Feed on
Posts
Comments

Battle of Lenningrad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQisasW1d3Q 

What was the fundamental miscalculation of Hitler and his General Staff in planning the 3 pronged invasion of the Soviet Union planned for a single summer campaign in 1941?  What was General von Rundstedt for the Summer of 1941?

Civilian Casualties

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/statistics.htm 

Answer the following using the attached link. 

1.  Which country suffered the greatest number of military deaths in WWII?

2.  Which country suffered the greatest number of civilian deaths in WWII?

3.  Which country suffered the highest percentage loss of its prewar population?

4.  What was the total loss of US military deaths in WWII?

5.  What was the estimated civilian loss of Japan in WWII?

6.  What conclusions do you draw from these numbers in terms of the impact of the war on the part of the Germans and the Russians?


Read the very brief article attached to this link entitled “A Transatlantic Crossing”. This story does not seem very historically important on its surface, so why was it recorded for posterity?

Eastern Front turmoil

19450326_fleeing_danzig_c.jpg19450326_fleeing_danzig_c.jpg19450326_fleeing_danzig_c.jpgQuestions to consider posed by Mr. Denham 

1) Why did Hitler hate Stalin so much (and why was the feeling returned)?

2) Is it possible for there to be Divine Intervention in the hell of war?

3) Why is this photo Mr. Denham’s favorite?

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/Cs70bEGan5M" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]This video was clearly made for propoganda purposes as the title of the series “Why we Fight”, clearly implies.  Discuss the imagery that struck you in the film.  I am looking for concrete examples.  Why do you think the film maker chose to use these images? 

How does this poem reflect on the relationship between the dissolution of civil liberties and the German civilian complacency or complicity that accompanied Hitler’s rise to power? 
They came first for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

–Pastor Martin Niemoller (Dachau concentration camp survivor)

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/3ITTDPP9TkY" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

One of the projects for this course will be to tell the wider story behind a war related photograph of your choosing.   

World War II Museum

I recently visited the World War II Museum in New Orleans. It was a very pleasant suprise to discover that this museum was not only modern and comprehensive, but comparable to the quality of top museums of its kind in the United States, including the Smithsonian Museum.

The level of scholarship and historical accuracy was evident from the moment one enters the museum. A large three story gallery contains not replicas but actual military hardware including a C-47 transport plane suspended from the ceiling. The Sherman tank and  landing craft are captioned with descriptions not only about their value, but with stories of human interest.  Human interest stories are in fact the hallmark of the museum as evidenced by the presence of aged WWII veterans stationed throughout in seating areas that encourage the visitor to sit and hear their stories.

The multimedia experience of the museum incorporates the latest computer technology, interactive media, and historical sets that rival a hollywood backlot in realism. The highlights of these sets include a replication of the interior view from a German pillbox looking out on the Normandy beaches and a crashed glider in a hedgerow complete with the distant sounds of  artillery and the more immediate sounds of crickets and loneliness.

The museum is a must see for historians and buffs alike as it succeeds on many levels. New Orleans favorite historical son Stephen Ambrose has done his city proud in creating a public museum that places it on the map of must see attractions in a city already steeped in history.