Like most, I don't like war and find civilian casualties harder to reconcile than combatant losses. That said, I try to keep some perspective when some challenge decisions made in WWII with civilian casualties being a primary consideration.
None of us have lived through a war total war like WWII. I think some of our perspective is skewed (from a U.S. perspective) because of the nature of Korea, Vietnam, and our Middle East escapades. Unless you knew somebody that was deployed, life at home essentially went on as normal.
During the height of the Iraq War, the U.S. spent 6% of GDP on the military. During WWII it was well over 40%. People were encouraged to plant victory gardens, women went to work in factories, there was food rationing, and certain materials were strictly controlled for use in military production. Nobody was left unaffected, and the U.S. wasn't even in a war zone. Those that were in a war zone suffered from starvation and severe limitations on housing.
16.1 million served on active duty for the U.S. during WWII. This was 12% of the population. An equivalent mobilization would require an increase from the $1.4M at the height of the Iraq war to 38 million (3 million served at the height of Vietnam). This is the population of California, or the 20 least populated states. That's hard for me to get my head around.
Sadly, consideration for civilians is different in total war than what we tolerate today. It's nasty business. Everything considered, I likely would have dropped them.
None of us have lived through a war total war like WWII. I think some of our perspective is skewed (from a U.S. perspective) because of the nature of Korea, Vietnam, and our Middle East escapades. Unless you knew somebody that was deployed, life at home essentially went on as normal.
During the height of the Iraq War, the U.S. spent 6% of GDP on the military. During WWII it was well over 40%. People were encouraged to plant victory gardens, women went to work in factories, there was food rationing, and certain materials were strictly controlled for use in military production. Nobody was left unaffected, and the U.S. wasn't even in a war zone. Those that were in a war zone suffered from starvation and severe limitations on housing.
16.1 million served on active duty for the U.S. during WWII. This was 12% of the population. An equivalent mobilization would require an increase from the $1.4M at the height of the Iraq war to 38 million (3 million served at the height of Vietnam). This is the population of California, or the 20 least populated states. That's hard for me to get my head around.
Sadly, consideration for civilians is different in total war than what we tolerate today. It's nasty business. Everything considered, I likely would have dropped them.
