Figure 1.--Poland was one of the countries most devetated by World War II. This Polish boy is begging in what looks like a small restaurant or some kind of shop. We are not sure what the scales were for, perhaps to weigh out food.

World War II indeed brought more horrors to children than any other modern war and the dimenwions of the War brought . The horrors inflicted on children virtually defy description. Children were affected not only by the staggerings dimensions of the War and the letality of weaponry, but by the tactics and strategies adopted by the combatatants. To this was added the racial and ethnic dimensions at the heart of the NAZI and Japanese war efforts and not absent from Soviet policies. Hitler slated whole populations for destruction. First and foremost were the Jews, but he also meant to sharply reduce the European Slavic population and convert those who survived into a slave labor force. This of course meant the children as well. Never since ancient times has so terrible a war plan put into motion and never by an industrial power. The idea was not to change people or their beliefs, but physical, biological destruction. Jewish children were the children most in jepordy because adults were useful for a whilre as slave labor. Slavic children were for the most part not subjected to industrialized killing like Jewish children, forced population transfers, closing of schools, seizures of property, round ups of civlians for forced labor, food shortahes, intra-ethnic clashes, patisan suppression campaigns, all affected childre, many of who were separated from their parents. The German occupied East became a vast killing field with large numbers of children left to fend for themselves. Some older children joined military units or partisan bands. The Germans were reduced to press youths and elderly mnen into combat as the Allies entered the Reich. The situation in the West was better for children, except Jewish children who were hunted relentlessy by the Gestapo and their local allies. The situation was worst in Greece and at the end if the War, the Dutch, which suffered a terrible famine caused by the Germans. An event worse famine occurred in Asia, especially Chuina, the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), and India (Bengal). Large numbers of children in Britain and Germany were evacuated because of the strategic bombing campaigns. The bombing focused on cities because this was where the industrial factories were located. And with large numbers of youths and men in the service, the remaining city populations were the ekderly, women, and children. And the impact continued after the War ended because many large numbers of children had lost their parents or were being raised by one parent. This often meant the mother, ilequiped to support a household.

Horrors

World War II indeed brought more horrors to children than any other modern war and the dimenwions of the War brought . The horrors inflicted on children virtually defy description. Children were affected not only by the staggerings dimensions of the War and the letality of weaponry, but by the tactics and strategies adopted by the combatatants. To this was added the racial and ethnic dimensions at the heart of the NAZI and Japanese war efforts and not absent from Soviet policies. Hitler slated whole populations for destruction. First and foremost were the Jews, but he also meant to sharply reduce the European Slavic population and convert those who survived into a slave labor force. This of course meant the children as well. Never since ancient times has so terrible a war plan put into motion and never by an industrial power. The idea was not to change people or their beliefs, but physical, biological destruction. Jewish children were the children most in jepordy because adults were useful for a whilre as slave labor. Slavic children were for the most part not subjected to industrialized killing like Jewish children, forced population transfers, closing of schools, seizures of property, round ups of civlians for forced labor, food shortahes, intra-ethnic clashes, patisan suppression campaigns, all affected childre, many of who were separated from their parents. The German occupied East became a vast killing field with large numbers of children left to fend for themselves. The situation in the West was better for children, except Jewish children who were hunted relentlessy by the Gestapo and their local allies. The situation was worst in Greece and at the end if the War, the Dutch, which suffered a terrible famine caused by the Germans. An event worse famine occurred in Asia, especially Chuina, the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), and India (Bengal).

Lebensborn

The German Lebensborn children was unique in World war II. The Germans and Japanes as well as the Soviets had programs which killed children. The Germans had prograns even before lunching the killing phase of the Holocausr designed to specifically kill children--the infamoss T-4 progrm. The Lebensborn program was unique. It ws Himmler's pet program first to increase the births of Aryan children with selected blood lines. Becaue it produced so few children given the casualties of the war Hitler launched, Himmler came up with the idea of kidnapping foreign children with blond hair and blue eyes. This was no small effort, tens of thousands of children were kidnappe, especially in Poland. The selection here was for favirable treatment, albeit with adoptive German parents. There was, however, danger involved. The kidnpping did not mean acceptance in the program. They children had to be certified by SS doctors. And the children who failed the examination were not returned to their prent. Himmer decided that the childen, even if nit certified had cpbilities that would be dangeous to let loose in subject peoples.

Participation

Childre and youth were also involved in military service, bth combat units, home guards, and labor battalions. Some older children joined military units or partisan bands. The Germans were reduced to press youths and elderly men into cobat as the Allies entered the Reich. Most countries used children and youth for labor to supportthe war effort.

Evacuations

Large numbers of children in Britain and Germany were evacuated because of the strategic bombing campaigns. The bombing focused on cities because this was where the industrial factories were located. And with large numbers of youths and men in the service, the remaining city populations were the elderly, women, and younger children.

Care

Displaced Children

World War II left large numbers of people homeless are far removed from their homeland. Millions of homes had been destroyed. Whole populations had been removed. The Soviets transported large numbers of people from the Baltic Republics to Siberia. Poles were moved west. Chechens and other peoles were also transported. The NAZIs of course targeted the Jews for death camps. Many Poles were transported from the areas of Poland incorporated into the Reich. The Germans brought millions to the Reich for slave labor labor. Many were young people without children, but some had children which were left behind. Many parents were killed in the bombing and shelling. Among the displaced were huge numbers of children. The children were of course the least likely to survive. If separated from their parents their chances were not good. Jewish children were among the first to be killed by the NAZIs because they had no economic value which could be exploited. One can not forget the images of the starving Jewish children in the Warsaw Getto whose parents had been killed and they were left alone. Even non-Jewish children were unlikely to survive without their parents. But many did survive and at the end of the war there were hundreds of thousands of displaced children. Adding to the human tragedy were millions of Germans streaming back to the Reich to avoid the Red Army. After the War German populations in Poland and other countries were forcibly transported to occupied Germany.

Country Trends

we have developed extensive ingformation abou the World war II experiences of children in the major beligerant countries. We have not, however, connected these pages with country children pages. We now see this needs to be done. and have begun todo so. We now have a China page and plan to create many more such pages.

After the War

America was able to assit Britain and the Sovet Union, but not occupied countries during the war. After the War ascountry after country ws liberated, American aid could reach more countries. The needfor food did not end with the end of the war. The impact of the War continued after the War ended because many large numbers of children had lost their parents or were being raised by one parent. This often meant the mother, who was ilequiped to support a household. The war-torn world faced a trrible caastrophe as it did in World war I. The War disrupted food production in many countries. Thos mean that there was a terrible shortage of food and no way to begin to immediately return agriculture to norml levels. Here again America stepped into ship massive quntities of food to counties around the world, especially devestted Europe. America offered food aid to any needy country, including the Soviet Union whch merica had been aiding uner Lend Lase during the War. Presidbr Truman, howeverm cut off this aid when Stalin cntnued to use the NKVD to instll Communist police tates in Poland and other countries. Even after cutting ff aidto the Soviet Union, the nted Srate was still willing to id Eastern Europe. Stalin ordered his Easern Ruropen satellite countrie not to accept America aid. Americn ai made a huge different in rhe democracies of western Europe. Muchof the aid was distributed through UNRRA which put a secil riority in resuing children.

Created: 2:47 AM 12/28/2010
Last updated: 5:52 PM 9/3/2015