Flashback Friday Reads: War, Politics and Coping

Italian Gas Mask ca 1930s

Gas masks were a way of life for office workers, medical personnel, and anyone that could get their hands on one during the many wars between axis and allied powers across the globe; for example, during World War II when gas agents were still being used indiscriminately by a number of involved countries.

Fierce campaigns brought strong resistance in every Nazi German-occupied country "by a variety of means, including non-cooperation, disinformation and propaganda, guerrilla warfare and recapturing of towns." Many of the resistance fighters involved in the German-Soviet War of WWII (aka Operation Barbarossa) would become well-known Soviet Partisans, instrumental along with allies in the war effort that consumed lives and resources from over 30 countries overall.

Participants waged war with "the entirety of their economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities". Any distinctions between military and civilian resources were practically suspended. The deadliest conflict in human history, WWII took 15 - 85 million lives, most of them civilian bystanders and partisans.

On this day in 1942, the first detachment of the Women's Army Corps (WACS) began basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. About a year later, in July of '43, they were converted to active duty in order to serve the various non-combatant duties of the time, such as clerical and other administrative support.


REF:

1. On-This-Day.com
2. World War II Database ww2db.com
3. U.S. Army Center of Military History history.army.mil/brochures/WAC/WAC.HTM 
4. Wikipedia

*1939 - 1945, approximately 3/4 century and 2-3 generations ago

War - if it were easily stopped, wouldn't it?