. In the several political cartoons following, you can Theodore Geisel, who would later write children’s books under the name Dr. Seuss, laying out his take on the German adventure in Russia: Hitler thinks it will be easy; Russia is like a giant dinosaur, and Hitler has only gotten ahold of the tail; Hitler is like a taxidermist who thinks he can mount Russia on the wall his other trophies; and by the time this is all over, Joe Stalin is going to have eaten Hitler for dinner.

This image, and the next four, are from the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7th, 1941

Influencing Hearts and Minds: Popular Art and the WarThere were many campaigns to rally the hearts and minds of the American people behind the Allied cause. In Hollywood, before and then during the war, movies were being produced that were either overtly pro-Ally (such as Mission to Moscow (1943), right, all about an American who finds out that the Communists in Russia aren’t so bad, after all!), or more subtly encoded with anti-Axis and pro-Ally sentiments. Two strong examples of the latter sort of film would be Juarez (1939), and the archetypal classic Casablanca (1942).

Juarez depicted the difficult challenge that the President of Mexico, Benito Juarez, faced in the early 1860s in dealing with an invasion and attempted takeover on the part of the French. The movie is filled with speeches having to do with the injustice of large, powerful, and

aggressive nations invading smaller countries and trying to crush the rights of those people to freedom and self-determination. No one had to work very hard to read between the lines to see the implied criticisms of the Axis Powers, and the celebration of countries like Great

Britain, fighting for their liberty. I mentioned to you earlier that Abraham Lincoln was in vogue in the 1930s and 40s – look no further than the image below. Juarez and Lincoln dressed alike, always in black, and tall, stovepipe hat. They wrote one another letters of mutual respect

as each dealt with war within his borders. And it’s entirely true that Juarez always hung a portrait of Lincoln behind his desk while he was president. One of the most amusing scenes in the film has Juarez and his cabinet fleeing at a moment’s notice when they receive word that French forces have discovered their hiding place. The president rushes from the room with important documents under his arm and then

runs back in to retrieve his valued portrait of Lincoln from the wall. Goofy, sure, but sentimental in a way that worked for Americans at this time.

One of the most beloved films in the history of the movies, and that rarity, an “old” movie that speaks just as strongly to modern audiences as to the movie-goers who saw it first in 1942, Casablanca has the largely-conquered-yet-still-proud French, it has arrogant Nazis throwing

their weight around, it has a half-dozen of the most-quotable famous lines in Hollywood history, it has the world-weary cynicism and inimitable style of Humphrey Bogart’s Rick and the luminous beauty of Ingrid Bergman’s Ilsa, but most importantly for our purposes, it has a

message that transcends time, and explains why college students in the 1960s rediscovered the film and adopted Rick as one of the heroes of the counterculture: a message of personal transformation, a message that says just one man, in the right place at the right time…can change

the world. When Rick, the only American in the movie (aside from his pal Sam the piano player) takes Ilsa by the arms, and says, “I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy

world. Someday you'll understand that,” everyone watching knew what he was saying – that the concerns expressed by American isolationists were small, indeed, and that it would take America to save the world from fascism.

“Here’s looking at you, kid.”

In addition to co-opting the efforts of the Hollywood movie studios behind the Allies, the federal government called the leading popular artists of the day into action, to craft stirring images that would convince Americans that their duty was to freedom, democracy, and the world. As FDR had put it in 1936, five years before the American entry into the war (but he could see what was coming), “This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

To the right (Our Emblem) and in the following three images you see examples of N.C. Wyeth’s powerful paintings produced to stimulate the sale of war bonds in the service of financing the war effort. The titles are, in order: Forward!, Soldiers of the Sod, and We Are On Our Way.

Kids needed motivating as well. They may not have been able to buy war bonds, and they may not have gone to see adult motion pictures like Casablanca (although there were kid-friendly movie serials like Spy Smasher for them on Saturday mornings), but they read enormous numbers of comic books, and the creators of comics during World War II felt a patriotic duty to imbue their work with messages that practically screamed straight out at kids: THE AXIS POWERS ARE EVIL! Many of the comics featured demeaning, and even racist caricatures of the Germans, Italians, and particularly the Japanese, rendering them even more abhorent to the eyes of youngsters, and by drawing the lines so firmly, this then helped to inspire kids to get behind the war effort by collecting cans, newspapers, and bottles, and bringing them to their local collection agency (early versions of recycling centers), where they were broken down and reused to fuel the war effort. The following images make it plain: if Sgt. Fury, Captain Marvel, Superman, and Captain America are fighting them, then the Axis Powers MUST be the bad guys! (Never mind that if only Superman got involved in the war, it would be over in a matter of days, if it even took that long!)

Quick aside: Yes, that’sFury as in Nick Fury as in the guy who’s in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D.in all of the Marvel movies and television shows you all love so much. Yes, he was originally a White guy. How is it he became a Black guy? Read the comics, fer cryin’ out loud! I can’t do it all for you!

Like I said earlier – if Superman was not Imaginary and entered the war for the Allies…wouldn’t the war just be OVER?

Allied forces landing on the beaches at Normandy, D-Day, 1944

Photoshopped version of famous image of the Soviet flag over Berlin1945

Battle of Midway, June, 1942The U.S. Navy, only six months after Pearl Harbor, broke the back of the Japanese fleet over four days of fighting near Midway Island, in what renowned military historian John Keegan has called “the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare.” The Japanese were never able to recover, and even though they would for more than three more years, from this point forward, they were slowly but surely losing the war. The next several images are from that same battle.

Asa Philip Randolph

Randolph was the architect of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, an all-Black union and one of the most powerful in the United States. He was also largely responsible for forcing the hand of President Roosevelt in issuing Executive Order 8802, which established the Fair Employment Practices Commission, aimed at eliminating racial discrimination in hiring in the national defense industry, and also desegregated the defense industry. Randolph‘s threat to have 100,000 Black men march on Washington was, to quote FDR, “like a gun pointed at my head.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr would count Randolph as one of his most important sources of inspiration, which is why he was given a place of honor near King when he gave his “I have a dream” speech in Washington, D.C. The following political cartoons on this topic are, once again, courtesy of the inimitable Theodore Geisel.

The Japanese American Internments

There was tremendous racial hostility towards Japanese Americans on the West Coast of the U.S., and especially in California, going back to the time of the Gold Rush in the 1840s and 50s. In fact, the animosity was

so strong that in 1907 the governments of the United States and the Empire of Japan arranged the so-called Gentlemen’s Agreement, whereby all Japanese immigration to the United States was prohibited. After Pearl

Harbor it took very little time for this old and long-simmering prejudice to heat up dramatically, amidst calls for the internments of those of Japanese ancestry. In February, 1942, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which would lead to the detainment and and forced relocation of American citizens of Japanese ancestry

to areas that were not militarily sensitive; this essentially meant removing them from coastal areas. It is important to note that not one piece of evidence was ever produced to point to even one Japanese American as a saboteur or spy for Japan, which makes General John DeWitt’s statement below that much more ironic: “The very fact that no sabotage has taken place to date is a disturbing and confirming indication that such

action will be taken.”

I said: Say WHAT?!Now THAT’S some logic!

It’s also interesting to point out that Japanese American college students were allowed to remain in school, and in Hawaii, which had been attacked, there were no concentration camps at all – people of Japanese ancestry were left alone. This seems to fly in the face of all logic, yes? But no – reason being that the Japanese and Japanese Americans in Hawaii were so essential to the economy, in particular the sugar industry, that it was

simply impossible to subtract them from the labor force.

It’s clear from this cartoon that Theodore Geisel was part of the broad majority when it came to the suspicion towards those of Japanese ancestry in the days following Pearl Harbor. Here he suggests that many Japanese Americans are nothing more than members of a “Fifth Column” (secret spies/saboteurs lying in wait within the U.S.), “waiting for the signal from home” to do their dirty work.

Internment camp, Manzanar, CA, 1943