Effect of WWII and Pearl Harbor on the US

Effect of WWII and Pearl Harbor on the US In David Halberstam’s book, The Powers that Be, he states the following quote about World War II and Edward R. Murrow: â€Å"WWII was special and he was special.† World War II was special because it established the United States of America as one of the world’s superpowers, while the events at Pearl Harbor provided an example of how isolationism and detachment can lead to ignorance and subsequently, vulnerability. Murrow was also special, as he united the nation by detailing his experiences in the war front and setting forth a shift towards public transparency and enlightenment. The significance of the World War II and Murrow was their inspiration to achieve a level of awareness of foreign affairs in order to avoid a repeat of the events at Pearl Harbor and the wars influence on the rise of the United States. The hope for the United States to not get involved with World War II was never a realistic option. The conflict between the Axis Powers (Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, and Fascist Italy) and the Allied Powers (Great Britain and France) were as much ideological as it was territorial. While the ultimate goals of each of the Axis Powers were different, they agreed on the desire to expand and to stop capitalism and democracy. When the United States signed the Lend-Lease bill in 1941, this brought more motivation for the Axis Powers to attack the United States. Later that year, Imperial Japan conducted a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, leading to the United States’ entry into World War II and ending American Isolationism. Not only was the idea of isolationism foolish, but it left the United States unprepared and unwary of an attack by Imperial Japan. The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor highlighted the importance of maintaining a strong military whether or not the United States were in war. The significance of the attack on Pearl Harbor is not the attack itself but that it was such a shock and that we were unprepared for it. â€Å"The Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor decisively shattered the illusion of invulnerability that Americans had enjoyed ever since the end of the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 9). Two lessons military strategists took from this experience was that â€Å"the nation’s military power must never again be allowed to atrophy† and that â€Å"technology and air power had so contracted the globe that America’s vaunted two-ocean barrier no longer afforded sufficient protection from external assault.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, pages 9-10). This episode of World War II not only drew the United States into the war but al so serves as a reminder of how past impartiality and ignorance left the United States vulnerable. While World War II left all the other participating countries devastated financially, territorially and militarily, the United States emerged relatively unscathed and actually stronger. â€Å"Of the major wartime combatants, only the United States emerged from the war stronger than when it began. The United States was the most powerful nation in the world.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 1). The total war nature of the war had brought together the people and citizens of the United States for the sole goal of victory. There was no separation between men, women, and children. Preparation of war helped boost the economy and eventually lead us out of the Great Depression. â€Å"The nation’s gross domestic product doubled between 1941 and 1945, bestowing the wonders of a highly productive, full-employment economy on a citizenry that had become accustomed to the deprivations imposed by a decade-long depression.† (Chafe et al, A History of our Time, page 8-9) . World War II had caused a breakdown of the European Empires and had established the United States as one of the new superpowers of the world. During World War II, a reporter by the name of Edward R. Murrow was broadcasting his first-hand experiences to the people of the United States. Unprecedented in broadcast journalism, Murrow put him and his team on the front line and in the action of the war. When Murrow caught wind that Adolf Hitler was going to Vienna to proclaim Anschluss with Austria, he flew to Vienna personally to cover the reaction of the people of Vienna in a March 13th 1938 broadcast. Murrow was also right there in the action during the dangerous times, such as the London Blitz. â€Å"I’m standing on a rooftop looking out over London For reason of national as well as personal security, I’m unable to tell you the exact location from which I’m speaking. Off to my left†¦ I can see just the faint red angry snap of antiaircraft bursts against the steel-blue sky†¦ Now you’ll hear two bursts a little nearer in a moment. There they are! That hard, stony sound.† (Murrow | M atusow, The Evening Stars, page 53). Murrow’s innovative broadcasts allowed the people of the United States to become aware of what was going on in the war, such as the London Blitz in the United Kingdoms, while America continued to exercise isolationism. Murrow’s ability to captivate the attention of and unify the American people stems from his mastery with words and his keen eye for talent. Murrow prepared his scripts by dictating them, as opposed to writing them, which made listeners feel like he was having a conversation and not just reading something. The details in his reports were stunning and provided listeners with strong visual images. â€Å"He had a flair for those small details that make a scene come alive; once he illustrated the eerie silence between air raids by putting his microphone next a pierced can of peaches, catching the sound of the syrup falling drop by drop.† (Matusow, The Evening Stars, page 52). Murrow connected to the American people by talking about the people they can relate to, the little people. â€Å"But I found that one bombed house looks pretty much like another bombed house. It’s about the people I’d like to talk, the little people who live in those little houses, who ha ve uniforms and get no decorations for bravery.† (Murrow, August 18th 1940). In addition to his prowess as a reporter, Murrow was also an excellent scout who surrounded himself with a strong staff. â€Å"Besides his gifts as a writer, reporter, and dramatist, Murrow was a superb judge of talent in others†¦ He looked for university graduates with a good, solid, print background. He didn’t care much what his recruits sounded like; they had to be able to think, and they had to be able to write.† (Matusow, The Evening Stars, page 53). Through his reporting, the people of America were able to become aware of the events of World War II despite the United States’ initial lack of participation. Murrow understood that the role of the press was to raise the level of awareness in the United States. He believed that news broadcasting was supposed to inform, not to just entertain. â€Å"This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise its nothing but wires and lights in a box. There is a great and perhaps decisive battle to be fought against ignorance, intolerance and indifference. This weapon of television could be useful.† (Murrow, RTNDA Speech, 1985). Murrow was special because he knew the importance of being well informed and he made sure to do that throughout his career as a reporter. World War II and Edward R. Murrow were significant because they helped contribute to the rise of the United States while highlighting the need for awareness of foreign affairs. While the United States ended up benefiting the most and losing the least from the war, the surprise attack by Imperial Japan on Pearl Harbor is still disturbing. American insistence on isolationism should not have left the United States so vulnerable to the surprise military strike. However, this event will go on to remind us never to allow ourselves be that ignorant again and to always be aware of foreign affairs. Murrow’s role in reporting also inspired America to be more aware of foreign affairs. His ability to captivate his American audience and articulate the details of the war front allowed the people of the United States to know what was going on in the war and how brutal it was. Had it not been for Murrow’s radio reporting, the United States may have not understood how important it was f or the United States to enter the war and put an end to Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany and continue to exercise isolationism despite the attack on Pearl Harbor. Through World War II and Murrow, the United States not only established itself as a world’s superpower, but also provided the blueprint to maintaining this power.