Oral History: The Second World War - Report Example

Sur Oral History: The Second World War Literature Review The Second World War began at a time when many countries least expected. The war was characterized by formation of regional alliances as a way of strengthening military capability of the allied countries. The war is still considered one of the massive wars that have ever been fought in the history of mankind. The extent of damage caused by the Second World War surpassed the damages experienced during world war one (Mitter and Rana 34). The war caused a significant shift in social, political and economic events and spheres in different parts of the globe. The war is believed to have been caused by increased military rivalry between countries and regional blocks. The war provided a platform for countries to test high-tech military weapons. The aftermath of the great depression, misunderstanding in the League of Nations and regional conflicts created tension between countries. While China, Japan, and America were fighting in the eastern conflict, the Nazi in Germany under the leadership of Hitler was fighting the Jews. Before the war began, the Japanese had invaded china. At that time, the United States advanced military support to the Chinese. On other hand, Germany under the leadership of Hitler was suffering from the aftermath of the international community decision that blamed Germany for causing the First World War ( Mitter and Rana 36). The League of Nations was dominated by France and Great Britain. Most of the policies used in the league were controlled by the two countries. These policies created a vacuum in decisions that would have prevented the war. The aftermath of the great depression caused massive job losses and job losses in Germany, which caused frustration among the Germans. The German and Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939 formed ground for the possible outbreak of the international conflicts. A series of German involvement in conflicts with other countries precipitated the onset of the Second World War (Hillenbrand and Laura 40). German invasion of Norway prompted French, Britain and Poland to protect Norway. United States joined the war as a way of preventing the Germans from causing problems at the sea. By 1945, the number of the global conflicts had spread in different parts of the world. The US advancement of the military support to the Chinese prompted the Japanese to launch an offensive against US and its allied forces. The Japanese were defeated when bombs were dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On the other hand, Russia battled and defeated the Germans in a fiery war. America and Russia joined forces that led to overwhelming of the Germans. Hitler committed suicide as a result of the German defeat. The effects of the Second World War were both long term and short term. Apart from causing massive loss in properties and life, the war led to the breakage in family ties. Residents of Hiroshima and Nagasaki bore the brunt of the war (Hillenbrand and Laura 47). The effects of the biological weapons used in an offensive against the two cities have created genetic orientation among the descendants of the survivors. Families were separated through widespread dispersion of individuals. The war resulted to slowing of major development in the period of industrialization. Major countries recruited individuals from their colonies to help in fighting alongside them. Many people moved as a result of this. There was a massive economic loss in different countries. The war led made it difficult for the raw materials to be transferred to the industries. People could no longer work as a result of the escalation in tension and war. The aftermath of the global conflict led to the conviction of those who were implicated in the war crimes. The closing of the concentration camps dealt a big blow to those that practiced war, crime, and slavery. Analytical study of different literary materials on world war has helped gain insight on the viability of the outbreak of the Second World War. Information from historical articles shows that the war had its positive attributes. The war led to the formation of the institutions that and humanitarian organizations mandated to protect human life. Formation of the United Nations organization has changed the way people react to conflicts (Joni and Damon 31). The organization has extended its aid to those affected by effects of natural disasters. The world war created a platform for countries to reconsider their defense technologies and their defense systems. The United States is a country that has advanced its studies in producing weapons with maximum precision for the target. The possibility of occurrence of another world war is minimal due to the uncertainty in the weapon systems possessed by other countries. Different countries are growing their military strength. Fear of reprisal from other countries has forced countries to advance their military defense systems. Different nations discussed the factors that led to the outbreak of the third world war, with the major world powers taking most of the seats in the United Nations. The world war was started at an era in which the German, under the leadership of Hitler, was being more aggressive against its neighbors and other countries. The defeat of the German created a platform for different countries to access the superpower state. The Interviewee James Williamson was born in Nashville Tennessee at time when different events in history were changing the political structure of the world. Mr. Williamson grew up at a time when segregation was rampant in the United States of America. He grew up observing the initiation of the American civil rights movements, led by martin Luther king junior. His parents died when he had just turned twelve. He and his younger brother had to with his brother in Chicago. Illinois. his new neighborhood had a big number of African Americans. Williamson was born in 1932, and he traces his family lineage from Cuba. At the onset of the world war two, Williamson was only thirteen years old. Though his knowledge for the world politics at that time was limited to the American politics, he always was a keen listener, and he followed different events in the history of the world war. He read newspapers as a way of being updated on the different events that were taking place at that time. He recalls the events of the 1945. It started as a year in which the world war had escalated in different parts of the world. This interview was conducted at the school compound on 4th of Dec 2014. Mr. Williamson was in the company of his younger son whose name is Michael Braun. The interview session began at 9.10 in the morning and ended at 11.00. We took the shortest time possible to complete the interview owing to the limited time that Mr. Williamson had. Questions 1. Kindly tell me a brief history of the events that led to the start of the Second World War. 2. Tell me what you feel about the position of the United States in the war. 3. .Who was the president of the United States and how did his ideologies and policies helped in influencing the outcome of the war? 4. What was the opinion of most Americans on the war? 5. Do you think there was any benefit of the war to the United States? According to Williamson, different events occurred in Europe and Asia before a major war was fought in a fiery battle that led to the massive loss of life and properties. He had read an article in the newspaper about a certain country in Europe that was invaded by the Russians and Germans. He asserts that Hitler was always on the media for aggressive attacks on different countries. At one point, he recalls, the media reported an incident in which Germans hijacked a ship that was ferrying cargo top the United States. He recalls United States providing military support to the Chinese. He also recalls President Harry Truman ordering his troops to join forces in fighting the German under Hitler. Williamson concurred with the position of the United States of joining the war. There was too much media report on Hitler, who was considered a villain in different countries. Media reports at that time also showed that Hitler had ordered the killing of thousands of Jews in his country. The United States saw Hitler as a threat to the world peace. With the help of the Russians, the Hitler government was defeated. Images of the corpse of Hitler circulated in different Medias in the world. He feels that the America used the war as a way of protecting its allies. The American policies and doctrines have always been centered on protecting its interests and the interests of its allies in different parts of the world. This statement concurs with the results of my findings. US advanced military support to the Chinese as a mechanism that was aimed at defeating the Japanese. Most Americans supported the government decision to fight in the war as a way of protecting its territories. They knew that this would help in protecting interests of the United States. Mr. Williamson has impressive knowledge on the events that took place just before, during and after the world war. Much of what he knows about the onset of the world war and its consequences concurs with the findings acquired from library books. As much as he is informed on world war two events, Williamson has a problem in recalling dates of events and names of some countries that were involved in the war. Williamson feels that the war had played a big role in changing the influence of the United States in the world politics. The United States showed its military strength during the Second World War. Apart from being the world’s economic powerhouse, United States has played a role in advancing best technological efforts to the human race. The war, he feels helped his country gain ground and establish itself as the world’s military powerhouse. Williamson is happy to have had a chance of sharing his view about the important events in history. He is thankful for the changes that have been made to international institutions that promote peace. Mr. Williamson has impressive knowledge on the events that took place just before, during and after the world war. Much of what he knows about the onset of the world war and its consequences concurs with the findings acquired from library books. Works Cited Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken. London: Fourth Estate, 2011. Print. Joni, Saj-nicole A, and Damon Beyer. The Right Fight: How Great Leaders Use Healthy Conflict to Drive Performance, Innovation, and Value. New York: Harper Business, 2010. Internet resource. Mitter, Rana. Forgotten Ally: Chinas World War Ii, 1937-1945. , 2013. Internet resource. Transcribed Interview a. Kindly tell me a brief history of the events that led to the start of the Second World War b. The global conflict of 1945 was a precipitation of different historical events. Different countries were fighting each other in Asia and Europe. The Chinese in Asia were suffering from offensive from the Japanese. Russia and Germany invaded a country in Europe. Hitler was always on the headline of newspaper and televisions. The Germans were increasingly growing into a threat for the United States and its allied forces. a. Tell me what you feel about the position of the United States in the war. b. I am a citizen of the unite states and I believe that its interests abroad are meant to protect the interest of every citizen of this country. United States must do this at all cost. Hitler had caused more harm and pain to the human race and news about his death was welcomed by a number of people that thought he was a villain. Very many Jews had lost their lives in his hands. I would say that Hitler was a monster. The picture of his body was circulated in the media. Many people were about his death. a. .Who was the president of the United States and how did his ideologies and policies helped in influencing the outcome of the war? b. Harry Truman was the president of the country when the Second World War started. His policies, as I said above, was directed towards achieving maximum support for the friends of the United States. a. What was the opinion of most Americans on the war? b. Though most American weren’t willing to be in with anyone, the atrocities committed by Hitler attracted support for the war. a. Do you think there was any benefit of the war to the United States? b. Exactly. America has fought many battles both within and abroad. The US has learnt a lot from its previous battles. The war has strengthened our military systems and equipments. we are advancing our weapon systems and at the same time we have considerably reduced threat from our enemies. American has gained the superpower status as a result of its military capability. Read More