‘May the 4th be with you’: How World War II influenced ‘Star Wars’

Maj. Warren Lewis stated in a review of "The Lord of the Rings" book series in 1949 that it's possible to interpret the story in a topical manner. He suggested that certain elements of the story, such as The Shire representing England, Rohan representing France, Gondor symbolizing Germany's potential future, and Sauron embodying Stalin, could be seen as accidental literary parallels.

Even though Tolkien himself denied that his story was a representation of any real-life event, particularly the fight against Nazism during the war, historian Alan Allport suggests in his 2020 book "Britain at Bay" that Lewis was right when he hinted at a connection between the two.

According to Allport, instead of creating an imaginary world with mythological elements, Tolkien intended for his readers to draw connections between the events in Middle Earth and ones in their own reality.

Despite the fact that Tolkien was not the initial nor final writer to draw motivation from the violent and destructive warfare of World War II.

On this day of May the Fourth, fans of "Star Wars" are rejoicing. It's easy to see that the universe of "Star Wars" contains many references to WWII, and its followers may even rival those of Tolkien.

George Lucas, the mastermind behind "Star Wars," is renowned for his meticulous research. In his quest for authenticity, he dedicated more than 25 hours of his time studying footage from real-life dogfights during World War II. Additionally, he poured over news clips haunted by shaky camera work. Surprisingly, he even incorporated some of the raw footage as temporary placeholders in the movies, before adding special effects.

In a 1997 interview, Willard Huyck, a close friend of Lucas and a screenwriter, expressed confusion over the sudden shift in settings from being with the Wookiee in a spaceship to finding oneself in 'The Bridges at Toko-Ri.' He recalled exclaiming to George about the unexpected turn of events.

Even though the additional footage was excluded, the strategies utilized during World War II in the sky continue to be noticeable.

A shot, as identified by curator Corey Graff from the National WWII Museum and Memorial, exhibited aircrafts breaking away from formation and disappearing from sight. This specific shot served as an example for the renowned scene in which Rebel ships swoop down to assault the Death Star. The fictional spacecrafts gracefully perform an 'aileron roll' on the screen, closely imitating the movements of aircrafts from the 1940s.

Many books have been written about these comparisons, but we have gathered some of our preferred ones to celebrate May the Fourth.

Boeing B-29 Fortress Provided Cockpit For Millennium Falcon

Lucas became especially fond of the cockpit of B-29s, a renowned bomber that dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII, after tirelessly watching footages.

What happened? The cockpit of the Millennium Falcon, which was loved by Han Solo, appears to have been directly inspired by the blueprints of Boeing. Its structure is reminiscent of the greenhouse-style cockpit found on the B-29. Likewise, the Falcon also has protective gun turrets that were present on the Superfortress. These turrets would've proved useful during battles against the Death Star.

Empire's Similarities To Nazi Germany

The comparison between the Galactic Empire and Nazi Germany is clearly evident, from the attire of the stormtroopers and Imperial officers to the helmet of Darth Vader which bears a striking resemblance to those of the WWII Wehrmacht. These similarities are not difficult to notice.

The slow ascent of Hitler from being the German chancellor to becoming the tyrannical Nazi leader can also be compared to Darth Sidious or Sheev Palpatine, who went from being a chancellor to becoming the emperor who desperately needed moisturizer for his face.

Warplanes Of WWII Inspired Star Wars Ships

Lucas once again took inspiration from aviation during World War II to create distinct sounds for his spaceships. As noted by Ian D'Costa in Tacairnet, it was not simple to artificially create sounds similar to those heard in the movies nowadays. To overcome this, Lucas sent his sound designer, Ben Burtt, to Reno Air Races in Nevada. There, Burtt was allowed to record the sounds of P-51 Mustangs racing overhead.

In the past, Burtt shared his experience of wanting to capture the sound of planes. He simply expressed his desire to the relevant people and they allowed him to go ahead. But nowadays, such an opportunity would be hard to come by. During his recording session in the Mojave, Burtt stood near the pylons where planes flew over his head about 15 feet away. These planes moved so rapidly that he could hardly see them pass by, only sensing the scent of oil and exhaust in the air. Interestingly, the recordings taken during this experience were used to produce sounds for various spaceships, including the Falcon.

British Dambuster Raid Inspired Death Star Run

Lucas found additional motivation from the movie "The Dam Busters" from 1955. The movie portrays the daring mission of the British to attack Germany's crucial dams in 1943, which were fortified with strong anti-aircraft fire - a repeated concept in "Star Wars."

According to Graff's piece in Smithsonian Magazine last year, the assault on the Death Star involves battling against overwhelming chances. It pays tribute to the grandiose aerial fights showcased in renowned movies of the 50s and 60s.

The Rebels faced a terrible setback and their mission to attack the Death Star was in danger of failing, much like a similar situation in 1943. However, everything changed when the Millennium Falcon unexpectedly emerged from the bright light of the sun, a tactic commonly used in military aviation. This pivotal moment turned the tide of the battle.

Claire Barrett works as the Strategic Operations Editor at Sightline Media. She is also an expert in World War II history, and has a great interest in both Sir Winston Churchill and football teams from Michigan.