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MPR News Staff

APM documentary: Battles of Belief in WWII

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Volunteers Gerald Wilsnack and Marshall Sutton, taken in 1945.
Volunteers Gerald Wilsnack and Marshall Sutton, taken in 1945.
Image from the Minneapolis Newspaper Collection, Hennepin County Library Special Collections.

It's easy to look back on World War II and get the impression that America was united in fighting "The Good War." But not everyone fought in the same way. "Battles of Belief" tells two remarkable stories that reveal the different fronts in the struggle for minds and hearts during wartime. It's an APM documentary produced and hosted by Stephen Smith.

Pt 1: A Duty to Starve

During World War II, three dozen conscientious objectors volunteered for a starvation experiment at the University of Minnesota. The men were willing to suffer but not to kill.

Pt 2: Radio Wars

Propaganda was a strategic weapon in World War II. International radio waves became the battleground. Both sides created clandestine radio stations to beam disinformation at each other hoping to undermine morale.

The History Theatre is writing a new play about the University of Minnesota starvation experiment, which is being read on stage at the History Theatre in downtown St. Paul on Jan. 11, 2018. Richard Chin is the playwright.

To listen to the documentary, click the audio player above.