THE DECADE OF WAR (1940-1949)

1940s THE DECADE OF WAR

The 1940s can be considered "The Decade of War" because probably the most destructive events of the century happened in this decade. This includes WWII, the Holocaust, and the dropping of the atomic bombs.

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World War II (1939-1941)

During that time, young men from different countries were recruited to fight in the Second World War. The war was mainly between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers (The major countries that made up the Allied Powers were the United Kingdom, the United States of America, the Soviet Union, and China and the major countries that made up the Axis Powers were Germany, Japan, and Italy). The Allied Powers finally defeated the Axis Powers and they established the UN. An estimate of more than 62 million people lost their lives in World War II, including soldiers, civilians, and victims of the Holocaust.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WWII

http://www.filmworld.com.au/clips/archival/WWII%20Soldiers.jpg

The Holocaust

Even though the Holocaust started in the 1930s, it did most damage in the 1940s. The Holocaust is the name given to the government-led persecution and genocide of minority groups in Europe and North Africa, mainly the Jews. The event took place during World War II and was caused by Nazi Germany. The death toll of the Holocaust isn't accurate, but is approximately 11 million people (of that were 6 million Jews), including women and infants. Most victims of the Holocaust were tortured before getting killed. Extermination camps were built as a method for mass killings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holocaust

http://www.holocaust-history.org/hungarian-photos/jpg/12-1142.jpg




The Dropping of Atomic Bombs



On August 6, 1945, the "Little Man" nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima by the United States Army Air Forces. Three days later (August 9, 1945), the "Fat Man" nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. The estimation of death resulting from the bombs are very difficult to agree on, due to victims that may have died months or years after the bombings due to radiation exposure, exaggeration or minimization of the number of victims due to political pressures, and the inaccuracy records due to the confusion of the war that was going on. However, there is an estimate that by December 1945, there was a total of 214,000 deaths, mostly civilians.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombing_of_Nagasaki
http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2004/winter/images/atomic-bomb.jpg

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Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)



Adolf hitler may be considered one of the most influential people of the century. He was leader of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945, and he was the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, better known as the Nazi Party. His order for the invasion of Poland triggered the World War II in Europe, and his racial views resulted in the genocide of about 11 million people (see Holocaust).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_hitler
http://www.toysoldiers.com/products-soldiers/images/kingandcountry/lah44.jpg




Mahatma Ghandi (1864-1948)



Mahatma Ghandi fought for the independence of India from British rule. He was a highly respected spritual and political leader, also known as the Father of the Nation in India. Ghandi lived simply, practiced Hinduism, and achieved political changes through non-violence campaigns. His ideas influenced other people such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Aug San Suu Kyi. India became independent in 1947.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghandi




Winston Churchill (1874-1965)



Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was the Prime Mininster of the United Kingdom during World War II and also an accomplished writer. He won the 1953 Nobel Prize for Literature for his many books on history (most of them are more on military tactics and not on culture and society). Churchill played a distinctive role during the Second World War and created tighter bonds with the United States of America (especially when Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill



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ENIAC



ENIAC, short for Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, was the first computer that could solve a full range of computing problems. It's original purpose was to calculate artillery firing tables for the U.S. Army's Ballistics Research Laboratory. ENIAC was completed in 1946.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC




Microwave Oven



The microwave oven is now a popular and widely used kitchen appliance used to cook and heat food. Microwave for cooking food was discovered by Percy Spencer in 1945 while building magnetrons at Ratheon. While working, he noticed that the peanut candy bar he had with him started to melt. At first, the microwave wasn't widely popular because of its large size and high price, however, companies made the microwaves smaller and cheaper for domestic use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven



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Mt. Rushmore



Mount Rushmore National Memorial is near Keystone, Dakota. It is a 60 ft. high carving of four former US presidents --George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The project was orginally intended to increase tourism in the area, started in 1927 and finished in 1941. It attracts about 2 million people each year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Rushmore