NHK General's "The Century of Images: The Butterfly Effect" (Mondays at 10 PM) will air "World War II Depicted in 8K (3): The Retreat 1942-44 (2K Version)" on August 10th. The third episode of this four-part series, which allows viewers to relive World War II in high-definition, focuses on the war of attrition between retreating Germany and Japan. When the fervor of victory faded, the people of both countries were forced to confront the reality of war for the first time.
Japan and Germany suffered repeated defeats, and both countries became mired in a war of attrition. Japan suffered devastating defeats on Guadalcanal and Attu, and to compensate for its manpower shortage, it conscripted students to the battlefield. The war dead were glorified with the term "gyokusai" (honorable death), and participation in the war was encouraged. Germany, after its defeat at Stalingrad, also shifted to a total war system that involved the entire nation, and women were also mobilized to the front lines. The fierce battles, such as the Normandy landings and the Battle of Saipan, eventually turned into a hellish situation that claimed the lives of civilians. Narrated by announcer Toshie Ito.
