IRB Media Summary of John W. Dower's War Without Mercy

Annotation

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 World War Two meant many things to many people. It meant death for many, technological innovation, bureaucratic expansion, and an extraordinary mobilization of human resources and ideological fervor for governments.#2 Racism played a significant role in World War Two, and it was not limited to the Nazis. The Western Allies, particularly the United States and United Kingdom, had many racist policies in place, and they supported these policies even while condemning Nazi racism.#3 The racism that existed in America during World War Two was also present abroad, especially in Asia, where the Allied struggle against Japan exposed the racist underpinnings of the European and American colonial structure.#4 The Japanese played on these sentiments, and the favorable response of many Asians to the initial Japanese victories against the Americans, British, and Dutch intensified Western presentiments of an all-out race war in Asia.