This dissertation examines the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Japan’s ambitious attempt to create a new order in East Asia. Most studies on Japan’s new order focus on either the imperial center (Japan) or the periphery (individual East or Southeast Asian nations). This dissertation, however, brings together both. It discusses the Japanese effort to envision a postwar world, and at the same time shows how Japan’s new order was mobilized and co-opted by nationalist leaders in the Philippines and Burma. By focusing on dynamic imperial networks rather than simple models of unidirectional diffusion, this dissertation seeks to paint a more nuanced picture of World War II in the Asia-Pacific. Simple dichotomies fail to capture the complicated nature of the Co-Prosperity Sphere. The Co-Prosperity Sphere was neither a mere euphemism for Japanese imperialism and wartime actions, nor a sincere project aimed at the liberation of Asia. Instead, the Sphere is better understood as a process or contest of beliefs, one that could not be controlled by any single group or invading force. This process took shape as an effort to envision a postwar world while in the midst of war. Elites in Tokyo dreamed of a postwar Japan-led international order. Elites in Burma and the Philippines, on the other hand, remained focused on their domestic orders, and viewed independence as of paramount importance. This study highlights the evolution and contested nature of Japan’s new order, and shows how multiple parties—both in Japan and across Asia—impacted the shape the wartime empire would take. Moreover, my dissertation makes an important contribution to the history of empire and decolonization by unpacking the significance of the Japanese interregnum in Southeast Asia. It demonstrates that decolonization in Southeast Asia was more than an unintended consequence of World War II. Whether through extended participation in government, state building measures, or the creation of new governmental institutions, Southeast Asian leaders made conscious use of the Japanese empire to prepare for postwar independence. / History

This work seeks both to modify and challenge the prevailing view of an ideologically-driven Army intent on realizing Hitler's racist goals in the Soviet Union. One way of measuring the ideological commitment of the Army's soldiers is through an examination of the divisional level. Each of the three divisions under examination was recruited from a geographically and culturally distinct area, allowing the soldiers of the 121st, 123rd and 126th Infantry Divisions to recreate the sense of community unique to their home region: East Prussia, Berlin and Rhineland-Westphalia, respectively. The differences between social classes, traditional political allegiances and confessions found in these regions was thus transferred to these divisions and these distinctions allow for a more precise investigation of what types of men were more or less likely to subscribe to the German war of annihilation in the Soviet Union. Unlike much of the literature which examines the ideological nature of the war and the military conflict separately, this study looks at combat and occupation in tandem. Through the use of official military records, ranging from the Army down to the regimental level, as well as previously unused diaries and letters written by the men of these three divisions, a complex and varied picture of the German Army's activities and motivations arises. Firstly, while ideological concerns certainly played a role in determining the actions of these divisions, other more tangible problems, such as food and clothing shortages and numerical weakness, were more important issues in determining the Army's frequent savage interactions with civilians. Second, instead of the war serving to increasingly radicalize the behavior of the troops, the German Army began to significantly modify its conduct in hopes of winning the cooperation of Soviet civilians in late 1942 and 1943 before reverting to Scorched Earth policy in 1944. Internal mechanisms within the Army led to these changes in behavior: when a conciliatory policy was viewed as necessary to win the war, it was implemented; when the Army believed unadulterated violence was the means to victory, radical policies were carried out its forces. / text

This research investigated the national interests of art education in public schools during the period surrounding the Second World War (1941–1946). Art education materials written for students and teachers during these years were examined in this study and provide a look at classroom projects and educational teachings supportive of the war effort. This perspective of promoting nationalism is based on a review of printed art education journals, curriculum guides, and books related to the subject of educational themes in public schools during World War II. These published materials presented a practical way for educators, and in this research, art educators, to build a sense of nationalism throughout the country and for teachers and students to support the war effort from their classrooms. / text

In the late 1970's Japanese Americans began organizing to demand redress from the United States government in both symbolic and material form; they asked for an apology and reparations. In 1981 a Congressional commission, the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), was formed to investigate Japanese American Internment and give recommendations to Congress for further actions. The Commission held public hearings in Los Angeles, California and 9 other cities across the United States. More than 150 individuals gave testimony at the Los Angeles hearings alone. Many were Japanese Americans who had never spoken publicly about their experiences. On March 8, 2011, I performed a solo performance entitled What We Could Carry that wove together text and historical narratives from the archives of the Los Angeles redress hearings with auto-ethnographic interpretations of Japanese American memory. This written thesis is a reflection on the methods, theories, and implications of my performance. I locate my performance as scholarship within performance studies and place my work in conversation with other scholars such as Joseph Roach. In Chapter One I argue that Roach’s concept of surrogation can be extended to include embodied witnessing as a constitutive role in performing collective memory. In Chapter Two I document and analyze my research and creative processes as an embodied experience. Lastly, in Chapter Three I consider both successes and failures of my solo performance. / text

The object of the dissertation covers World War II refugee in Lithuania, their coming, staying and leaving Lithuania in 1939 – 1940. The first chapter of dissertation discusses similarities and differences of terms foreigner and refugee according to domestic legislation. Furthermore, the peculiarities of foreigners in pre war Lithuania and World War II refugees are analyzed and the features of refugee integration are depicted. The following aspects have been under discussion as well: the circumstances of war refugee legislation, the situation of Lithuanian legislation according to international conventions. The second chapter analyses the life of Polish internees in Lithuania. Organizational work of establishing internee camps, the changes of camps’ network and its liquidation are discussed there. Separate subchapters analyze the subordination of internee soldiers to army units, the everyday life of internees in camps as well as internees repatriation to the territories occupied by Soviet Union and Germany. The third chapter concentrates on the civil refugees. The first subchapter analyses the aspects of refugee administration in Lithuania by Lithuanian Red Cross and Commissariat for refugee affairs. The absolute majority of refugees in Lithuania were Jewish and Polish. Due to that, the third chapter is divided into subchapters by refugees’ nationalities. Subchapters analyzing Polish refugees present the status of Polish refugees and newcomers in Lithuania and the aspects of... [to full text] / Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėlių patekimo ir buvimo Lietuvoje istorija dar nėra sulaukusi išsamių ir detalių tyrimų. Šiandien tyrinėtojams prieinama istoriografija tik epizodiškai aprašo Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėlių buvimo Lietuvoje raidą, jų santykius su Lietuvos administracija, vietos gyventojais. Disertacijos tyrimo objektas: Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėliai Lietuvoje, jų patekimo, buvimo ir išvykimo iš Lietuvos Respublikos 1939–1940 m. raida. Pirmoji darbo dalis skirta pristatyti svetimšalių ir karo pabėgėlių sąvokų panašumams ir skirtumams remiantis Lietuvos teisiniais aktais aptarti. Antroji dalis skirta internuotiesiems Lenkijos kariams. Joje aptariama Lenkijos karių internavimas, internuotųjų stovyklų steigimas, stovyklų tinklo kaita bei jų likvidavimas. Atskiruose skyriuose nagrinėta internuotų karių gyvenimo stovyklose kasdienybė, karių repatriacija į Sovietų Sąjungos ir Vokietijos užimtas teritorijas bei internuotųjų karių perėmimas iš sovietų pusės 1940 m. vasarą. Trečioji disertacijos dalis skirta civiliams karo pabėgėliams. Parodomi pabėgėlių administravimo aspektai remiantis Komisariato karo atbėgėlių reikalams tvarkyti ir Lietuvos Raudonojo Kryžiaus veikla. Kadangi absoliučią pabėgėlių daugumą sudarė lenkų ir žydų tautybių pabėgėliai buvo aptarta kiekviena tautinė grupė atskirai bei Lietuvos pilietybės suteikimo problematika. Stengtasi parodyti lenkų pabėgėlių bei Vilniaus krašto gyventojų „ateivių“ teisinį statusą Lietuvos Respublikoje. Bandyta... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėlių patekimo ir buvimo Lietuvoje istorija dar nėra sulaukusi išsamių ir detalių tyrimų. Šiandien tyrinėtojams prieinama istoriografija tik epizodiškai aprašo Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėlių buvimo Lietuvoje raidą, jų santykius su Lietuvos administracija, vietos gyventojais. Disertacijos tyrimo objektas: Antrojo pasaulinio karo pabėgėliai Lietuvoje, jų patekimo, buvimo ir išvykimo iš Lietuvos Respublikos 1939–1940 m. raida. Pirmoji darbo dalis skirta pristatyti svetimšalių ir karo pabėgėlių sąvokų panašumams ir skirtumams remiantis Lietuvos teisiniais aktais aptarti. Antroji dalis skirta internuotiesiems Lenkijos kariams. Joje aptariama Lenkijos karių internavimas, internuotųjų stovyklų steigimas, stovyklų tinklo kaita bei jų likvidavimas. Atskiruose skyriuose nagrinėta internuotų karių gyvenimo stovyklose kasdienybė, karių repatriacija į Sovietų Sąjungos ir Vokietijos užimtas teritorijas bei internuotųjų karių perėmimas iš sovietų pusės 1940 m. vasarą. Trečioji disertacijos dalis skirta civiliams karo pabėgėliams. Parodomi pabėgėlių administravimo aspektai remiantis Komisariato karo atbėgėlių reikalams tvarkyti ir Lietuvos Raudonojo Kryžiaus veikla. Kadangi absoliučią pabėgėlių daugumą sudarė lenkų ir žydų tautybių pabėgėliai buvo aptarta kiekviena tautinė grupė atskirai bei Lietuvos pilietybės suteikimo problematika. Stengtasi parodyti lenkų pabėgėlių bei Vilniaus krašto gyventojų „ateivių“ teisinį statusą Lietuvos Respublikoje. Bandyta... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The object of the dissertation covers World War II refugee in Lithuania, their coming, staying and leaving Lithuania in 1939 – 1940. The first chapter of dissertation discusses similarities and differences of terms foreigner and refugee according to domestic legislation. Furthermore, the peculiarities of foreigners in pre war Lithuania and World War II refugees are analyzed and the features of refugee integration are depicted. The following aspects have been under discussion as well: the circumstances of war refugee legislation, the situation of Lithuanian legislation according to international conventions. The second chapter analyses the life of Polish internees in Lithuania. Organizational work of establishing internee camps, the changes of camps’ network and its liquidation are discussed there. Separate subchapters analyze the subordination of internee soldiers to army units, the everyday life of internees in camps as well as internees repatriation to the territories occupied by Soviet Union and Germany. The third chapter concentrates on the civil refugees. The first subchapter analyses the aspects of refugee administration in Lithuania by Lithuanian Red Cross and Commissariat for refugee affairs. The absolute majority of refugees in Lithuania were Jewish and Polish. Due to that, the third chapter is divided into subchapters by refugees’ nationalities. Subchapters analyzing Polish refugees present the status of Polish refugees and newcomers in Lithuania and the aspects of... [to full text]

The Marines of Montford Point are largely absent from the World War II narrative, and relatively unknown to individuals in the military services and to the public at large. After 144 years of official policy against allowing blacks to serve their country as U.S. Marines, on June 1, 1942, the nation's first black Marines broke the color barrier, gaining entry into a military organization that today carries with it tremendous symbolic and mythic significance in America. Moreover, serving in harm's way to defend a prejudiced nation, black Marines demonstrated bravery and endurance in the face of institutionalized racism. This thesis examines the southern Jim Crow experiences of selected northern African American Marines, focusing on the ways in which these men responded to the discrimination they encountered in the South. It also explores the reasons why these men joined the most racist branch of the military and what knowledge they had of Executive Order 8802 and the Navy Department's May 20, 1942, press release, announcing the Marine Corps's plans for recruiting blacks. Furthermore, it examines the various ways in which all African American Marines coped with Jim Crow laws, and explores the realities that black and white American society created about black Marines and their wartime service. It also discusses how northern and southern black Marines engaged and interacted within a strict segregationist military organization, particularly in how the Marine Corps manipulated the Selective Service in order to protect what senior officers considered to be its elitist image. The comparison to the U.S. Army's framework of task organization and combat employment of black soldiers reveals that the Army made greater strides toward racial justice and equality by allowing blacks to serve as commissioned officers, albeit in segregated units; whereas the Marine Corps instituted no comparable reform. After the war began, the Marines could have commissioned African Americans by following the models of all-black units such as the 93rd Infantry Division and the Tuskegee Airmen. In sum, initial racial opinions shifted differently in each military service during the war; and for black Marines, it officially marked a new tradition of military service.

This thesis will compare and contrast how different genres tell the stories of Japanese American experiences during World War II. In the 1980s and 1990s the emergence of different genres such as memoirs, historical fiction, and documentaries, inspired a fresh approach to portraying history. Using the traditional historical monograph as a foil, this thesis will analyze how these newer genres can deepen our understanding of historic events and peoples on a personal, psychological, and emotional level. Topics of medium, authorship, affect, influence, and authenticity are commonly discussed in the comparisons of these genres. Each chapter will focus on one genre and analyze two works. Chapter 1 on memoirs examines Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and Nisei Memories by Paul Howard Takemoto. Chapter 2 on historical fiction will compare David Guterson’s narrative fiction novel Snow Falling on Cedars and Alan Parker’s narrative film Come See the Paradise. Chapter 3 on documentaries will discuss Ken Burns’ The War and Steven Okazaki’s Unfinished Business. Ultimately, while each work and each genre is unique, the significant commonality among them is their ability to expose the intimate and emotional aspects of historical experiences. This, in turn, prompts our engagement and emotional connection to the portrayed stories, which heightens our understanding of history in a more holistic way.

In addition to the lonely battles fought by Bomber Command crews in the night skies over Germany from February 1942 to May 1945 there was an equally intense if much less bloody struggle in the halls of power between the Air Staff and the AOC Bomber Command, concerning the best employment of the strategic bomber forces. The argument of this study is that the Royal Air Force s contribution to the strategic air offensive was badly mismanaged: that Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Harris, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Bomber Command, from 22 February 1942 to the end of the war, by ignoring, or often over-riding the Air Staff, affected not only the course but also the duration of the Second World War. Most histories of the bomber war provide the result of the disagreements between the Chief of the Air Staff, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Charles Portal and Harris, but rarely are the problems discussed in detail. This thesis examines the arguments that were raised by the various authorities, together with the refutations presented not only by the major participants, but also by the advisers to those authorities. The significant feature of the disagreements was that while Harris acted unilaterally, the Air Staff reached consensus decisions. Unfortunately, the decisions reached by the Air Staff on major issues were all too frequently either ignored or subverted by the AOC Bomber Command. One significant feature of the refutations presented to Harris was their dependence on the operational experience gained earlier in the bomber war by junior members of the Air Staff. For too long the direction of the war had been left in the hands of senior officers whose previous service had become irrelevant to war requirements in the 1940s. By 1942, comparatively junior officers were thus tendering advice to senior officers who, in the case of AOC Bomber Command, resented the authority which, Harris argued, had apparently been accorded these juniors. Harris was unable to accept that they were advisers and were never in a position to issue orders: orders could only come from Portal. Finally, this thesis provides an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the major participants and argues that, had the war been conducted as the Air Staff required, victory would have been achieved earlier than May 1945.

Public health officials and social reformers grew concerned over the prevalence of gonorrhea and syphilis following World War I. The initiatives put in place by authorities to control the spread of venereal disease lacked any concern for women’s health and sought to control their newly found independence and mobility. This thesis examines public health policies related to venereal disease control from 1920-1945 and how these regulations affected women in the United States. Laws and social reform measures such as pre-marital blood tests, the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Act, and the use of quarantining prostitutes during World War I and World War II were passed by government officials to ensure the future of America as a fit fighting force of men, placing women’s health concerns last in its race for domination. Women essentially were marked as the diseased dangers to America’s health.