World War II is still one of the most famous conflicts in human history. Millions of lives were lost. Many of the countries involved in the conflict are still allied with those they joined sides with during the war.
But why are so many people still interested in World War II? Learning about the war is for more than just the importance of the topics listed above. It’s also about the ways the war brought about many significant cultural changes that are still influential today. For instance, World War II vehicles such as tanks and armored cars took center stage on the battlegrounds.
Political figures like Hitler and Stalin seem too evil to be real, and people are still discovering new angles on their atrocities. We’ll cover these items and more to figure out why the war is such a topic of discussion in casual conversation about history.
#1 – Many New Vehicles Were Used
World War II fascinates car enthusiasts because the battles featured many modern vehicles used today. Tanks in particular were the featured vehicles on land. The Germans were able to make headway on their opposition until the Soviets started using a specific kind of tank called the T-34.
The T-34 tank was the signature vehicle of the Allied powers’ victory on the ground. Hitler was frustrated by the effectiveness of the tank and once stated he wouldn’t have invaded Russia when he did if he had knowledge of the weapon.
Even though T-34s were used to destroy people’s lives, historians and other commentators on the war are fascinated by the engineering aspect of the vehicles. There was a lot of research and intelligence put into designing weapons like these tanks. There is an appreciation for the skills used to craft tanks and other armored vehicles.
Tanks and armored vehicles like the ones in this war are still used in war today. Their speed and agility make them effective all these years later, and engineers are still indebted to these vehicles when designing the ones used today.
Ironically, the World War II general-purpose military transport vehicle — the “GP” for short — has transformed into the Jeep, one of the most popular vehicles for recreation, including one of its most popular models, the Jeep Wrangler.
#2 – World Leaders Fascinate People
Even though world leaders are all human beings, their actions often seem like something out of fiction. People like Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, and Joseph Stalin made decisions during World War II that impacted the world forever.
Hitler is considered the epitome of evil by many. He is responsible for millions of deaths through his invasions of Poland and other European countries during the war. He is also infamously responsible for the genocide of Jewish people during the Holocaust.
Stalin became notable for many horrible acts, the most fascinating being his ability to wipe people he opposed out of photos like they never even existed. This is a forebearer of photoshopping in modern times, as well as the discussion on what is considered “fake news.”
These atrocities are important to people in the modern day because they make us think about what could motivate someone to make these types of decisions. The Holocaust was an event based on hate and bigotry toward specific demographics, something that still happens today.
It’s important to figure out why people have such evil in their hearts so we can prevent these crimes from ever happening again. War should not be romanticized, but the population needs to continue to research these evil people. It will be a good learning lesson to not allow these types to ever gain power again.
#3 – It Spurred Huge Population Growth
The world was in a bad place domestically during the war. Families were separated. Men went to war and women had to help out back home by obtaining supplies and working in jobs that helped the efforts abroad. This means there weren’t many people having babies during World War II.
The aftermath of the war saw a huge economic recovery and with it one of the biggest baby booms in modern history. The population growth in America after the war is why people born in the 1950s and early 1960s are called “baby boomers.”
These people are now in their 60s and 70s, and their lives are still directly tied to the World War II era. Their parents may have stories about how their families were impacted by the war, meaning the events are a relevant part of their family histories.
#4 – Movies About World War II Are Box Office Hits
Due to the nature of the war, Hollywood has dramatized those stories to make dozens of award-winning films. Tom Hanks’ Saving Private Ryan and Brad Pitt’s Inglorious Basterds are great examples of movies that were very successful and based on events from World War II.
When we go to the theater and watch fictionalized versions of these war-time happenings, it makes us more interested in learning about the real thing. While movies take dramatic liberties so they don’t always provide the true story, they can be a great inspiration for people to seek education about history.
#5 – It Influences Many Modern Political Conflicts
The World War II fallout directly influenced who was in charge of the globe politically in the decades that followed. The U.S. and the Soviet Union went into a prolonged non-violent conflict, the Cold War, after World War II. These countries had all the power because of the Allied victory in the war.
Topics like communism, capitalism, freedom, and the space race are all directly tied to the events of World War II. Some of these things are still relevant today in our current political world.
Russia and the U.S. have never been on good terms again since the war, and this can be thought of as an effect of their fighting for global supremacy since the 1940s.
There is no one specific reason why people are still fascinated by World War II. What we do know is that it is an event that will never be forgotten. It is the biggest conflict in modern history, and it is still affecting many people’s lives today.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site, BuyAutoInsurance.com. He wants to make sure that people understand the ways that vehicles have affected history, such as during World War II.
