“You didn’t see him lying … beside the gravel road in France”: Death, Distance, and American War Politics*

This study reveals the profound sensory and emotional divide between American civilians during World War II and those experiencing combat firsthand, highlighting how media narratives, such as Ernie Pyle's war journalism, attempted to bridge this gap. It demonstrates that while civilians were shielded from direct violence, their engagement with war was shaped by curated visuals and narratives, contributing to a broader political apathy toward distant warfare. The research uses historical analysis of wartime reporting, censorship, and civilian mobilization to illustrate how this divide influenced the structure of government war power and public perception.

Dudziak, M. L. (2017). “You didn’t see him lying … beside the gravel road in France”: Death, Distance, and American War Politics*. Diplomatic History, 42(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1093/dh/dhx087