World War II: Total WarWHII.12a

Main IdeaWorld War II was a “total war,” meaning that everyone – not just the soldiers on the battlefield – played a key role in the outcome of the war. Unfortunately, the idea of total war also meant that large numbers of civilians became the victims of the fighting.

Total War PicturesExplain how each of these pictures illustrates the concept of “total war.”

Draft registration card U.S. War Production Board Rationing poster

Victory Garden poster “Buy war bonds” poster “Rosie the Riveter”

London “Blitz” poster Nazi secret police poster Stalin’s “scorched earth” policy

“Strategic” bombing of factories Holocaust concentration camps

Atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki