The post-World War II war crimes tribunals and subsequent establishment of international human rights law provide topics for understanding the war in its global context. Examining such concepts as justice while considering the ramifications of mass media and the law can provide new insight for students who grew up in a world of 24-hour news channels. Lessons about the origins of human rights law, as rooted in the international events of World War II, provide perspective on current foreign relations.
Although students often learn about soldiers on the front, they hear less about what happened at home during the war, particularly outside the United States. Studying the lives of German, French and Japanese citizens reveals the commonalities that humans shared during war time and give global context to the war. This lesson idea is an opportunity for students to learn about experiences of women, children and the elderly, as well as their contributions to the war effort.
Within the military and governmental realms of war-torn Europe, some fought against the machinations of destruction and many paid with their lives. In Nazi-occupied countries, incredible histories survive about collusion and opposition. Lessons about the ethics of war and genocide raise questions such as what makes people kill? What is discrimination and how does it manifest itself politically? How did people resist and why? Studying the ethical implications of war and genocide encourages discussion about universal issues such as ethics and moral action.
Just as the name Hitler is synonymous with World War II, so are such names as Stalin, Mussolini, Churchill and Roosevelt. Each leader is inextricably linked to his nation and its policies during the war. Studying these rulers is a way to understand the different political processes at work in each country, the underlying principals that guided their actions, and their contributions to positive and negative aspects of the war. This lesson idea is historical, but also timely. Students can apply the same critiques to modern-day rulers.