The Second World War and Modern Memory

In a past post, I spoke briefly about how our society remembers the Second World War. Here is a brief section of that post: 

Just consider how we think about the war: the Nazis are seen as the ultimate villains of history- the purest manifestation of hatred, subjugation, and objective evil. Often, people label them as "monsters", and it is believed that these "monsters" were only defeated through dedication, bravery, intelligence, and commitment to a moral cause. The Allies were heroes. "It was their finest hour." Even it's name, "the World War", suggests incredible grandeur- the largest stage and stakes there are: our planet. So, the very way we describe and think about the war has shifted our interpretation of it from history to epic legend- something like Homer's Iliad, half way between history and myth

But why should this be so? There are many wars throughout history which are treated with casual disinterest, despite marking significant developments in political, social, scientific, or military thought. So why is this war so significant in our cultural memory? What was it about that time, our enemies, and what we "know" about it that brings us to treat every inch of battlefield as hallowed ground?