Hello I didn't realise that more people had died and got injured in World War 2, than in the First World War, I dont know why I thought that, it must have been the type of warfair that threw me. Anyway that leads me nicely to the question I have, World War one is refered to as "The Great War" sometimes, has the second World War got a title like that? thanks Adam
WW1 was known as the 'Great War'- the war to end all wars, as we know WW2 came along and the rest is history but I have never heard it called anything other than WW2.
The Russian call it Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́, The Great Patriotic War. To be precise they use that term only for the war between Nazi Germany & it's allies against the USSR.
The Russian call it Вели́кая Оте́чественная война́, The Great Patriotic War. I was thinking solely from Britains point Of view Doh! But now you mention it I guess given the larger scope of WW2 it makes sense that other contries would have other names for it and the scope and advance in technology explain the larger death toll, not to mention the effect the camps had on that death toll.
'The Second Great War' was used on a set of books, if nowhere else. I imagine First/Second World War became the norm because no-one could really decide whether the second one was greater or not-so-great as the first. There was a discussion somewhere about First/Second World War versus World War One/Two. IIRC the consensus seemed to be that the former was more British, the latter more American (probably thinking of the film franchise).
Idler - I always thought that it was called the 1939/45 conflict until the US joined in and in their quest for analysis, have to number everything - the next one will be WW3 - and the one after that WW4 - according to Albert Einstein - will be fought with sticks and stones - full circle - David's sling ? He had a point there ! Cheers
In his memoirs, Churchill tells how towards the end of the war, he discussed with President Roosevelt what to call the war. “I said at once ‘The Unnecessary War.’ There never was a war more easy to stop than that which has just wrecked what was left of the world from the previous struggle.”. I think that in the end, they officially decided that it should be called the Second World War. The First World War was obviously only called that following the Second World War. It was mainly referred to as the Great War or the World War. In the Republic of Ireland, which stayed neutral, I believe the war was officially known as The Emergency.
Just another thought. Some historians contend that the first world war was not 1914-1918, but the Napoleonic Wars.
Hello I didn't realise that more people had died and got injured in World War 2, than in the First World War, I dont know why I thought that, it must have been the type of warfair that threw me. Anyway that leads me nicely to the question I have, World War one is refered to as "The Great War" sometimes, has the second World War got a title like that? thanks Adam Quite simple really................... We always referred to it as "The bloody war !!!!!" Ron
I agree with Ron how many songs and stories carry the immortal lines "When this Bloody War is over" I have read in Vietnam war books the title Willy Willy 2 in reference to WW2 so it maybe that different people have their own names for it
Goebbels at a Nazi meeting, screamed// do you want total war? to the frenzied Nazis in the hall, to be greeted with tumulus's YA YA.. and a host of Nazi salutes. Trouble was, we then bombed Dresden.... They have been moaning ever since. Forgetting the raids where the term Coventrated was brought into being. Sapper
This isn't definitive of course, but at least from the USA's point of view: Retiring War Secretary Stimson and Navy Secretary Forrestal wrote a joint letter to President Truman, recalling that President Woodrow Wilson had personally chosen "the World War" as World War I's official name. To Harry Truman they recommended "as a matter of simplicity and to insure uniform terminology" the term "World War II." The phrase had been used, they said, "in at least seven public laws [and] has been accepted by common usage." Last week their letter, stamped "Approved" by President Truman, duly appeared in the official Federal Register, henceforth will set usage on all Government documents in the Archives." "TIME (as far as it knows) was the first publication to make regular use of the phrase, "World War II." TIME began so designating the war in September 1939, when the Associated Press, the New York Times and others were insistently and hopefully referring to it as the war in Europe." From: The Press: World War II - TIME Here is the exact issue, and article. Since the magazine Time began calling the conflict which would become World War II, just that shortly after the first German bombs fell on Polish territory. "World War II began last week at 5:20 a. m. (Polish time) Friday, September 1, when a German bombing plane dropped a projectile on Puck, fishing village and air base in the armpit of the Hel Peninsula. At 5:45 a. m. the German training ship Schleswig-Holstein lying off Danzig fired what was believed to be the first shell: a direct hit on the Polish underground ammunition dump at Westerplatte. It was a grey day, with gentle rain." See: World War: Grey Friday - TIME And: [United States, Department of State, Bulletin (Government Printing Office, Washington, 1945), XIII, 427-428.] 10 September 1945 The President The White House Dear Mr. President: President Wilson, under date of July 31, 1919, addressed a letter to Secretary of War Baker which read, in part, as follows: "It is hard to find a satisfactory 'official' name for the war but the best, I think, that has been suggested is 'The World War,' and I hope that your judgment will concur." Subsequently, under date of October 7, 1919, War Department General Orders No. 115 directed: "The war against the Central Powers of Europe, in which the United States has taken part, will hereafter be designated in all official communications and publications as 'The World War.'" As a matter of simplicity and to insure uniform terminology, it is recommended that "World War II" be the officially designated name for the present war covering all theaters and the entire period of hostilities. The term "World War II" has been used in at least seven public laws to designate this period of hostilities. Analysis of publications and radio programs indicates that this term has been accepted by common usage. If this recommendation is approved it is further recommended that the title "World War II" be published in the Federal Register as the official name of the present war. [See 10 Federal Register 1188.] Respectfully yours, HENRY L. STIMSON, Secretary of War JAMES FORRESTAL, Secretary of the Navy. Approved: September 11, 1945 HARRY S. TRUMAN See: THE NAMING OF WORLD WAR II, SEPTEMBER 11, 1945
Hello Tmac Thats interesting that the Irish called it "The Emergency". They call the decades of killing in Ireland "The Troubles" they like a understatement then.
