The influence of World War II on the works of J.R.

R Tolkien
Ismael Hernandez Garcia

The Lord of the Rings is one of the most influential books of our time. It was also heavily
influenced. To understand why, a deeper look at John Ronald Reuel Tolkiens life is required. As
many know, Tolkien was a linguist, which showed in the unique and developed languages that
his characters use. He was also raised in the English countryside, fact that reflects itself on his
depiction of the Shire. But there are two important events in history that will shape the story
and tone of the novel: the two World Wars. Tolkien, who was born in 1892, was a soldier in the
First World War and in the process of writing his magnum opus when the Second World War
started.
Many people have argued that Tolkien did not draw from real life in order to get ideas
for his widely acclaimed novel. In fact, when critics started confronting him about the
symbolism of the One Ring and how it represented the atomic bomb (an element of power that
Hitler required) replied writing a foreword to his book. In this prelude, Tolkien (1966) said:
I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since
I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history true or
feigned with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I
think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the
freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.
(p. 9)
While this is the view of the author, and it is reasonable to think that way, even the most creative
and thoughtful of men are influenced, as their own minds are shaped by their culture, social
ambits, life choices, etc. Tolkien is no exception to this rule, and in his works his life is reflected,
sometimes with a clear intention, like the Song of Beren and Luthien which is really a poem to
his wife. In other cases, he does this less intentionally.
The most notable example of this influence is in the way he depicts evil and villains.
Tolkien, as many people in that time, learned everything he knew about Hitler and the Nazi
Regime from the radio. Radio broadcasts at the time were issued by the British Ministry of
Information, a propaganda department that, among other lies, demonized the enemy. The idea
of a dictatorship and the figure of the Fhrer instilled deep fear among British citizens. Sauron
is the embodiment of that fear, and, in a way, an embodiment of Hitler. In the novel, in the
second chapter, Gandalf tells Frodo a very old story, in which Sauron was defeated after a very
long war by an alliance of all races and factions that opposed him. During the main events of the
story, Sauron starts to rise to power again and ends up having a war against all of the West again.
In real life, Germany had a very long armed conflict that ended with a final joined offensive of

the Allies. Years later, Hitler would rise to power and cause another World War. Another
important symbolic element of Sauron is that he comes from the East. The East, in Tolkien times,
meant war and death, as the Central Powers and then the Axis Powers were at the eastern border
of Europe. Sauron and the fact that he comes from the East, and that men from the West must
defeat him, is a common theme through the book. The third and final important aspect of
Sauron that is mirrored from Nazi armies is the heavy industrialization. In the last book, Saurons
army has a ram called the Grond, described as great as a forest-tree a hundred feet in length,
swinging on mighty chains (p. 860), which is also part of a wide arsenal of war machinery that
Sauron has. He also produces his troops using industrial methods. Saruman, after betraying the
White Council and joining forces with Sauron, is tasked with creating an army worth of Mordor.
He immediately destroys the forests around him and creates an industry-like production line of
orcs. In real life, the Nazi army relied heavily on Germanys industry for the production of
weapons. All of these parallels, while maybe not intentional, are a clear image of the idea of evil
that Tolkien had based on his war experiences.
Another very clear semblance between Lord of the Rings history and real history is the
way a fortified border for a known evil ends up being completely useless. At the beginning of
World War II, France had a defence line against Germany, called the Maginot Line. This line
stood no chance against the Germans, partly because it was badly defended and partly because
of the ineptitude of its leaders. In the novel, the defence line against Sauron is the Osgiliath
River, and in particular the City of Osgiliath. This fortification, guarded poorly by the last
soldiers of Gondor, is easily taken over by Mordor when it decides to attack. This is also the fault
of Denethor, the delirious leader of Gondor, who, like the French leaders, though that an attack
was unlikely to happen. Gondor itself is similar to France because it is the shadow of its former
glory.
Rohan has some parallels too with real life countries, in its case with Britain. At the
beginning of the second book, Theoden, the King of Rohan, is weak and unable to help his own
country. His weakness is a threat against his kingdom, as the war is about to unfold. Just in time
for the start of the war, Theoden is healed and able to lead his country to victory. Prior to World
War II, Neville Chamberlain was the prime minister of Britain. After being criticized by the
general public for not taking sufficient action, he was replaced with Winston Churchill. He was
a strong leader which ultimately gave Britain the edge in the war. In fact, in the final Battle of
the Pellennor Fields, Rohan aids Gondor in battle, helps retake Minas Tirith, and together they
bring the war to Saurons territory. In real life, the UK helped France in retaking its own
territory, and then together they attacked Germany. Another important element in Rohans

story through the book is the terror attacks they suffer from Isengard, which eventually leads to
a battle for the sovereignty of Rohan. Britain also suffered this kind of attacks by the Germans,
in particular the nightly Luftwaffe attacks to London. This also led to the first major Allied
victory, in the Battle of Britain, a fight to repel the invading Nazis.
However, Tolkien itself always refuted this claims. On Rohan being a depiction of AngloSaxons and Bretons because of their customs and language, Tolkien (1967) wrote that
Rohan is a famous name, from Brittany [Northern France], borne by an ancient
proud and powerful family. I was aware of this, and liked its shape; but I had also
(long before) invented the Elvish horse-word [roch], and saw how Rohan could
be accommodated to the linguistic situation as a late Sindarin name of the Mark
(previously called Calenaron 'the (great) green region') after its occupation by
horsemen.
This may indicate that he just drew from there because he was an adept in linguistics and had
a deep knowledge of Old English. Also, about the critics that said that his works was allegorical,
Tolkien (1947) also wrote that You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you
like: an allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power.
Despite this, the references, while some may be too adventurous, are there, even in clearer
forms, like the fact that Black Tongue, the language of Mordor, is an agglutinative language, as
German is.
Tolkien and his works are an incredible work of imagination and creation. Tolkien
developed two languages, an entire world with its mythology, separate for each culture; several
maps, genealogical trees, and an entire history spanning several thousand years. He was also
heavily influenced by the two World Wars, maybe not directly, but in the way he depicts good
and evil, and military confrontations. In the end, this only further showcases the huge impact
this period of history had in contemporary culture.
References
Tolkien, J.R.R. (1992). Lord of the Rings. London, England: Grafton.
Tolkien, J.R.R. (2006). The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Carpenter, H., & Tolkien, C. (Ed.). New York,
NY: HarperCollins.
Foster, R. (2001). Tolkiens World from A to Z: The Complete Guide to Middle-Earth. New York,
NY: Del Rey.