America’s World War II Mythology

The world acknowledges that America never stood taller than in World War II. However, World War II was actually the second chapter of the Great War (WWI). It reflects a unique moment in world history. It is a moment in history that is essentially “sequel” to a precursor event. Americans do not usually see the two wars as connected the way the rest of the world does, because other than Pearl Harbor there was very little action on American soil. World War II has colored American ideas about war, as it should. Unfortunately, Americans only seem to recall the glory and little of the grit that was essential to that story.

Drawing conclusions about war, especially the economics of war, based upon the sequel, which World War II was, without recognizing the prequel, World War I, leads to many misconceptions. This American disconnect with the Great War has led to some very real misconceptions about war. These misconceptions make it easier to goad the American public to military action. American conclusions about WWII are flawed by a lack of historical perspective.

Some powerful myths about war have grown in American culture due to the uniqueness of the WWII experience in the United States. These myths are so powerful that many Americans accept them as proven facts. These ideas borne out of World War II have been leveraged to create further dogma. The military-industrial…