LIFE1936-1948

Four years before Pearl Harbor and one week before the beginning of the Rape Of Nanking in which approximately 200,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered by Japanese soldiers, the Dec. 6, 1937, LIFE features Japan’s conquest of China. It begins with an overview of the Emperor, Hirohito. The article lavishes praise on the quality of the Japanese soldiers and depicts them marching, picking up Chinese women and relaxing while one of the soldiers acts as a clown. The men leading the conquest of Asia are pictured and described as “capable, cultivated, sane gentlemen.” Hirohiro, who came to power in 1926, calls his reign the “Era of Radiant Peace.” It is surprising that this LIFE article treated the Japanese conquests in such a benign, uncritical fashion. It would soon change it’s tune as Japan’s true ambitions revealed themselves. Curiously, the swastika flags in the rear of the third picture denote a Buddhist first-aid organization.

The Hitler Youth was an organization created upon Hitler’s assumption of power in 1933 and grew to 8 million boys by 1939. It’s purpose was to indoctrinate boys about the superiority of Germany and the Aryan race, and Germany’s need for living space. It also served to develop absolute devotion to Adolph Hitler and to harden boys to become future soldiers. In the late 1930’s it became compulsory for boys age 10 and older to join. By 1943 Germany began enlisting boys ages 12 and above into active duty. This article from Oct. 8, 1945, says that “those who were the equivalent of American high school seniors were taken into the army and the two classes below them were taken into the antiaircraft defenses.”  Thousands of these boys became prisoners in the last months of the war and reeducation camps, the “Baby Lager” as the inmates called it, were set up to teach them democracy and standard high school courses that they had missed when schooling stopped in 1943. At this camp near Compiegne in France the teachers were non-Nazi prisoners. The aim was to let the enemy work out it’s own reeducation as much as possible. The boys went to school three days a week and worked three days a week. The bugler, instead of playing taps, played Brahm’s Lullaby.

America is preparing to celebrate it’s first peacetime Christmas in five years. The Dec. 10, 1945, cover story proclaims that women can once again dress up for the holiday season. Several ads depict sheer rapture as servicemen retrun home. The Community Silverplate ad says:

“Today’s the day the stars sing, the sun rides high. Today a wordless glory fills the air.

Today…this day…this prayed and planned for day…this day the man of your heart comes home for keeps.”

Sixteen million Americans answered the call to the colors in WWll and they too dreamed of returning home. For most it was a major readjustment period. “Nervous out of the service” was a common expression. Some wives only knew the youthful soldier they had married before or during the war. Many women gained a new independence working during the war and didn’t want to give it up. Battle fatigue, disabilities, nightmares and other difficulties took their toll. But on “this day”, Dec. 10, 1945, most of the boys were home again and America expressed it’s joy and pride for a job well done.