Why does the History channel spend so much time on WWII documentaries?

Question

when there is such great american history on such things like the civil rights movement, women's suffrage, the abolitionist movement, and labor rights in America?

My guess is that they will lose viewers when all the cons change the channel.

If more people knew it was left-wing radicals, progressives, and liberals who supported all these great things, there wouldn't be so many clueless conservatives in America. You guys really need to get over the Republican always equal conservative and Democrat always equaled liberal myth.

The Republican Party wasn't always a southern conservative dominated party. It used to be dominated by northeastern radicals/progressives/liberals. The father of modern conservatism, Barry Goldwater, once said he wished the entire northeastern seaboard fell into the ocean. Likewise, the Democratic party used to have a racist southern conservative wing. They all started scrambling to the Republican Party since 1964 when Barry Goldwater ran for president.

rightyo,

Yeah they'll put on a couple of civil rights documentaries during MLK Jr's day, but those are the exceptions not the rule. WWII is way over represented. There are so many interesting things that people never read about on the issues that I mentioned.

For example, Fredrick Dougglass speaking out against evil christianity as practiced in the slave holding South. You think the History Channel would air something like that on tv without being afraid of losing viewers?

Answer 1

You know, I gotta tell you, I had the sam exact question ten years ago! I began watching the History Channel when my twins were infants, and I had to watch something while I fed them bottles of formula, or I would have gone berserk. As interesting as I find World War II, there is a HECK of a lot more to history than THAT! I would like to see a lot more medieval history, and they actually came through for me with Barbarians week, but it was over with all too quickly. So I can't really answer your question, but I can add an EVEN BETTER ONE: WHY DOES THE HISTORY CHANNEL SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON TECHNOLOGY, WHICH IS NOT EVEN HISTORY PER SE? I mean, confusing technology (like how almonds are processed for instance) with history is like confusing military tactics with strategy. Technology is on the surface, but human nature and human societies are timeless and are what is truly interesting about history.

Answer 2

Sometimes, knowing what something IS is not as difficult as knowing how to make it do what you want. In the case of harnessing the energies inside an atom released by the fission process, both aspects were difficult. Fermi had already made a sustained nuclear reaction. So, everyone knew getting one to happen was possible. People like Chadwick, Rutherford and others had described the parts of the atom, so everyone knew what they were working with. Einstein had shown how much energy could be converted from matter al la E=mc^2. All of these achievements are incredible and remarkeable, not just that they were made, but also that they happened with the limited capability of the technology of the era. It was ALL new. Lots of ideas, but little verified, empirical information on the things those ideas were about--i.e. atoms. Which material was best to yield desired result wihtout having to have an amount of it so large it filled up a warehouse. Today, you're right, we have things like supercomputers that can crunch numbers like there's no tomorrow, but back then all they had were slide rules and their brains. Talk about geeks. I wish I was that much of a geek. Trivial stuff, but interesting: about Feynmann, he was a prankster. An idea of fun for him was safecracking. He used to break into one of the higher up's safe and leave notes. When the feds and MI guys showed up to launch an investigation searching for mystery safecracker, he fessed up. [I cannot recall if I read about this in Michio Kaku's book "Einstein's Cosmos" or another book, sorry.] In restrospect it IS rather funny. Although, at the time I am sure it wasn't. Einstein was never asked to become part of the Manhattan Project, while many others at Princeton were, because of his views and socio-political activism. And, he was, after all, from Germany. The letter, written by Fermi and others, then signed by Einstein and sent to FDR saying how the energy yielded by an atomic device could be used for good or bad, how unimaginably much it would yield and that the Nazis were working on making one is what caused the Manhattan Project to be started. FDR made the decision to begin it on Dec 6, 1941. Yup, the day BEFORE Pearl Harbour.

Answer 3

I agree there seems to be too much air time spent on WW2 and I would like to see more interesting facts on women`s sufferage, the abolitionist movement and labor rights in America, however not because "librals" get the spotlight, but because these events are an important fact in our history and also help us to see where we have come from.

About where our political parties came from, also very interesting an important information. As for there not being enough footage, there can be dramatized re-inactments, illustrations and interviews from people who may have studied these things in depth or had family history in that era.

Answer 4

I watch anything dealing with WW2 and the civil war. I really dont care about Womens suffrage, or the abolitionist movement (None of it really affected me) and labor rights? That is the only really thing that holds any sifnicance and why would i want to watch it?
Those three things are boring and i can give you a educated guess as to what happened.
Abolition movement formation of Republican party and the election of Abraham Lincoln and the end of slavery.
Civil Rights there are protests and thanks to my second favorite president JFK (God rest his soul.) signs some papers and then they slowly gain rights.
Womens suffrage a bunch of women are complaining about being unequal start a movement start marching and protesting.
Labor rights a bunch of protests and the formation of labor Unions.
I have not studied womens suffrage, i have not studied labor rights too much, i know a bit about the abolition movement and a bit on the civil rights movement.

Answer 5

While all these other things you state are great and important moments in American history, World War II is the defining event of the last century in both American and World history. World War II symbolized American changing from an isolationist nation to one that is much more involved in world affairs, completed the conflict known as World War I, led to the creation of the United Nations, saw the development of jet propulsion, nuclear power, and rockets, plastic, radar, and other important technology and set up the conflict of the next forty years called the Cold War.

Answer 6

Excuse me! I am an avid supporter of the History channel. Some of the most interesting things concerning religion air on the History channel also, along with an informative series on drugs and how they became illegal. It's a wealth of information for the American people who have inquiring minds. I have seen shows on every subject you mention in your question and a ton of other subjects. Including Goldwater.

Answer 7

1st off. The political rant? Not needed & off base.
#2. WW2 is (A) the biggest event of the 20th century.
(b) It's one of the most doucumented events, i.e. Filmed!!!!

The US have whole units in the Navy & Army to record combat in stills and motion pictures & make training films. Top Hooly Directors like Capra & John Ford worked on these. Plus there is tons of news reel footage.
Now it's hard to make a TV SHOW about say the sufferage movement with no film to make it into a borring lecture.........

Answer 8

You are absolutely right. I mean that Logo of theirs "H" For a while I thought it stood for Hitler channel. They have run those films so many times I can almost repeat the dialog from memory. Could it be because WW 2 is the last war the US actually won. Korea, Viet Nam, lets be kind and call them draws.
At least lately they have done a better job of living up to their name.

Answer 9

You actually take credit for the Labor Movement? I would be trying to distance myself from those communists if I were you.

Right to Work in all 50 states by 2010!

Answer 10

And so you have politicized the History channel now, too? Nice.

Don't assume we are not well aware of our US history, in spite of modern Liberalism's attempts to revise it.