World War II by David M. Kennedy

The art of survival is something that is not easily learned. For some, however, it is something that comes from a natural desire to be defiant and rebellious. In the novel Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, protagonist Louie Zamperini fights for survival through a number of trials that are presented to him. His life takes him from being a troubled child, to an Olympic runner, to a bomber lost at sea, to POW in some of the worst camps Japan could conjure. Louie not only survives these trials, he stands up and goes directly against the normality and ease of submission and faces his adversity head on. Throughout the novel, Louie shows that his ability to survive stems from his natural urge to rebel and defy anything that he deems too controlling in his life.

Decisions for War, 1914-1917 by Richard Hamilton and Holger Herwig investigates the origins of the First World War detailing individual country’s reasons for entering the war. Historians at War by Anthony Adamthwaite explores how scholars have understood the origins of the Second World War throughout varying times and differing national view points. Both works share a common theme of determinism; a retrospective notion placed on historical events by historians that Europe was inescapably predestined to go to war and that nothing nor anyone could inhibit that. Both remark that this popular approach does a disservice into the explanation of war as it does not accurately depict the economic and social agency present in Europe at the time. In

Kennedy’s views on freedom are very similar to Roosevelt’s. Kennedy states, “Only few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility-I welcome it” (25). This quote shows how JFK wanted people to fight for their own freedom, just like FDR wanted. Kennedy also stated that he welcomes the act of defending freedom, similar to Roosevelt’s promised support towards those who take on the same responsibility. In contrast, the historical context of this speech is something that separates itself from Roosevelt’s speech. The background section of this document reads, “The United States was locked in a potentially explosive stalemate with the then Soviet Union and its allies.” FDR’s speech was spoken during the second world wars, setting itself apart from JFK’s time of conflict. While they are both harsh wars, Kennedy’s speech takes place during a war with a single enemy. However, the purpose of JFK’s speech is an aspect similar to FDR’s speech. Both Kennedy and Roosevelt had the intention of getting people to join the war effort. Both presidents wanted people to fight for their freedom. The purposes of both speeches mirror each other in the sense that they are calls to

“If I truly believe the war is wrong, is it then also wrong to go off and kill people? If I do that, what will happen to my soul?” (pg 60). Tim O 'Brien is an American man who was drafted into the Vietnam War. O 'Brien is not a violent man and struggles because he believes that the war is wrong. He debates whether or not he should go to war or move to Canada to avoid the draft. Tim O 'Brien decides to join the army. O 'Brien uses his personal experiences as a foot soldier in the Vietnam War to convey his possible bias perspective that the Vietnam War was a waste of people 's lives and a shameful venture for the United States.

World War II World War II was a pivotal event of the 20th century and a defining

The excerpt The Ending the War: The Push for National Reconciliation by David Blight, edited by Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs, Edward Blum and Jon Gjerde, in Major Problems in American History: Documents and Essays (Wadsworth, Cengage Leaning 2012) Blight argues historical memory that holds more importance than that of the Civil War. Like the Revolution, the memory of the Civil War played a role after the conflict. The concurrent issues in American society after the Civil War and against legislation to increase not decrease the racial problem in the South. Newly freed African Americans struggling to assimilate to society and be accepted as equal citizens in the reconstruction of the Union. This excerpt is rhetorically effective with statements on

On page 49 the setting is just outside of Holling’s house. The weather during November was like it alway had been, with a sky so gray and damp, “November ... The day turned gray and damp, and hovering mist licked everything” (Schmidt 49). Also, the rain continued on and on without the slightest of breaks, “The perfect white cement sidewalk in front of the Perfect House was always wet” (Schmidt 49). Not only, the gray sky’s carried away what used to be the azaleas bright blossom,”The azaleas lost the remnants of their white and pink blossoms, and then many of theirs leaves ... half naked and embarrassed” (Schmidt 49).

To the United States, World War II is believed to be a good war, and why wouldn’t it be considered as such? During World War II, in addition to stopping mass genocide and stopping the spread of Nazism and Fascism, the United States beat Japan after their attack on Pearl Harbor. As a result, the U.S. was no longer in the Depression and the United States became a world power. However, in “The Best War Ever,” Michael C.C. Adams argues that as a result of Hollywood’s glamorization of the war, government propaganda/censorship, and the widespread of economic prosperity, Americans were kept in the dark about the truth regarding World War II resulting in the popular belief and myth that World War II was a good war.

Ever since the beginning of time, there has been conflict and conflict will always play a role in the development of history. The world has experienced hundreds of wars with countless casualties, these wars date back to the 10th Century and forward to the present. The United States of America is no stranger to war having participated in over 100 wars either it being a small war or a world war. Michael C. C. Adams “The Best War Ever” gives a rational explanation on the events that led the U.S to become the powerhouse country after sacrificing so much for the war, or did they? In this paper we will support the argument made in Adams “The Best War Ever” Chapter four, appropriately titled “The American War Machine”, other primary sources used will be such as Harry S. Truman first speech to congress in April 1945 and General George S. Patton’s praise speech to the Third Army. The argument being that the U.S did in fact play an impacting role in the outcome of World War 2 but how it also used appearances as an advantage to further develop itself as an international force, just like the tale from the Trojan War, the Trojan horse was all about appearances but with a precise objective.

Lee at that point moved his troops northwards and split his men, sending Jackson to meet Pope's powers close Manassas, while Lee himself moved independently with the second 50% of the armed force. On August 29, Union troops drove by John Pope struck Jackson's strengths in the Second Clash of Bull Run (Second Manassas). The following day, Lee hit the Government left flank with a monstrous strike, driving Pope's men back towards Washington. On the foot sole areas of his triumph at Manassas, Lee started the primary Confederate intrusion of the North. Notwithstanding opposing requests from Lincoln and Halleck, McClellan could redesign his armed force and strike at Lee on September 14 in Maryland, driving the Confederates back to a guarded

Over 150 years, the Civil War had been the bloodiest war in the American history, also known as “The War Between the States” or “Brother Against Brother”, it was fought between the Union or the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. The war lasted four years from 1861 to 1865. What motivated these men to fight and what is the cause of the Civil War is a subject that many historians tried to find out.

Richard Overy’s book “Why the Allies Won” is a great read for those who are intrigued by World War II alternate histories. Overy gives unique insights on the large scaled picture regarding how the war went throughout each of his chapters. The book identifies that the resulting Allied victory was not inevitable, and then it points out the factors that contributed to making the Allied victory possible.

World War II was a very important event in American history, but as bad as war is or seems to be there always seems to have better outcomes in the end. By the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and bringing America into the war it opened the eyes of all Americans to the problems not only domestically but internationally and the biggest problem that was discovered after the completion of World War II was the level of social equality around the world. It had been a problem that had plagued the world for many years but the atrocities that brought about by the war coupled with the ever growing eye of the media caused for greater concern in the light of social equality in the world.

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman is a classic work of military science fiction depicting a war between the human race and an unfamiliar alien entity known as the Taurans. The overall plot line follows a fairly typical path, but Haldeman’s real genius is realized through the interactions that take place between the protagonist, William Mandella, and the Earth he returns to between military operations. Developing beneath the ever-present war of the two species lies a much subtler conflict between generations of human thought and culture. Brought about by the way troops are transported in space, time dilation creates an interesting dichotomy between the early soldiers of the war and the rapid evolution of human society and culture remaining on Earth. The Forever War questions the stability of human nature by creating a scenario where its fluidity is exposed through an invariable link to time. The expression of human nature changes as cultural and personal identities adapt to new situations; viewing these changes through Mandella, we begin to see how different expressions of human nature can impact human nature itself.

Throughout this book Kennedy 's goal is to prove to the reader that not one of the previously mentioned topic were enough to win the war but together they won the war. He would take each topic and reserve one chapter each, he would then discuss the beginning when Germany had the advantage. He would then present the problem that it caused the Allied Powers and how they were able to overcome that to defeat the Germans. The big point of reference that he uses is the Casablanca Conference in January 1943 that Kennedy uses as somewhat of a turning point as the beginning of the Allies matching of German power and its eventual surpassing. He does talk about what led up to the conference and what happened after but is mostly rapped up by the middle of 1944 as by that point the