1. The Path to WWII Primary Source Activity
Dr. Seuss Goes to War
The Munich Conference
The Rape of Nanjing

2. Things to look for The Issue or Main Idea Reliability Validity
What is the event, action, policy, etc. discussed
Reliability
How trustworthy is the information or source
Validity
What info can we infer or take from the document
Bias/Point of View
Is the source one-sided or created for a purpose
Symbolism/Metaphor/Stereotypes

3. What does left wing mean?
The following slides are a selection of cartoons drawn by Dr. Seuss while working for PM, a left wing daily newspaper published in New York from
What does left wing mean?
What can this tell us about the attitude of Dr. Seuss and his political cartoons? (Is there a bias)

4. “Since when did we swap our ego for an ostrich?” April 28, 1941

5. Published May 22, 1941

6. Published October 1, 1941

7. Published December 5, 1941

8. Post Munich Conference (1939) Notable Quotes
“My good friends, for the second time in our history a British Prime Minister has returned from Germany bringing peace with honor. I believe it is peace for our time.”
- British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain
“They had to choose between war and dishonor. They chose dishonor; they will have war.”
- British Government Official and future Prime Minister Winston Churchill

9. Discussion Questions
How does Chamberlain feel upon his return from the Munich Conference?
What policy was Chamberlain following at the Munich Conference?
How did Churchill feel about this policy and the future of Europe?
How did Munich Conference a influence the path to WWII?

10. The Rape of Nanjing (Nanking)

11. Gendercide against Chinese Women
Women were killed in indiscriminate acts of terror and execution, but the large majority died after extended and excruciating gang-rape.
Though young and conventionally attractive women were most at risk, no woman was safe from vicious rape and exploitation (often filmed as souvenirs) and probable murder thereafter.

12. Gendercide Continued

13. Quotes from Nanjing
“Perhaps when we were raping her, we looked at her as a woman, but when we killed her, we just thought of her as something like a pig.“
–Japanese Soldier who was at Nanjing
“They were all stripped naked, their breasts cut off, leaving a terrible dark brown hole; some of them were bayoneted in the abdomen, with their intestines spilling out alongside them; some had a roll of paper or a piece of wood stuffed in their vaginas“
- Chinese witness who was at Nanjing

14. Chinese Men used in Training as Dummies for the Japanese Soldiers

15. Not Even Children Were Safe

16. Discussion Questions
How did the previous images and quotes make you feel?
What valid conclusions can we make about the Japanese based on these primary sources?