Japanese school children wrote India and told them that Japan had lost two elephants during World War II. India sent them one.
The craziest part of the story is that no one will explain how two elephants were lost in WWII. Were they on the front lines or something? The Japanese draft got pretty bad.
I forgot the whole story but I think it was in a zoo where there was no food for the elephants to eat. (Well, most people were starving so animals were no exception) so I guess they died of malnutrition?
Partly true, but it wasn't just about the food. People were afraid that bombs hitting zoos can free big & dangerous animals who'd then wreak havoc in cities, so they made plans to dispose of them either by transferring them to smaller zoos in other parts of the country, or poisoning them. In the end they ended up being sacrificed for propaganda purposes during the war, partly to fuel people's hatred towards the enemy who 'forced' the zoos to kill them (and in pretty brutal ways, at that), and partly to signal how everyone—not just the men on the front but the women and kids who were left home and found solace in these zoos—needed to give their all for the emperor as the tides were turning and the country became more and more desperate.
Pretty sad and gruesome story, you can look it up as the Ueno massacre.
Japanese school children wrote India and told them that Japan had lost two elephants during World War II. India sent them one. The craziest part of the story is that no one will explain how two elephants were lost in WWII. Were they on the front lines or something? The Japanese draft got pretty bad.
I forgot the whole story but I think it was in a zoo where there was no food for the elephants to eat. (Well, most people were starving so animals were no exception) so I guess they died of malnutrition?
Partly true, but it wasn't just about the food. People were afraid that bombs hitting zoos can free big & dangerous animals who'd then wreak havoc in cities, so they made plans to dispose of them either by transferring them to smaller zoos in other parts of the country, or poisoning them. In the end they ended up being sacrificed for propaganda purposes during the war, partly to fuel people's hatred towards the enemy who 'forced' the zoos to kill them (and in pretty brutal ways, at that), and partly to signal how everyone—not just the men on the front but the women and kids who were left home and found solace in these zoos—needed to give their all for the emperor as the tides were turning and the country became more and more desperate. Pretty sad and gruesome story, you can look it up as the Ueno massacre.
“Be the change you wish to see” -Michael Scott
It ain't much, but it's honest work.
Well... Still better than getting another 2 nukes I'm I right?
true friend
this meme will fit in r/historymemes just right
Thanks, will do that