Germany, known as Nazi Germany and the Third Reich during the period from 1933 to 1945, was one of the key players of the Axis Powers during the World War II. Under the control of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, Germany was drastically converted into a fascist totalitarian state, a system in which the government holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. After Hitler was appointed as the Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 he used his newfound dictatorship to lead Germany as the major aggressor of World War II, making increasingly aggressive territorial demands through its developed military and naval strategies, conquering most of Europe by 1940, violating numerous treaties created after World War I, and even going as far to break the Nonaggression Pact the nation made with Russia. While persecution and racism prevailed within its borders, Germany continued to stomp forward and fiercely spread its power until overrun by the Allies in 1945.
I chose the song “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. I felt that the lyrics were very representative of Germany’s aggressive stance during World War II, the nation refusing to “back down” and “standing” its “ground” as it continuously strived to spread its borders into other territories. The words also portray the Nazi Germany’s mindset of the “master race” at the time, in which the Germans saw their Aryan heritage as an ideal and superior race.
“Hey baby there ain’t no easy way out
Hey I will stand my ground
But I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down.”
2. The Holocaust
The Holocaust was created as part of Adolf Hitler’s final plan to eradicate all the people that he did not want in his “master race.” Plastered by antisemitism and discrimination, the Germans carried out the brutal genocide of Jews, Polish, Russians, gypsies, homosexuals, POWS, and other minority groups in Germany. The persecution and mass murder were carried out in stages with the confinement of these innocent individuals into overcrowded ghettos before being transported to extermination camps where most were systematically killed. Approximately six million Jewish people, two-thirds of the total Jewish population living in Europe, were massacred during this horrifying period in history.
I believe that “Civil War” by Guns N’ Roses successfully captures the pain of the persecuted people during the Holocaust and their unheard shouts towards Nazi Germany. The lyrics seem to represent a message towards the racism and discrimination that prevailed throughout the Germany at the time, demanding the Nazi Germans and Adolf Hitler to “Look at the hate we’re breeding,” to “Look at the fear we’re feeding”, and to “Look at your young men dying.” Indeed, the song overall seems to send out an accusing tone to all the injustices and murders that occurred at the time and demand an end to such brutality.
“For the love of God and our human rights
And all these things are swept aside
By bloody hands time can’t deny
And are washed away by your genocide.”
I chose Demi Lovato’s “Can’t Back Down” to represent the United States’ state as the nation was on the brink of war. The lyrics state, “We can’t pretend it’s not happening in our own backyard. We’ve been called out.” Indeed, after being attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor, remaining neutral and out of the war was no longer the solution for the Americans. The overall spirit of the song presents the attitude of many who were in support of the war, claiming that the nation could not “back down” in “a situation that we can’t ignore.”
4. Rosie the Riveter
Rosie the Riveter was a fictional character and cultural icon featured in a propaganda campaign created by the U.S. government during World War II. The character represented the American women during a time of national hardship, motivating these newly working women through several themes of patriotic duty, high earnings, glamor of work, similarities to housework, and spousal pride. Through depicting the symbol of feminism and women’s growing economic responsibility to aid the nation time of war to take over the workplace, the campaign was able to draw several young and old women all over the nation to take the jobs once held by their husbands to manufacture war supplies and organize the home front to help the US forces with great success.
I’ve chosen the song “Run the World” by Beyonce to represent Rosie the Riveter and the overall attitude towards the growing influence of women during World War II. It was indeed a time when women could take charge of home front in the US to support the war, and also gain substantial respect and acceptance from the once male-dominated society (“Disrespect us not they won’t,”). The song, like the purpose of Rosie the Riveter in numerous posters and campaigns, successfully motivates young girls to step up and display their vital influence both in the home front and in the war.
5. Japan
Joining the Axis Powers on September 27, 1940 hand-in-hand with Germany and Italy, Japan undeniably held hopeful goals of becoming one of the leading countries of the world through the expansion of its territory. With determination of becoming the “dominant Pacific power”, Japan accomplished many notable series of military victories, such as the defeats of Guam and Wake Island. Its well-trained soldiers and advanced technology and weaponry allowed Japan to successfully move into much of the Southwest Pacific and East Asia, eventually making its way to trigger the United States’ entrance into World War II through its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The Battle of Midway in June, 1942, however, marked the turning point for Japan, and slowly lost control over territory in the Pacific until receiving the final, decisive blow of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by US forces in August, 1945.
I’ve chosen Mike Doughty’s song, “Rising Up” to represent Japan during World War II. Doughty repeatedly sings that he will “keep on rising up”, which symbolizes the Japanese determination to rise up as one of the most powerful nations in the world through its expansion of territory and strength of its military. The focus of the Japanese to gain more land and power allowed the country several victories, truly allowing the nation to “rise up” as a powerful player during the war.
6. Japanese Internment
The Japanese American internment was ordered by the US government with President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s authorization of Executive Order 9066 in 1942, shortly after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. The major project consisted of relocating over 110,000 people of Japanese heritage in the West coast of the United States into “war relocation camps”. The US government initiated the internment of these civilians because they did not want to take any risks on the confidentiality and safety of the US military, as well as the protection of US citizens. At the brink of war, many were concerned how the biggest population of Japanese Americans living in LA were in areas close to military bases, oil reserves, ports, and other vital strategical points of the US army. Thus, they found that it was it would be best to evacuate these people into areas that would not threaten the safety of US during the war. A factor of underlying racism also contributed to the overall unjust decision of rounding up these innocent aliens and evacuating them into low-quality relocation centers. For example, the Italian Americans and German Americans in the East Coast were not as discriminated as the Japanese Americans were, raising questions on whether or not the distinctive Asian physical features of the Japanese contributed to the US government’s unfortunate overall prejudice.
Linkin Park’s “Pushing Me Away” successfully characterizes the internment of Japanese-Americans in the US during World War II. Thousands of innocent Japanese immigrants living in the West coast had to be forced to leave their homes and livelihoods into packed camps, “pushed away” unrighteously for the mere reason of being Japanese, and thus being a “threat” to the safety of the US. I believe that the song successfully captures the anger and frustration many of the Japanese-American civilians and other critics had toward the government’s decision.
7. Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a confidential US government research project during 1942 to 1945 to produce the world’s first massively destructive atomic bombs. The secret project was led by physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer with the contribution of several European scientists, preparing defense for any Nazi Germany nuclear threat during World War II. Although the Manhattan Project was initially intended to protected to ensure safety for the US against potential attacks from German forces, two of its four atomic bombs were used against Japan in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945– a destructive, decisive blow that played a huge role in ending World War II.
I chose the song “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit to represent the Manhattan Project. The lyrics of the song focus on the confidentiality the project was carried out in, stating “...let this be our little secret, no one needs to know we’re feeling higher,”. A part of the song also states “I ascend and serve my feverish need within the confines of such chemistry,” making a connection of how the numerous physicists and scientists gathered to develop this complex weapon, the destructive atomic bombs that were the first to be used in the war later on.
8. Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On July 26, 1945, US president Harry S. Truman released the Potsdam Declaration, a statement that called for the total surrender of all Japanese armed forces during World War II. This ultimatum stated that, if Japan did not choose to surrender, the nation would face “prompt and utter destruction.” Japan, however, refused to listen to this major warning from the US. On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber flew over the city of Hiroshima and dropped the first atomic bomb, “Little Boy.” Three days later, the second atomic bomb, “Fat Man” was dropped on Nagasaki. These two massively destructive nuclear attacks led to a death toll as high as 250,000, number not only caused by the acute effects of the explosion, but the painful deaths from effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other horrifying injuries during the following months. Water sources and crops were contaminated, and radiation poisoning became prevalent all throughout. Harmless, innocent children and adults were brutally murdered in a war that should have remained between armed forces.
The song “Grey Victory” by 10,000 Maniacs represents the supportive attitudes of the dropping of the two atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The lyrics present the idea, a prevailing mindset of many Americans during the time, that these devastating bombings were indeed the righteous decisions of the US to truly bring World War II to an end. The singer sings, “Here we stand at the door to gold atomic age. Don’t spoil your face as with worry. Trust in, trust in, Earth bound kingdom come.” This idea is suggesting that the use of nuclear weapons on the Japanese was some sort of decisive salvation: an event– in which thousands of innocent lives were brutally murdered– that should be applauded and celebrated.
9. Russia (Soviet Union)
Soviet Union, initially wishing to remain in peace with German forces, signed the Nonaggression Pact with Hitler on 1939 to ensure that the two nations do not invade each other. The agreement was to prevent both countries from having to fight a “two-front war”, and Russia was also given parts of Poland and the Baltic States from Germany. Soon after, however, the agreement was violated by Germany after its attack into Soviet Union in 1941, only two years into the ten-year pact. With this break in alliance, Soviet Union shifted its side with the Allies to face Germany. Russia, with the help of its cold winters, was able to defend the city of Stalingrad during the Battle of Stalingrad, pushing Hitler’s forces back to Germany in victory. During the final days of World War II, Russia made an agreement with the US, France, and Great Britain to divide the defeated Germany into 4 sectors at the Yalta Conference.
Green Day’s “Know Your Enemy” perfectly depicts Russia’s stance at the time when Germany unexpectedly attacked, bluntly violating the Nonaggression Pact in which the two nations promised to not invade one another. Although they were once allied forces, the event made the Soviet Union shift sides to the Allies to fight against Germany and the other Axis Powers, finally “knowing the enemy.” The fast and strong beat of the song also represents the rage and determination of the Russians after the attack and during the prolonged warfare that followed.
10. D-Day (Operation Overlord)
Also referred to as Operation Overlord, D-Day was the planned invasion by Allied troops from Great Britain, US, and Canada on the German-held coast of Normandy in northwestern France on Jun 6th, 1944. The aim of the attack was to free France from Germany and hopefully quickly bring an end to World War II. After a huge sacrifice of an approximate 10,000 Allied force casualties and 9,000 German casualties, the Allies finally won German defenses and captured Paris, thus liberating France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. The defeat greatly weakened German forces and thus drew World War II closer to an end.
“Uprising” by Muse captures the arduous warfare between Germany and the Allies during Operation Overlord. The Allies’ success in freeing France and other nations came with a huge price of thousands of deaths. The overall feeling and lyrics of the song thus truly expresses the determined and brave attitudes of the soldiers to fight for victory.
“They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious.”
Bibliography:
http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/nazi-germany
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm
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http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/rosie-riveter.htm
http://www.history.co.uk/study-topics/history-of-ww2/nazi-germany
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2129.html
http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/d-day
http://history1900s.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/hiroshima.htm
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http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143
http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/rosie-riveter.htm
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