Mr. Shelnutt’s World War II blog

Questions 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?

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)

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

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.