Do you know any myths about World War II?
War is one of the most tragic things that can happen on our country’s territory. It kills thousands of people, it leaves families feeling down and in grief, it brings couples apart, it costs incredible amounts of money, and it leaves the country looking completely terrible.
There were a lot of wars in the history of our planet, but the most devastating ones happened between 1914 and 1918 and between 1939 and 1945. These two periods were absolutely atrocious for our country, and not just us. Both World Wars were calamitous, but the good thing is that they’re in the past.
Of course, uncertain periods of time like these can easily trigger a lot of fake news and myths that are meant to make people feel better. There are many myths about WWII, but we are here to debunk them and tell the truth. Let’s take a look.
36 Responses
Don’t forget the problems in South Africa that was basis of movie “Power of One” that included the native population of South Africa! And the atrocities endured by those people!
Some I knew and true. Some just your version of truth and your opinion.
Japanese did capture part of the Aleutian Islands (part of Alaska) as well.
The fact that Japan remained undeterred after the Tokyo bombings was a major factor in why we decided to to try and “bluff” our way into bringing them to their knees with the atomic bombs. We implied we had many more bombs that we would continue to drop on Japan should they continue to fight. We did allow them time to surrender after dropping the first atomic bomb but they remained defiant. Only after the second bomb did they realize further resistance would only bring more destruction to the country. What they didn’t know was that we only had one other bomb ready for use should they refuse to surrender. Of course, we could have and would have made more bombs but it would have prolonged the war while we produced them.
The Soviet Union only declared war because they saw it in their best interest to do so prior to Japan surrendering to the Americans.
One of the “Facts” i would dispute:
Japanese military (especially the army)were still planning to fight to the end. In fact a faction of army personnel attempted to force the emperor to denounce surrender after he announced it. The semi secret peace negotiations had failed because Japan insisted on keeping occupied territory including Korea and parts of Manchuria and China. The A-bomb option was actually the least destructive to Japan of all the available options. These other options included continued fire bombing, invasion, blockade each of which would have taken many months and literally millions of Japanese lives. Russia had begun positioning invasion troops near Manchuria before the bombs and had the bombs not been dropped they were already planning to invade several other Japanese strongholds which would have been very bloody.
Number 4 is really really flaky. About Americans collecting skulls. Easily proven or disproven and you did neither!
The draft was lot different in the 2nd world war , everyone got drafted not by numbers, there was unfair deferrments I think. I remember it my dad was drafted and went he even had 5 kids but still went.
There is always some who do stupid things on all sides. History tells you how cruel war is, and if you have been there you know, some just commit more than others.
History is fascinating but you have to look for all the reasons things happen. Even the counties who were nuetral was involved some how. This year I did not hear Pearl Harbor even mentioned on Dec. 7, this is terrible to forget it.
I agree!
America did rescue the day. It was our “arsenal of democracy” that provided the war materiel to the Russians and the Brits, among others, that carried the day. Our factories and shipyards were churning out the weaponry that defeated Nazi Germany and Japan. Read up on the convoys that went to Murmansk before writing about “myths.”
Yep. We supplied Russia with half their transport vehicles in 1942/43.
I grew up in Dunkirk, New York and remember when German prisoners of war were housed in some of the buildings at the county fairground. Every day I saw prisoners (most of whom seemed to be quite young) being bussed to work for the farmers in the area. Many of our young men who normally worked in the fields were in the United States army.
I remember my dad and uncles stating that the German prisoners were allowed to enter first and buy items from the PX before Black troops could go in. By the time the Blacks troops were allowed in most of the good items were gone.
I knew that the Soviet Union had played a major part in the Second World War having lost over 20 million people more than all the Allied put together and the Germans and the Italian and Japanese the single largest loser of people what the Soviet Union which we never mentioned I always say if it hadn’t been for the Soviet Union we would have lost the second world war to Nazi Germany and when you say 80% of their casualties were on the Eastern Front that is proof in itself if those 80 were fighting us we would have never been in Normandy for more than a day
As far as the draft numbers go, my Dad wanted to enlist but wasn’t allowed to because he didn’t “qualify” . But he qualified for being drafted. Go figure.
John Wayne was deferred during the Second World War because he was married & had 4 kids.
(not a myth)
It is a shame. But America has been built on lies .This never changes! a lot American have died for endless wars. JUst like Biden is doing now. Ukran is another endless war burning through tax payer money. We need another hero to help us. But I guess they are all dead! Nothing but fools left.
Very enlightening article. If not for American industry the war would have been lost. No one else
had the capability to produce such mass numbers of weapons.
I got 15 out of 15 correçt
I have been a student of military history since I visited Gettysburg for the battle’s centennial in 1963. The one thing I have learned is true for every war is that the people are nothing but pawns for the handful of evil people in search of ever greater power. The old saying “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely” couldn’t be more true. Our Founders in the USA had the right idea with a system of checks and balances to prevent any one person or party from gaining too much power, however, decades of corruption in Washington DC have pretty much negated that
Unfortunately, the Allies were also guilty of war crimes. I had a good friend, now deceased, who was a member of the Waffen SS in WWII. He was a 16 year-old motorcycle dispatch rider and as nice a guy as you’d ever want to meet. I once asked him if he had ever witnessed any war crimes. He said “Yes, I saw Allied troops shoot surrendering soldiers on sight if they were wearing an SS uniform”. For that reason, when the end was near his CO told them all to head west and ditch their SS uniforms. He and a young buddy dumped their uniforms, medals, weapons, etc. in a lake in Austria and got some civilian clothes from a local resident. Many, however, were not so lucky.
As well as the Catholics, Protestants and anyone else who disagreed with Hitler’s policies.
Later in the war, those POWs brought to America were happy to be able to eat real nutritious foods. I was friends with two of those POWs here in Montana, who stayed and had families.
My grandma was a WAC pilot and my Navy dad served 25 years in WW2 and I found out after his death he was a Iwo Jima vet! Neither one ever spoke about it! I only know what was in the history class in school.
I know there were a lot who were volunteers in the 2nd world war and I knew a lot who was drafted(my dad for one) . The draft had about been done away with in Viet Nam they were using a number system. The draft was a good thing more found out things are not free.
OK, a few moments ago I left a reply stating that I anticipated that the info on this website was going to be questionable but I have now explored the myths and I apologize. And I respect the info I found because I agree with these “Incredible Facts Few People Know!”
Biden in a prime example of interfering in other countries. Trying to fight Russia, China, Taiwan,. It is like the Military is trying its best for more useless wasteful war. They should concentrate on our borders stop the invasion there.! If they want war make it at border?
Playing Santa clause to other nations with huge amours of money. While American suffer. Giving money to other nations to protect their borders while our border is being over run. Why is he so horrible! to America?
While cozying up to China. What is he doing? His entire staff is a joke with no competence. Only qualities necessary .gay brown or black, he she or it. must act bizarre and dumb when ever ask an important serious questions. Must lie at all times with straight face . Never tell America the truth.
Uhhh… It was George Bush, a Republican, who sent troops to Afghanistan; twenty-two freakin’ years ago!
I think this is most likely, the real truth no doubt there! As with all war, they want to hide the real truth. make America hero is the only way to make America except wasteful war.
It is awful to learn the real truth. but this is a fact. Propaganda get America in to so much trouble. WE never ask the right questions. We are a nation of sleepwalking sheep. Look at our leaders. This tells all.
So many lives loss and nations turn to dust. We need to stay out of third world countries. We have our own problems! Start with (MIcheal Jackson song?!) Man in the mirror ? That work here.
Another B.S. answer was that the Atomic Bombs were not the straw that broke the camel’s back. Read some actual reports from the conversation the Japanese Emperor had with the government staff, especially the pro-war Army Officers. He broke tradition by inserting himself into the discussion and letting them know that he did not want to see any more such devastation on the Japanese people and homeland. The Russians were locked on the Asian continent.
I call 8 and 9 oversimplified. Neither the atomic bombs nor the Russian invasion didn’t end the war alone. Submarine warfare coupled with aviation directed against Japanese shipping and the mining of inland waterways by B-29’s crippled Japan’s economy. The Soviets soundly thrashed the Japanese in 1939, just prior to the joint German/Soviet invasion of Poland. Never forget that Imperial Japan bled itself against the Japanese–and losing the war in China coupled with economic sanctions imposed by the USA made Japan’s Southern Strategy very attractive–and initially very successful. As for America saving the day, in this global war it took all hands. Funny–the USSR almost sank itself by interference in American shifting from peacetime to wartime. This interference delayed the opening of the Second Front (Normandy landings) by a year. The election of 1940 featured interference by the nations of France, Italy, China, Germany, Russia, and most effectively the British Empire. At the time, the USSR was allied with Germany and without that alliance there is a good chance that Germany would not have invaded Poland in 1939 because of the danger of a two-front war breaking out. Then there was the pact between Japan and Russia–that pact made Pearl Harbor possible because Japan was mired in China and having to fight Russia as well would have been too much. No, all hands were needed–and Stalin caused some of Russia’s problems. Stalin also saved the USSR with his horrificly inhuman industrialization programs that killed almost as many Russians before World War Two as the Germans did–I’m omitting the casualties in the Russian Civil War between the world wars. Stalin was Russia’s worst enemy and her savior at the same time–the real world is complicated.
Et Al
TRUMP WAS DISQUALIFIED FOR ‘HEEL SPURS’!! Hummmmmmm!!